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Front Page News
March 5, 2014
Epsom Central School
Submitted By Bob Sawyer
I hope
you have enjoyed reading the articles about the Epsom Central School
faculty & staff as much as I enjoyed writing them. My motivation for
this project was to raise public awareness of the character,
quality, and professionalism of the ECS men and women.
Most of the staff were forthcoming when interviewed, but one was
skeptical of my motives, asking, “Who is this for?” The first
response that came to mind was, “Duhhh, you,” but I phrased my
response more politely. I had to rephrase more than one remark; when
I asked one teacher what she would tell parents to help their
children, she replied, “Sit down, shut up, and listen (to your
kids)!”
Taking their photographs was interesting, too. The responses to my
request for a photo included: “My hair is up in a ponytail and looks
awful!’; “Can you come back tomorrow?”; “Could you substitute a
photo of Sophia Loren for my picture?”
I learned about give & take when I asked a Language Arts teacher for
an interview, and she enlisted me to lecture students in her three
writing classes! My reward for this was to be treated to “the
Gourmet Gals’” excellent pizza lunch.
I decided it was OK if I passed a teacher or staff member in the
hall and struggled to recall their name. After all, there are 80-odd
of them and only one of me. At the end of one day of interviews, I
realized I had spoken to three women named Carol, Carolyn, and
Carolyn! With all due respect to Mesdames Ransom, Ortisi, and
Puffer, the project was, at times, confusing.
Speaking of “80-odd,” the principal gently corrected this phrase to
“eighty-plus,” saying, “We wouldn’t want people to think we had
eighty very odd people here!” After completing this project, I’m not
so sure (Kidding!). Seriously, conducting these interviews was a
great way to make new friends.
If there were a common theme in their interview responses, it was
this: the faculty and staff feel that there is in this school a true
family atmosphere, where they all back up one another through
weddings, funerals, illness, moving, hardships, etc.
Discovering this intense feeling of mutual regard while doing the
project was a moving experience. I stand in awe of them all, for the
care, professionalism, education, experience, thoughtfulness,
energy, and love they bring to their jobs every day. I see the ECS
staff as united in nurturing, protecting, and educating 430-plus
children.
So, to the custodians, cooks, secretaries, paras, specialists,
admin, and teachers of Epsom Central School, I salute you and say,
“Thank you for your service.” And, I ask you, the reader, to
contemplate the following: “If you can read this, thank a teacher!”
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