“I’ve been lucky to find a place like Carson, and I will miss the staff and students very much,” says Mr. Alberto Barrueco, a math, ESOL, and academic language teacher who teaches grades seventh and eighth, here at Rachel Carson Middle School.
Along with Mr. Barrueco, four other teachers are leaving–Mrs. Angie Cahill, Mrs. Helen Hine, Mrs. Kathy Keay-Morgan, and Ms. Amy Reeves.
Alberto Barrueco
Mr. Barrueco came here in the early years of Rachel Carson’s opening. He has been here since 2000 and has been teaching his students for the past 25 years. Mr. Barrueco says that he loves how the students and teachers are and how he respects the custodians’ job.
“I love how friendly and professional everyone is and how they collaborate with each to make our community better, “ says Mr. Barrueco, “and it’s nice to see the custodians working to keep our building clean and neat.”
When leaving a place you love or have been at for a very long time, most people will miss something or someone special. Mr. Barrueco says that he will miss our community and seeing his students thrive.
“I’m going to miss working with my colleagues and students,” says Mr. Barrueco, “especially seeing my students grow.”
After retiring, he is planning to travel to his home country, Spain, and pick up his long-lost leisure activity, writing.
Amy Reeves
Besides Mr. Barrueco, other teachers are retiring. One of them being Ms. Amy Reeves. Ms. Reeves is a special education instructional assistant, math, U.S history 7, and science teacher who teaches seventh and eighth grade. She came to Rachel Carson in 2011 and has been teaching here for 13 years.
Ms. Reeves loves the staff and students and how they have been wonderful people the past couple years. She also mentions that she will miss everyone at the school and will try to volunteer to see the students once again.
“I will definitely miss our community,” says Ms. Reeves, “but I am planning to volunteer next year to come and see the students.”
When she retires, Ms. Reeves will be spending time with her parents who live in Virginia Beach, along with visiting her 6-month-old grandchild who lives here.
Ms. Reeves gives a piece of positive advice before she retires, “Continue to work hard and be kind.”
Helen Hine
In addition to Mr. Barrueco and Ms. Reeves, three more teachers are leaving. Mrs. Helen Hine is an eighth-grade math teacher who teaches algebra and pre-algebra. She started teaching at Rachel Carson in 2012 and has also been here for 13 years.
Mrs. Hine says that she loves the students, the RCMS parents, and our whole Carson community. She will also miss seeing the students grow, physically and emotionally.
“I will miss watching the students show growth from the beginning of the year all the way to the end,” says Mrs. Hine, “and I will miss seeing them grow physically and emotionally.”
Mrs. Hine is planning to move to Williamsburg, spend time with family, and get some well- deserved rest.
Mrs. Hine has a saying that she always asks her students, “Are you working hard or are you hardly working?”
Angie Cahill
Another one of our staff members retiring, would be Mrs. Angie Cahill. Mrs. Cahill is a seventh-grade math teacher who teaches math 7 honors and algebra 1 honors. She has been at Rachel Carson for 22 years and came in 2003.
Mrs. Cahill says she loves working with the students and teachers because they were both fun and productive. She is also going to miss having fun with her students, interacting with them and teaching students things they didn’t understand.
“I am really going to miss interacting with my students and helping them learn how to do something they couldn’t ever do,” says Mrs. Cahill.
When she retires, Mrs. Cahill is going to travel, do some peaceful gardening, and get together with family and friends.
Mrs. Cahill tells her students a very frequent quote which she thinks will be very important in their future, “Mistakes are proof that you are trying.”
Kathy Keay-Morgan
The last teacher of the five staff members to be retiring this year is Mrs. Kathy Keay-Morgan. Mrs. Keay-Morgan is an English and U.S history teacher who teaches seventh grade. She came in 2010 and has been teaching at Carson for the past 15 years.
Mrs. Keay-Morgan says she loves how diverse our community is and just how the people are in our school. She will miss everyone here and says that everyone is special. And, this has been her favorite school by far.
“The people are very special here and this has been my favorite school,” says Mrs. Keay-Morgan.
After retiring, she is planning to stay in the area, visit her granddaughter and family here, and has plans to come back to Rachel Carson to substitute.
One thing that Mrs. Keay-Morgan wants everyone to know is, “If you try you can do anything.”
