They started on different paths but were ultimately united in a shared passion for education and yesterday Waltham public schools honored these retiring faculty members at the Robert Treat Paine Estate.
Each year, school officials honor those retiring in a special ceremony that brings together old and new teachers and faculty members.
Yesterday was no different, with one director, one house-master, one guidance counselor and three teachers marking the end of their careers in Waltham.
Barbara Cappucci, a biology teacher, Jane Walker, a guidance counselor, Kathy Giorgio, a family and consumer science teacher, Mary Cochran, a history teacher, Anthony Piantedosi, a house-master and Marie McKenzie, director of reading and language arts, were each honored with a rose and a written proclamation from Mayor Jeannette McCarthy.
Under the lavish backdrop of the estate's historic stone architecture, those gathered sipped wine and snacked on stuffed mushrooms and crackers. Show choir director Christopher Landis led a chorus of students who honored the retirees through song.
Waltham High School Principal John Graceffa acted as master of ceremonies, offering kind words about his departing colleagues.
"This is a fantastic turnout," he said. "I always say you are a part of our family and always will be."
Cochran retired after 23 years in the district. Yesterday she recalled her first day on the job.
"I didn't know a single person in the building, except one person; Jan Costa. I knew her because my children had her as a teacher in Burlington," she said. "She invited me to lunch that day. I'll never forget that feeling of not knowing a single person."
Cappucci spent 24 years teaching in Waltham. She was instrumental in helping the School Department receive a grant from the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, which helped establish scientific methodologies like gel electrophoresis as part of classroom instruction.
"We've had a revolution in molecular biology since I started. Now we teach more about cells and DNA and bio-technology rather than plants and animals," she said. "The emphasis on MCAS testing was another major change. Before that you could carry out more open-ended assignments."
Yesterday, McKenzie celebrated 36 years in the district. She started as a fourth-grade teacher at the now closed Newhall School. She's been a director for the district since 1984 and has seen the construction of two new schools and a decreasing class size during her time with Waltham public schools.
"My mother was a teacher at the same school and my first classroom was the first classroom she started in (during the 1930s)," she said. "This is a really nice event. It's like a bridge connecting the past to the future."
Jeff Gilbride can be reached at 781-398-8005 or at jgilbrid@cnc.com.
