By Linda Conner Lambeck

WESTPORT — The 2023 roster of retirees from Westport’s public schools reflects 538 years of service.

For most who filled the audience at Monday’s Board of Education meeting — with flowers, placards and well wishes — the collective number wasn’t enough to acknowledge the impact the 27 retirees had on young Westporters over the last few decades.

It was the stories: of chicken soup offered to colleagues who were home sick with COVID; school corridors turned into professional-looking winter art galleries of student work, and a principal who, according to one student, never acted like he was the boss.

“A lot goes on behind the scenes we don’t know about,” confessed Supt. of Schools Thomas Scarice, himself at a disadvantage having been in the district only three years.

He warned honorees in the audience at Monday’s meeting to suppress their modesty for the evening and just accept the accolades.

There were many.

Mary Lou Kranyik, a paraprofessional, or teacher’s aide, since 1996, was Long Lots Elementary School Principal Kimberly Ambrosio’s para when she taught kindergarten.

“She was very crafty … worked with all grade levels … touched the lives of [at least] 2,000 students,” Ambrosio said, helping them learn to count, read and write, as well as open milk cartons, tie shoes and zip coats.

Another Long Lots retiree is Janet Adams, a teacher in Westport since 2002.

Ambrosio said Adams not only helped students get excited about reading, but offered colleagues chicken soup, lasagna and even bottles of wine when necessary. 

Adams told the gathering she had lived in Westport for over 40 years and experienced the district as both an educator and demanding parent. She said she knew to bring her A game every day.

“Without educators, Westport would not be the great district it is today,” Adams said. “It would just be another school district.” 

That said, she put in a plug for the district to hire more paras.

Paul Fletcher, a math teacher who transferred from Bridgeport 19 years ago, was always an advocate for the subject. More than just numbers, Fletcher would tell students that math trained the brain to solve problems, according to Bedford Middle School Principal Adam Rosen. 

Fletcher also filled the hallways of Bedford with the sounds of jazz and classic rock music before school to set the tone for the day.

“When you going to use this?” Fletcher would tell his students of math. “Probably tomorrow.” 

Fletcher told the board he felt truly blessed to work in Westport. 

So did Janet Zamary, part of the Staples High School physical education department for 36 years. 

“There is not a day I have not wanted to come to school,” Zamary told the gathering. 

Over the course of her career, she taught just about every gym class Staples offered, including the district’s unified sports program and served under five principals. Some of her current students are sons and daughters of former students. 

Two of the retirees this year are principals. 

Scarice said retiring Coleytown Middle School Principal Kris Szabo, who served 19 years, will be missed. 

Szabo, who could not attend Monday’s program, said in a letter to the board, that she anticipated a tenure of five to seven years when she took over Coleytown. 

“My love for that remarkable place grew,” Szabo wrote. “As time went on … I stayed longer than I ever envisioned.” 

Kevin Cazzetta, principal at Greens Farms Elementary School, came to the district in 2007. He was named principal in 2015, two days before the start of that school year, he said. 

Supporters in the audience serenaded Cazzetta with the school song and gave him a standing ovation. Some held up signs telling him how much he would be missed.

Scarice said he knew Cazzetta was special when shortly after he was hired he asked the district’s principals, during a Zoom call, about changing the district’s planned pandemic hybrid learning model from every other day in class to a half day in school daily. 

Cazzetta thought it was a great idea, because he said every student would get daily in person academic work and a half of day to go home and play, Scarice said.

“He was thinking through the life of a five-year-old … I thought, ‘This is good,’ ” the superintendent recalled. He also called Cazzetta child-centered. 

Greens Farms teachers called Cazzetta a great listener. Students called him a nice person who didn’t play favorites. Parents called him a gentle giant. 

One Greens Farms parent, school board member Dorie Hordon, said it was hard to hold her emotions in check. “I tried not to cry,” she said after the program.

Cazzetta said whenever he was having a bad day, all he had to do was step out of his office and interact with students to brighten his mood. He called it an honor and privilege to work in Westport.

Other school district employees saying goodbye

Ellen DeMagistris, a special education paraprofessional at Stepping Stones Preschool, with 28 years service.

Lisa Doocy, a teacher at Stepping Stones for 10 years.

Debbie Yeager, a paraprofessional for 19 years at Coleytown Elementary School.

Melissa Otten, a general education paraprofessional at Greens Farms Elementary School.

Caroline (Bonnie) Campbell, a teacher at Long Lots Elementary School.

Regina Keating, a secretary at Long Lots for 28 years.

Jodell Carlson, an art teacher at Saugatuck Elementary School, who spent 25 years in the district.

Michele Cerino, who spent the last five years of a 31-year career, working in the district as a literacy coordinator, social studies teacher, then assistant principal split between Kings Highway and Saugatuck schools.

Hollis Diamandis, a Spanish teacher in the district for 21 years at Greens Farms and Kings Highway.

Susan Creaturo, a paraprofessional at Bedford Middle School, 16 years.

Martel Rynderman, a teacher of the gifted at Coleytown, 15 years.

Robert Buebendorf, a maintainer in the district’s facilities department, 27 years.

Sharon Williams, a custodian at Bedford and Staples, 17 years.

Susan March, a paraprofessional of 15 years, at Staples.

Karla Clouser, a special education teacher for 36 years at Staples.

Martin Lisevick, who retired this year as athletic director after 22 years.

Susan Skutnik, a secretary in the athletic department, for 20 years. 

“You couldn’t ask for a better team,” Staples Principal Stafford Thomas said of Lisevick and Skutnik.

Scott Lee, a science teacher at Staples 10 years, who helped restart the robotics program after the pandemic, according to Thomas.

Heidi Howden, a special education teacher completing a 30-year career, the last 17 at Staples.

Another team acknowledged as trailblazers in their field, according to District Technology Director Natalie Carrignan, were:

Jane Alix, part of the district instructional technology department for 30 years and,

Sharon Silver, in instructional technology for 27 years.

Freelance writer Linda Conner Lambeck, a reporter for more than four decades at the Connecticut Post and other Hearst publications, is a member of the Education Writers Association.