After many years at Onteora, it's time for me to retire. I would like to thank the children, families and my colleagues for teaching me a few key lessons:
- that Respect is the key ingredient in any successful school community;
- that children are first and foremost, members of families;
- that attending school is as much about young people establishing and maintaining healthy relationships as it is about academics;
- that the students of today are the taxpayers of tomorrow and we will rely on them to be competent citizens;
- that every child deserves to be taught in the way that he or she learns, to the best of her or his ability, free of criticism or comparison to their more cognitively able peers; and
- finally to quote the late Maya Angelou, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
It has been an honor to serve this community.
Rich Morris, LCSW-R
School Social Worker
Onteora Central School District
(845) 657-2373 x 243