Rockefeller Awards Go to Audrey Wachs & Ben Roberts

Six Teachers Retiring

by Joan R. Simon

(June 12, 2008) On June 10th, the final Mamaroneck School Board meeting of the year was once again an evening of celebration. Seniors Audrey Wachs and Ben Roberts were honored with Rockefeller awards and six retiring teachers were applauded for their long and valuable tenures.

While presenting slides of Audrey’s work, art teacher Kevin Kline praised her for being “deeply curious” and a “balanced and dispassionate” artist who was always “open to new ideas.” She was “consistently individualistic,” he said, “not part of the crowd.”

Artwork by Audrey Wachs

Fellow PACE classmate Derek Schenbly commended Ben Roberts for being a “genuinely sincere person” who put “110%” into his work and was outstanding as both “a generalist and a specialist”. Three PACE members performed a section of his original dance, “Thieve or Fool“ and afterwards Ben showed his extraodinary talent as a percussionist on an impressive set of drums.

The Rockefeller Awards goes back to 1982 when Mamaroneck High School was one of only ten schools selected to receive a $10,000 award for arts education from the Rockefeller Brothers’ Fund. The school prudently invested the prize money and each year has been using the interest to award scholarships to two graduating seniors who have excelled in the visual and performing arts.

Ben Roberts performed a drum solo.

Farewell to Six Teachers, District Officials, and Board President

Only six teachers will be leaving the district at the end of the school year, in comparison to the 25 who retired last year. The 2008 retirees are:

Irene Dietrich (44 years): Murray, 4th grade
Michael DiGennaro (34 years): MHS, English/Film
Justine Diianni (36 years): MAS, Art
Valerie Etra (42 years): MHS, Chemistry
Jane Holland (34 years): Central, Special Education
Noella Lansen (20 years): Chatsworth, 5th grade

In addition, fond farewells were given to district clerk Bea Cerasoli, who will be retiring in June after 6 years, and Joan Rosen, who has been director of public information since 2001.

Board president Amy Levere is also stepping down at the end of June after six years on the school board, the last one as president. Board vice president Linnet Tse, who is expected to succeed her, thanked her for working "tirelessly and selflessly, and without complaint," and said she would be sorely missed her “ever optimistic outlook."

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