Mail Forwards 30 Day Limit

Before leaving my college town and moving to CA, I arranged to have my mail forwarded and held in Concord, CA while traveling cross country. I was smart enough to send out lots of resumes to surrounding Bay Area school districts before moving west.

The trouble was, that I spent 30 days crossing the USA visiting all the national parks I could and camping along the way.

When I got to the post office in Concord and asked for my forwarded mail, they said there was a large batch of mail that had to be disposed of, since it was held for 30 days. I was saddened by the news and knew that this would lessen my chances of getting a teaching job that year since it was already August. Luckily the post office man said, let me check again. He came out with a handful of about 6 letters and all of them were from districts. Whew! That was a relief.

One of those letters was from PUSD, a district that had actually called my father on the east coast looking to interview me. I immediately called them that Friday and by Tuesday I was offered a contract during my interview. Thanks to Sal Cardinale, I had secured my place in PUSD district. This was another complete blessing in my life. I have so much to be thankful for!

CA OR Bust! The Westward Movement ~1982 Post Graduation

I lived in my college town on the east coast for a year after graduation. A friend of mine was moving to Concord, CA to be with the Blue Devil's Drum and Bugle Corps. I tagged along for the ride and we spent 30 days driving and camping cross country, while taking in all the sights.


My favorite memories were going to the World's Fair in Knoxville, TN in 1982 and having the extraordinary experience of going the Opryland and seeing the Grand Ole Opry. This was a sort of Disney Land, but with musical shows at every stage. Every kind of music imaginable was played and by some of the very best musicians and dancers in the country.


Other memorable places we visited were the Grand Canyon, Painted Desert, and the Petrified Forest. Once we hit Malibu, we drove north on the coast road till we got to Brannon Island State Park. This campsite became my first homestead in CA. Shortly after that I got an apartment in Concord. Turns out a friend of mine from college lived just two buildings away from me, and I had no idea Jack was nearby at the time I moved next to him.

Teaching Over 30 Years and Counting

How can a person know what they want to be in life by 4th grade? It was then, that I knew I would be a teacher. The summer after 4th grade I volunteered at an art camp at Upper Nyack Elementary School. I helped the teacher set up materials, assisted the kids during projects, and cleaned up after projects. It was a perfect match for me to combine my love of art and teaching at this tender young age of 10. I know this was a blessing and have never forgotten that blessing, especially when so many kids have no clue what they want to be even while in college.


Before graduating college, I was offered a position in the Dunkirk School System, a tiny farm town near my college. I was fortunate enough to have student taught in grades K and 4th, while in college.

It takes a special person to teach grade K. I know it wasn't my cup of tea, but 4th was divine. I will always remember my master teacher Jeanne. She was a very positive force in my life. She exuded a love of teaching that was infectious and I was bit by her bug.


After graduation, I worked as a GED Teacher for 16-22 year olds at Cassadaga Job Corps, after being their summer camp art coordinator and a life guard there. I was all of 23 at the time.


I will always remember commuting to work with The World's Strongest Man Dan Reinhoudt, a world record power lifter. I still tell my students about the time Don and I ran off the road into a snowbank, and how he just got out of the car and pulled in back into the road. He was the Driver's Ed teacher there at Job Corps. Don later became the mayor of his home town. I miss our days together. He was a great coworker and friend for many years afterwards.


My memories are clear and fond. I learned a lot about classroom management during my time at Job Corps. The children were learning to read at age 16-22 and were on self paced programs. Some read at primary grade levels, but advanced quickly through the levels in order to earn their diplomas.


I can recall a time when Job Corps needed a bus driver to take the kids to their graduation tests in Erie, PA. I volunteered on one account. As long as the roads were clear. I had no experience ever driving in snow before that time. The drive there was clear. Four hours later after tests were done, there was snow and black ice on the roads. I was following another Job Corp's bus and ended up slipping on black ice and hitting the bus in front of me. We weren't going fast, but black ice speeds you up and there is no way to stop. Needless to say, my bus fender dug into the front tire and we all had to be picked up in another bus for the long ride home.