Gone Fishin': Middletown Says Goodbye To Beloved Principal

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — One of the longest-serving administrators in the Middletown school district, Dr. John Andl, retired this summer and he will be remembered fondly by many in the Bayshore area.

Dr. Andl was a principal at New Monmouth Elementary School in the New Monmouth section of Middletown. But he actually began his career as a gym teacher over 30 years ago. From there, he became a principal at Bayview Elementary School in Belford in 1990, where he oversaw the early education of thousands of children and worked diligently to provide them with the best education possible.

After 20 years of service at Bayview he was transferred to New Monmouth Elementary, bringing with him his positive attitude and desire to make sure every child unlocked his or her full potential. Many longtime Bayshore residents remember the 'Gone Fishing' sign at Bayview Elementary every summer during Dr. Andl's 20-year tenure, a saying well-appreciated by the waterfront community's fishing roots.

However, to the dismay of many in the Bayshore, this tradition ended when then-superintendent Karen Bilbao required all school signs to display a positive statement about reading during the summer.

But when they learned that Dr. Andl was retiring this year, some of his former students revived his signature summer sign for just one day this summer. You might have noticed the "Gone Fishing" sign on top of the current New Monmouth Elementary School marquee.

"These days it is so hard to find a school administrator as concerned about the welfare of students as much as he did," said one Middletown resident Barb Jensen. "Dr Andl put a great deal of time and effort into his job and deserves to be recognized for his service to our community's youth."