Treasured Memories

To the Editor:

With the dissolution of my position as Restitution Facilitator/Solution Room Manager at Newtown Middle School, I am hoping to take this opportunity to thank the many members of the Newtown community that I have come to know and work with during my 21/2  years as an employee of the Newtown Public School system.

Thank you to the staff of Newtown Middle School. At all levels and in all positions, you are some of the most dedicated, and hardest working professionals it has been my pleasure to know. It was a joy and an honor to work among you, play a role in our remarkable effort, and to be part of the middle school family.

I am grateful to my colleagues in the central office and throughout the system. Whenever I had questions and/or concerns, they were always met with kindness and support and managed quickly and efficiently.

To Dr Virginia King, I owe a special debt of gratitude. You hired me, trained me, and supported me; you gave me the opportunity to do something I both loved and believed in. I consider myself very fortunate to have had that experience, even for so short a time.

I appreciate the cooperation of the parents of students I worked with. Your support and understanding were crucial as we attempted to teach students some of life’s most important lessons: that there are consequences for the choices we make, and that we have to take responsibility for words and actions.

But, most of all, I thank the students I worked with in all situations. You brought challenge, purpose and humor into my life every day. I am grateful for your respect and for your friendship. Each one of you has left an indelible imprint upon my heart that will remain with me always.

The time I spent as Solution Room Manager at Newtown Middle School will always be among my proudest and most treasured memories. It was a watershed experience for me, and I shall never forget it.

Gail Sirico

109 Kohanza Street 71-H, Danbury      June 27, 2001