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HAYDEN J EMRAH
WZBD
At their scheduled May meeting, the North Adams Community Schools Board of Education announced the retirement and appointment of several staff/faculty members–ranging from elementary to high school, as well as the administration office.
The teachers and staff who are retiring this year mark the end of many tenured careers, with several members listed below having taught generations of students, with their combined level of experience averaging a little over 26.5 years. Those members include:
- Jeffery Blackburn will be retiring as the Instrumental Music teacher at Bellmont Middle and high School after 38 years of service. Starting as the High School Assistant Director, he then worked as the Middle School Band Director before being director of both for around the past 10 years. Blackburn has been instrumental in the success of Bellmont’s band programs for decades, and his accomplishments as a musician and affinity for jazz music will surely be a focus of his in retirement.
- Heidi Trentadue is set to retire after 31 years as an elementary teacher with North Adams. Starting at Southeast Elementary, she then transitioned to the middle school to teach 5th grade. Her compassion for her work and caring nature has granted her a reputation as a great friend and colleague, and certainly one who will be missed.
- Jennifer Blackburn will be retiring as Attendance Secretary after 33. 5 years with the school district. Colloquially known as “Jeff’s Better Half” among staff, Blackburn started her career helping to run the daycare center before transitioning to the role of Guidance secretary at the middle school in 2011, and then to her current role within the last 3 years.
- Mark Andrews, after 23.5 years, will be retiring from the role of Maintenance at North Adams Community Schools. This will be Andrews’ 2nd retirement, after 23.5 years at Decatur Casting. Hired in 2001 to help clean up after Belmont High School’s science wing addition, he worked the night shift for 14 years before becoming the daytime custodian at Northwest–which was then consolidated to Belmont Elementary–before becoming Assistant Maintenance last year. Andrews plans to take a trip out west following retirement.
- Peggy McAbee will be retiring as a middle school Paraprofessional at Bellmont Middle School after 16 years. Starting at Adams-Wells Social Services at their transition school, she then taught evening classes at the middle school, and is known for her commitment for helping those who require additional education.
- Richard Hess will retire from his role as the food service/Courier role for North Adams Community Schools. Also his 2nd retirement, Hess worked for the past 11 years on the logistical elements of the district, working to make sure both administration and food services received the proper packages and material for their operations.
- Beverly “Bev” Butler, after 34 years, will be retiring as Secretary for Bellmont Middle School. Butler spent the majority of her career at Monmouth Elementary as their secretary, and after the school’s closure became the athletic secretary for Bellmont Middle School, before her current role. She is known as a motherly/grandma figure to students, staff and faculty alike. Butler is respected for her willingness to tell people what they need to hear, rather than what they may want to hear, and will be dearly missed by anyone with the privilege to know her.
Superintendent Kim Hiatt spoke on the list of retirees, stating, “It will be hard to replace, I mean you can always find a body, but you can’t find the experience when somebody just knows this is kind of how things work, how to get things done. We will miss them all.”
In addition to these retirements, are the appointments of a variety of staff/faculty members for the district, which include:
- Renee Hutter, who will be assigned as Principal at Bellmont Elementary School this fall. Hutter has worked for Fort Wayne Community Schools as well as East Allen community Schools, where she has accumulated 6 years of administrative experience–3 years as an assistant principal and 3 years as principal at Prince Chapman Academy.
- Kaleb Woodworth, who will assume the role of Radio/Television Broadcasting Teacher starting the 2024-25 school year.
- David Myers, who was assigned the role of Grounds/Bus Driver at North Adams Community Schools on April 15th.
- Garrison Brege will be a Mathematics & Physics Teacher starting next school year.
- Andrew Elwell, who will be the School Resource Officer for Bellmont High School starting this fall.
Overall, it is certainly a transitive year for the staffing at North Adams Community Schools, and an exciting one for retirees and newcomers, all of whom are about to start the next chapter in their lives.