MPS Annual Retiree Recognition 2022

English Teacher

Daniel Hand High School

Hired August 30, 2016

Remarks submitted by Anthony R. Salutari, Jr.

Veronica La Vista’s dedicated career in education began in 2000 when she was hired to teach English and literature at Immaculata High School in Somerville, New Jersey. After moving to Connecticut, Veronica continued her career at Marine Science Magnet High School in Groton. It wasn’t until 2016 that Madison was lucky enough to call Veronica its own, and she has been teaching at Daniel Hand High School ever since. A staple in many senior courses, she is known throughout Daniel Hand for her rigorous approach to teaching UConn/ECE English (and for her love of red pens for grading).

Veronica lovingly refers to her classroom as “LaVistaland,” a safe haven for learning and growing. She always models what she preaches and shares with her students (and the larger school community) her interests and attributes. These include her wide variety of holiday-inspired onesies, her intense passion for the Christmas season, and her uncanny ability to sense when her students need a well-deserved party. She also outed herself as a Star Wars fan this year, as she blasted Darth Vader’s “The Imperial March” to celebrate May 4^th.

Beyond her work in the classroom, Veronica has contributed to the DHHS community and her profession in numerous ways. She is a nurturing and compassionate colleague who constantly checks in on her pod-mates and has also helped teachers new to the profession as a CT TEAM mentor. In addition, as an active chairperson of the Interact club, she helps young people give back to the community. 

Throughout her teaching career, Veronica has acquired many accolades. Notably, she received the esteemed honor of being named teacher of the year by the Rose Thering Endowment Committee of Seton Hall University’s Center for Jewish-Christian Studies.

Veronica is also a gifted musician, committed philanthropist, and modern-day Cupid as a justice of the peace. She travels all over the United States to visit her five children and is a doting grandmother to four beautiful grandchildren. Ready to begin the next chapter of her life, Veronica will be moving to Florida to catch the sun’s rays with her children, grandchildren, and her loving husband of three decades, Barry.

Daniel Hand High School will certainly miss Veronica and her zest for life. Every student who has ever entered “LaVistaland” will forever find themselves bound to her heart, for the love, care, strength, and spirit she provides to each student is truly beyond compare. As Veronica heads into retirement, the students, faculty, and staff from Daniel Hand High School wish her luck, gratitude, and love. 

Guidance Counselor

Daniel Hand High School

Hired August 26, 1998

Remarks submitted by Anthony R. Salutari, Jr. 

Patricia “Patty” Judson graduated from Central Connecticut State University in 1978 and, shortly thereafter, started her career at Aetna Life and Casualty where she remained until 1989. As a passionate person who has always been concerned for the needs of others, Patty makes time to volunteer in the Fair Haven section of New Haven, where she grew up and she has devoted her time to serve in her beloved town of Durham, where she and her family have resided for many years.

Starting in 1991, as a mother of young children, she was a parent volunteer at John Lyman School in Middlefield. Her journey in education continued from there. From 1993-1995, she was a paraprofessional in Branford and a teacher’s aide at Durham Co-op Nursery School. She has also worked for Middletown Adult Education. 

In 1997, while pregnant with her third child, Patty graduated from Southern Connecticut State University with a master’s degree in school counseling. She was hired as a part time school counselor in the Madison Public Schools for the start of the 1998-1999 school year, a role that ultimately became a full-time position. In her years in Madison and at DHHS, Patty has served on the National Honor Society and she has counseled and supported thousands of students; as a result of her efforts and concern for others, she helped young adults thrive in the school community and prepare for life after graduation.

Patty’s approachability and caring nature allowed her to develop a strong rapport with the entire faculty. Her colleagues have so many good things to say about her: she has genuine passion and exceptional counseling skills, is a great listener and problem solver, and is, in general a dependable and dedicated person.

Patty is a mother to three children and now loves being a grandmother, too. She enjoys traveling, gardening, cooking and taking classes at the King Arthur Baking School and is an avid reader. As her time with Madison Public Schools comes to a close, Patty deserves to enjoy her family and all of her hobbies.

Patty plans to have more frequent visits to her family since they are now all living on the east coast and to spend much more time at her house in the Cape. The staff, faculty, and students of DHHS will miss Patty dearly and wish her a happy, healthy, and inspired retirement!

Art Teacher

Daniel Hand High School

Hired August 31, 1993

Remarks submitted by Anthony R. Salutari, Jr. 

Suzanne Gaskell began her extensive career in the Arts in 1981 as an interior designer at Schaefer Construction in Woodbridge, Connecticut and in 1988 as an artist/interior designer with Kuryla Holt and Svigals Associates in New Haven, Connecticut. Suzanne moved into the field of education in 1990 when she taught art at the Foote School Summer Program also in New Haven, Connecticut.  She made the move that lasted over the span of 29 years in 1993 and joined the Madison Public School as an Art teacher at Daniel Hand.  It was here that she has made an indelible mark on so many students and teachers alike. Suzanne has taught many things at Hand, including AP Art, Drawing, Printmaking, Clay, and Photography and has served in many capacities, including serving on interview committees for Art positions, NEASC committees, curriculum writing, as well as assuming the position of Art Department Lead while her Department Coordinator was writing curriculum for the year. 

