Massapequa Honors Retiring Teachers

MASSAPEQUA, NY - From Massapequa School District: The Massapequa School District honored two dozen retirees totaling more than 500 years of combined service at its board of education meeting on May 24.

Additionally, seven staff members received tenure. Retiring staff members included administrators, teachers, teacher assistants, nurses, secretaries, custodians and monitors, who careers in the district began as far
back as 1979. Superintendent Lucille F. Iconis and Board of Education President Timothy Taylor thanked them for their service to Massapequa students.

The district honored three retiring administrators. Massapequa High School graduate Jean Castelli returned in 2000 after working in Long Beach, and served as assistant principal and principal of McKenna Elementary School before moving to central office. Most recently, she was the assistant to the superintendent for special
education and student support services.

Dr. David Gaines arrived in Massapequa in 1986 as the high school band director, and has served as the curriculum associate for music since 2008. During his tenure, the district has consistently been named as one of the Best Communities for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation.

Susan Thompson joined the district in 1998, working in the business office and as a computer teacher assistant at McKenna Elementary School before being named technology chairwoman. In her position, she supervised business and technology education, family and consumer sciences and driver education.

Retiring teachers included Susan Carlone (East Lake Elementary School, kindergarten), Elyn Coyle (high school, English), Marianne Conte (high school, business), Sandra Dorfman (Fairfield Elementary School, library media specialist), Maria Gargano (Birch Lane Elementary School, third grade), Robert Gariglio (high
school, science), Karen Matros (Ames Campus, English) and Joanne Visalli-Mauro(McKenna Elementary School, special education).

Other retirees included high school nurses Christine Fink and Susan Muller,monitors Nancy Bang and Joan Burns, teacher assistants Eileen Biagini, Beth Brown, Mary Alice Fasulo and Marie Wipper, secretaries Debra Csajko and Rita Nuara and custodians Ernest Pangburn, Matteo Rappa and Edward Rivera.

The board of education, at the recommendation of Ms. Iconis, awarded tenure to seven staff members including music teachers Brittany Bissonnette and Christina Guando, reading teacher Carmen Keaney, elementary teacher Tara Kennelly and teacher assistants Jean Allen-Bittner, Allison Prystupa and Jennifer
Schmidt.

Photo courtesy of Massapequa School District