By Lauren Benyamen, Sunny Kamadjeu and Janice Kwon
Ronald Verderber
Music teacher Mr. Ronald Verderber is retiring after spending his entire 30-year teaching career in Jericho. Mr. Vederber has always had a passion for music since high school and college, and is grateful to have spent a career doing what he loves.
Mr. Verderber made a variety of memories during his time at Jericho. Some of his most favorite would have to be the school musicals, which he helped direct for many years. He said, “That was a really fun experience for me. One of the shows that I loved working on was ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ a long time ago. That was a lot of fun.”
Mr. Verderber says he will miss spending time with students and having fun in the classroom. Some of Mr. Verderber’s students shared their feelings regarding his retirement. Senior Maria R. said, “I think I’ll miss his words of wisdom, definitely, especially right before the concerts. He doesn’t just teach us about music concepts, but he really teaches us to stand tall and really work hard and work as a team.”
In addition to his guidance as a beloved music teacher, Mr. Verderber served as the president of the Jericho Teachers Association for many years. His colleagues appreciate his service and respect his leadership.
Dr. Hartnett, English teacher, JTA secretary and beloved friend of Mr. Verderber, acknowledged Mr. Verderber selfless contributions to the Jericho School District. He said, “Mr. Verderber spent countless hours working with my colleagues addressing their problems and concerns. I will miss his knowledge of the workings of the schools, his passion for defending those in need, and his support of the teachers and students in the district. I wish that Mr. Verderber in his retirement has more time to further pursue his passions for music and travel.”
Mr. Verderber doesn’t have any particular plans for retirement beyond visiting family and seeing Broadway shows with his wife. Mr Verderber advises his colleagues to appreciate their time at Jericho. He said, “Don’t wish your time away. Enjoy every moment. This is one of the most wonderful places to work because of our colleagues and because of the students here and because of the parent community. All three of those things are really strong and make it such a wonderful place to work.”
Michael Kramer
Jericho says farewell to English teacher Mr. Michael Kramer who is retiring after teaching for 30 years, with all of them at Jericho High School.
Mr. Kramer has had a very gratifying career. He said, “It’s just a great deal of satisfaction. It’s hard to imagine that I’ve actually been here for 30 years.”
Mr. Kramer will miss sharing his passion for literature with his students. He said, “I’ll miss the interaction with kids and just the beauty of reading and getting them to appreciate language, writing, and literature.”
Fellow English teacher Ms. Hederian will miss his sense of humor and how he has mentored her throughout her years. She said, “He is so smart and so funny–I can hardly keep up with his wit sometimes. He has taught me so much about writing, literature and grammar.”
English teacher Ms. Zimmerman agrees with Ms. Hederian. She said, “He was always trying to facilitate laughter which I think was just a pleasant way to create a positive workforce and a positive community.”
Ms. Zimmerman learned from Mr. Kramer, to enjoy the little pleasures of life with loved ones. “I learned to stop and take time to laugh and chat with people who care about you and your wellbeing,” she said.
In retirement, Mr. Kramer plans on helping his sons adjust to their jobs and living conditions. Of course, he plans on lots of reading, and on traveling to Europe and different parts of the country like Chicago and Nashville.
Mr. Kramer provided some advice to his colleagues. He said, “Keep going with the reading. You want kids to have a really good education to read not only the newer great works, but also the classics.”
Lauren Benyamen, Sunny Kamadjeu and Janice Kwon are writers for The JerEcho, Jericho High School’s student newspaper.