During her teaching career, Suzanne travelled extensively to such places as Bhutan, Nepal, India, Tibet, Silk Route in Xinjiang Province, China, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Iceland to Turkey and destinations in between.  Suzanne has also been a board member of Gilead Community Services, Middletown, Connecticut since 2016 and has served as an Art Teacher in the summer at the Gilead Social Rehabilitation Center.

Suzanne has also managed quite an extensive list of exhibitions and awards between 1993 when she first exhibited, New Works, Erector Square Gallery and 2022 when she received the Earl Grenville-Killeen Founder’s Award at the Future Choices Art Show put on by the Shoreline Arts Alliance. Highlighting a few more:

2008    Power of Art Award recipient from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation and the Lab School, Washington D.C.

2012    Solo exhibition, Usdan Center, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT

2012    Rulewater Prize, Interdisciplinary Project, The Kavad of a Sacred Geometer, Wesleyan

2013    Judy Streeter Award, Shoreline Arts Alliance, Outstanding High School Art Program

2021    Organized Art for Social Change, a student exhibition at the State Capitol in Hartford

While Suzanne has had quite an impressive career dedicating herself to her students in Madison and always working on her own art, she has a wonderful new adventure. Suzanne has her first grandchild who will keep her busier and happier than ever in her coming retirement. 

Art Teacher

Daniel Hand High School

Hired September 2, 2003

Remarks submitted by Anthony R. Salutari, Jr. 

Robert DelRusso began his career in Madison as an Art Teacher at Daniel Hand High School in 2002 and has helped shape the program as we know it today. Robert graduated from Emerson College in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science in Speech Communication and spent twenty years in the corporate arena in advertising and graphic arts before deciding to pursue the ARC program to become a teacher.

From 1999-2001 he studied at the Cape Cod School of Art. In 2002 he completed the Alternate Route to Teacher Certification for Art K-12. He was a volunteer guest teacher at Nonnewaug High school where he learned that “there is a mutual exchange in the classroom unlike any other experience I’ve ever had, discovering that the process of teaching contributes to my own continued learning”.

Robert studied formally abroad in 1980 in Florence, Venice and Rome through Emerson College, as well as Cortona and Venice through the Cape Cod School of Art.  He has had many exhibitions on display throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts.

In retirement he has promised to continue gardening and painting in his gardens and will always be involved in the arts in some manner. He can retire knowing that he has influenced many, many students in their pursuit of learning and what it means to be an artist. The Daniel Hand faculty and staff will truly miss Robert and we wish him nothing but the best as he takes this next step in his life.

Spanish Teacher

Polson Middle School

Hired March 20, 2007

Remarks submitted by Leslie Lopez 

¡Enérgica! ¡Apasionada! ¡Comprometida! All are words to describe Ilena Andrich’s teaching of Spanish for the Madison Public Schools. Her energy, passion, and commitment are evident in all she does.

Ilena began her teaching career in Hamden Middle School in 2005 teaching ninth and tenth grade students in a multi-age setting.  When a posting appeared for Madison Public Schools during the spring of 2006 at Daniel Hand High School, she eagerly began her career with us, working primarily with 9th graders.  She joined Polson in the fall and has called it “home” ever since. Ilena understands the middle school psyche and works tirelessly to help all students succeed. Doing so includes connecting with parents, and Ilena is a firm believer in the parent-teacher partnership.  She regularly reaches out to families to collaborate on ways to help her students succeed.  In short, Ilena is a caring and supportive person who focuses on the success of her students. 

Behind the scenes, Ilena is an asset to the World Language department. In addition to brainstorming ideas with her colleagues on curriculum, instruction, and assessment, she has jumped in to teach additional sections when the need arose.  She is a great communicator and is always willing to share her creative ideas with her Spanish and French colleagues.  One such collaboration is the department’s annual Locura de marzo in March where Ilena’s love of music makes its way into the classroom.  Students enjoy the competition where they listen to a variety of Spanish songs from artists around the world and vote for the top canción.  Speaking of music, you might have seen Ilena’s hidden talents on YouTube.  For years, she was front and center in the annual Polson Teacher Dance, showcasing her dancing skills and spreading positive energy to the school community. 

Ilena loves to dance, read, and sing with her church choir -- all adventures that she plans to continue in her retirement.  But the greatest adventure of all will be her role as a new grandmother, and she is looking forward to lots of quality time with her granddaughter.  ¡Adiós, Señora Andrich, y buena suerte!