Jennifer Huberdeau, North Adams Transcript
North Adams Transcript
"It's sad day for North Adams with four of our leaders leaving the school district. You have been always been the voice of reason to go to in a time of need. You have helped thousands and thousands of kids," Superintendent James E. Montepare said. "Not to have you here is a sad loss for the school district. I thank you for all you have done for the city of North Adams and its children."
Gniadek, who has taught chemistry at the high school for 39 years, was just 21 when he joined the school department.
A retirement party was held at Drury High School on Tuesday
for teachers and administrators Donald Pecor,
dean of curriculum, left, Joseph Gniadek, Joseph Prenguber and Principal John
Solari.
Photo by Gillian Jones/North Adams Transcript
"I was a teaching at graduate school at the University of Utah when I got this crazy call at 9 p.m. Utah time, around 12 midnight out here. I don't remember taking the call. The next day at work they told me I had accepted a job in Massachusetts," he said.
A native of Worcestor, Gniadek thought the position was just north of Boston.
North Attleboro?
"I thought it was in North Attleboro, but I came here and liked it. I enjoyed teaching the kids," he said. "A Greek philosopher around 300 B.C. said 'Children should honor their teachers more than their parents. Although their parents give them life, their teachers give them a reason to live.' It's true, because as a teacher you end up affecting so many lives. I enjoy nurturing our natural resources."
Gniadek was the longest-serving president of the North Adams Teachers' Association, stepping down after 23 years in the position. He is currently head of the science department.
Prenguber, who has taught history and social studies at the high school for 36 years, said he began his teaching position at 22 after finishing his master's degree.
"I had a love of working with children and I wanted to teach and coach. I had other family at the time working in the schools. I think it was in my blood. My relatives — the DelNegros — were here. John DelNegro was coaching and Nick DelNegro was head of the science department," he said. "I think it just flowed naturally for me — teaching and coaching."
A baseball coach for 12 years and basketball coach for four, Prenguber said he is planning on enjoying his retirement.
"Initially, I'm planning on just relaxing. I'm not saying I won't work part time in the future, but I'm not retiring to take on another position," he said.
Gniadek said he is involved in some businesses, with which he plans to spend some time. He also plans to remain involved with the Planning Board and the Mobile Park Rent Control Board.
Both teachers began at Drury in its original building, which is now Silvio O. Conte Middle School.
"I spent three years in Vietnam. The irony is when I came back, we were moving into the new high school. Now, when we're leaving, we've been here through renovations and it's a new school again," Prenguber said.
Eventful times
Gniadek said their time at the school has been eventful, with the revitalization of the adult education program that ran for 15 years and the creation of an re-education program for displaced workers in Adams in 1995.
"We've helped put this high school and city on the education map. Not to toot any horns, but the Web page I put together for my high school classes is being used by students at the University of Rhode Island, schools in Philadelphia and by the Canadian Ministry of Education. These places are using it and they have to come through the high school's Web site to access it," he said.
Missing the kids
In the end, both will miss their daily interactions with the students.
"It's going to be hard to acclimate without the kids. They keep you young. They keep you abreast of what's going on with music, fashion and shows," Prenguber said. "They keep your mind young, too. I think people have this preconceived notion that teachers just pull out notes from the previous year. We vary the course from year to year and alter it to the student we're teaching. It's variation, it's change and change is good."
"They do keep you young. I'm going to miss working with the individual
students. How you teach each kid is different," Gniadek said.