The Carle Place Union Free School District and the board of education paid tribute to retirees, volunteers and a corporate ally during the June 11 board of education meeting.
Retirees were presented with certificates and thanked for their service by Superintendent David Flatley. District volunteers were recognized with certificates of appreciation as well. The board commended those who helped raise money this year in the fight against juvenile diabetes, and the highest fundraisers from first, second and third grade were spotlighted.
“We appreciate all the work everyone has done to make Carle Place a better place to live,” Flatley said. “Thank you for your continued dedication.”
Among the retirees was Ed Abdale, who has been teaching for 33 years, 25 years of which were at Rushmore Avenue. He told The Westbury Times he became a teacher to support students.
“I really became a teacher to support the nervous student. I was one of those kids who was uncomfortable in a school, so I thought if I could create a safe, relaxed atmosphere in which to learn, these nervous kids would flourish,” he said.
He said he has had many favorite memories over the past three decades, but his favorite are those where children have told him they have learned a lot and had fun doing it. Abdale said he’s had a wonderful career and that he’s looking forward to traveling during his retirement.
Also retiring was Dave Angevine, who has taught chemistry, earth science and physical science for the last 34 years.
“I loved science and figured that by being a teacher, I could talk about what I loved doing all day long,” he said. “My favorite part of teaching was watching the kids doing labs with me assisting where I could.”
In his retirement, Angevine would like to start a tutoring business.
Retiree Diane Chen said when she was in college, the field of Learning Disabilities was just coming to the forefront, and the students captured her interest.
“My favorite part of teaching is watching a child that has difficulty in school gain confidence as he or she begins to put it together,” Chen said. “My favorite memories are of the students that were the toughest to win over, to gain their confidence, so that they would let the learning begin.”
She’s worked as a special education teacher for 31 years, 25 of which were spent in Carle Place. In retirement, she plans to enjoy her family, travel and “meet each new day differently, without the frantic pace we all seem to get caught up in.”
The list of retirees included Steven Martello, a 32-year high school special education teacher; Juanita Santora, a Spanish teacher at the middle/high school for eight years and Anita Sasso, a mathematics teacher at the high school for almost 14 years.
The district also thanked Henry Chu from the Lockheed Martin Corporation for his help in teaching students the ins and outs on how to create and operate their robot. The team has competed on an international scale this year, facing groups from Israel and Brazil.
