Final Bell For Four Teachers Attending Quogue School

Most of the 130 students attending the Quogue School sat on the grass next to the school playground on Monday morning, wondering at first why an unplanted cherry tree was sitting next to a partially dug hole.It turns out that the ensuing tree-planting ceremony was to honor four longtime teachers—Tim Carbone, Donna Swartz, Carol Carroll and Marcia Winter—who will be retiring at the end of the month.The educators, who also did not know the nature of Monday’s ceremony ahead of time, said they were touched by the thoughtful act organized by district officials.As part of the ceremony, the four educators—who boast more than 140 years of teaching experience combined—picked up plastic shovels, with each tossing a small pile of dirt onto the grass in the playground, which will now serve as the permanent home for the cherry tree.“I’m going to miss everything,” said Ms. Carroll, who spent 36 years teaching pre-K and physical education at the Edgewood Road school, immediately following the ceremony. “Teaching is like getting to fall in love for the first time every year.”With tears in her eyes, Ms. Winter, who spent the past 21 years teaching the second and third grades at the Quogue School, told the students that she will miss everything about her job, “from the first little smile in the morning to the final goodbye after the bell rings in the afternoon. I will miss you all.”Ms. Winter, who taught for 35 years total, and her three coworkers will all end their careers in education today, Thursday, June 26.Having spent his entire 39-year teaching tenure at the small school, Mr. Carbone echoed Ms. Winter’s sentiments, adding that he could not thank the community enough for all of their support throughout the years.He noted that he grew up in the village and attended the school as a child. He said he considered himself fortunate to land a job right out of college, noting that his title during his first year included math tutor, librarian, substitute teacher and gym teacher. Mr. Carbone then spent the next 18 years teaching sixth-graders and, for the past two decades, educating the school’s fourth-graders.“I’ve always loved kids,” Mr. Carbone said. “Seeing them grow and helping them learn—just the satisfaction you get from watching a child develop—are all things that I will miss dearly.”His retirement comes amid a family trauma. Recently, Mr. Carbone’s oldest son, Bradley, 31, was paralyzed in a snowboarding accident in Vermont. The school and community have been fundraising to assist the Carbone family. Each year, students and faculty participate in an end-of-the-year Beach Day at the village beach. Older students are allowed to ride their bikes for the two-mile trip.After Monday’s tree-planting ceremony, the ensuing bike ride to the beach was dedicated to Mr. Carbone’s injured son, as families and faculty members raised money for his medical treatments. It was not immediately clear how much money was raised for the family.“I can’t say enough thank-yous,” the older Mr. Carbone said. “We are very lucky to live here. I always knew that, but this cemented it.”Ms. Carroll also calls the village home and, on Monday, shared her opinions about the strength of the Quogue community. She explained that she moved to the village with her husband, Francis, and their three children—Sam, Sky and Lucy—in the early 1980s, and was thrilled to be able to teach their children when they attended the school years ago. She ended her tenure teaching pre-K students.“This is the perfect example of what a child’s life is going to be,” Ms. Carroll said, referring to the school. “It’s their first real community. Their first real family.”Ms. Swartz, who has taught sixth-graders for most of her 30-year career in education, agreed that the intimate school provides a positive atmosphere for children who are bordering on young adulthood.“It’s a great age,” she said, referring to her students, most of whom are 11 and 12. “They’ve got one foot in baby land and one foot in adult land, but they still have the spirit of possibilities. They have the rest of their lives to grow up.”Each of the soon-to-be retirees said they plan to visit the school in the future.“This school enriched my life,” Ms. Winter said. “It feels like my home is being in school.”