Students, colleagues say goodbye to five retiring staff members

Jane Carroll, Reporter and Devin Boulanger, Reporter
@jcarrollcourant

At the end of the 2024–2025 school year, several New Canaan High School teachers will retire, closing their long chapters of impactful teaching careers. Among them are science teachers Donna Kemp and Paul Reid; art teacher Kimanne Core, and school counselor Ann Vernon.

Donna Kemp, science teacher
Since 1996, Ms. Kemp has been teaching biology and chemistry here at the high school. She is among the retiring teachers. Ms. Kemp recalls her favorite memories of working with students over the past 30 years. “Making my students laugh is one of the best parts, or getting thank you cards from students that I didn’t know I made such a difference in their lives,” said Ms. Kemp.

Science department chair Michael LeDuc spoke about working with Ms. Kemp over some of her teaching career. “Ms. Kemp builds really strong relationships with kids. If you have ever seen her interact with students, she knows how to have fun with them, make them feel comfortable, and help them to be themselves” said Mr. LeDuc.

Chemistry teacher Jeffrey Hague weighed in on his experience when working with Ms. Kemp and also reflected on her positive impact towards students. “Ms. Kemp will ask students about their sporting events or ask them about the New York Rangers. She will talk to them about their music which to me demonstrates a sincere interest in their wellbeing. She genuinely cares about not just her students but all students” Mr. Hague said.

After thirty years of teaching the decision to end her teaching career was a hard decision. Ms. Kemp stated “I will miss the students the most. They are the reason I teach and the reason I love what I do here.”

Paul Reid, science teacher
Another teacher in the science department retiring is Paul Reid. Junior Molly Schimmeck weighed in on the impact that Mr. Reid has added to the high school and on her throughout this year, “Mr. Reid is always supportive, and always allows accommodations to fit your needs like moving tests around, giving you extra practice, and coming in early to help you. It was so amazing to have had him this past year.”

Mr. LeDuc spoke about his years working with Mr. Reid. “Mr. Reid is one of the most genuine, kind and skilled teachers that I had the pleasure of working with and truly a role model for all teachers,” Mr. LeDuc said. “He just treats people with the most respect and dignity and he’s one of the most ethical and moral people that I have gotten to work with.”

Mr. Reid reflected on the most rewarding moments and experiences of being a teacher. He has coached the school’s physics team, leading students in competitions. In the time that he’s overseeing that, he’s had a couple of students qualify to compete on the US national team in physics. Mr. Reid said, “Students get to build whatever they want. I think watching the groups of students work together and help one another out is the best part of it. It’s been really enjoyable to watch them grow not just as students but people too.”

Prior to Mr. Reid’s time in the classroom, he served in the U.S. Coast Guard for approximately 25 years. He spoke about how that experience shaped his teaching career. “One of the many things I learned in the military is to just stay focused on the mission,” Mr. Reid said. “When things really start going crazy, you stay focused on the mission. I found it to be true in the classroom and in the process of struggling with work. If you trust that the process will end in the best result possible.”

Mr. Reid also spoke about how being in the Coast Guard allowed him to work with students in a different view. “I always thought of myself as a leader, as somebody who helped develop younger people and help them get good at their jobs and carry that forward into teaching,” said Mr. Reid.

Kimanne Core, art teacher
Art teacher Kimanne Core will be retiring after many years of teaching. Some of Ms. Core’s favorite memories with students were at the Carriage Barn art show and showcasing students’ art work for the public. Ms. Core recalled the experience of preparing for and executing the art show. “This show has accumulated the years work that we put together from all of our students, all with all of our classes. It’s a beautiful venue and highlights our department and how strong we are and the quality of the work that comes out of it,” she said. 

Additionally Ms. Core says the most rewarding part of her career has been the relationships she built with her students. “My students are the heart of why I’m here. Everything else is sort of additional. The opportunity and experience to see their growth and their passion for art, and making improvements in things that is to me the thing I will miss the most,” she said. 

Ann Vernon, school counselor
At the end of this school year, school counselor Ann Vernon will retire and move into a new chapter of her life. Ms. Vernon has been working at the high school since 2005.

Throughout her time working, Ms. Vernon has had many incredible interactions with students. “I mean, everyday, I get to see my students go from ninth grade till 12th grade. I can see how much they grew and excelled through the years which has been the most fun to see,” she said.

Students and colleagues have also reflected on Ms. Vernon’s impacts on the school. Cynthia Rivera, the School Counseling Department Chair said, “Ms. Vernon has always been incredibly kind and gentle. She values working with students more than anything else, and is always working with her students and looking out for their best interests.”

After retiring, Ms. Vernon hopes to spend time playing golf and traveling. “One of my goals is to become a much better golfer. I want to lower my handicap by ten points,” she said. “I also hope to travel big time, and my first two places to go are Italy and Ireland.”   

While also traveling and having fun, Ms. Vernon is looking to use her extended knowledge about colleges to help students. “I’m very experienced at the college process, so I’m planning to do some volunteer work. There’s a program called MatchLighters that I have worked on the past two years, which takes a student who is underserved and helps them through the college process, so I was going to try to get more involved with that,” Ms. Vernon said. 

Although retiring can often bring sadness, Ms. Vernon is ready for her next adventures and is eternally grateful for her time at NCHS. “I am going to miss my job. But it’s time to pass it on to the next person,” she said.