Newark  Middle  School  ELA  teacher  Wendelyn  Hrabak,  who  is  retiring  June  30th  after  15  years  of  teaching  in  Newark  was  recognized  twice  last  week.     First  at  a  retirees  reception  June  15th  and  secondly,  to  her  great  surprise,  when  it  was  announced  at  an  NMS  morning  assembly,  that  the  2016  yearbook  had  been  dedicated  to  her.   Hrabak,  who  was  “taken  totally  by  surprise,”  when  her  name  was  announced  at  the  NMS  assembly  afterward  said:  

“I  am  profoundly  grateful  for  the  honor  of  receiving  the  Newark  Middle  School  yearbook  dedication  this  year.  Today’s  assembly  was  to  be  another  event  in  a  year  of  @inal  moments  as  I  head  into  retirement,  and  it  turned  out  to  be  the  surprise  highlight  of  my  career!    I  am  so  thankful  I  had  the  opportunity  to  work  with  the  dedicated,  talented  staff  at  the  Middle  School.    Their  hard  work  is  opening  up  future  opportunities  for  all  of  Newark’s  students.    While  I  will  no  longer  have  the  class  bulletin  boards  to  remind  me  of  wonderful  teaching  experiences,  the  fond  memories  of  all  the  children  I  have  worked  with  will  last  forever.”

After  announcing  the  yearbook  had  been  dedicated  to  Hrabak,  Mary  Thoms,  a  seventh  grade  NMS  ELA  teacher  and  yearbook  advisor,  read  the  dedication  that  was  written  by  Susan  VanTyle,  a  retired  NMS  eighth  grade  ELA  teacher  and  friend  of  Hrabak.

 “What  is  success?  To  laugh  often  and  much;  To  win  the  respect  of  intelligent  people  and  the  affection  of  children;  To  earn  the  appreciation  of  honest  critics  and  endure  the  betrayal  of  false  friends;  To  appreciate  beauty;  To  Rind  the  best  in  others;  To  leave  the  world  a  bit  better,  whether  by  a  healthy  child,  a  garden  patch  or  a  redeemed  social  condition;  “To  know  even  one  life  has  breathed  easier  because  you  have  lived;  This  is  to  have  succeeded.”  –  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson

Newark Middle School YearbookDedicated To Wendelyn Hrabak

“Middle  schools  are  very  special  places  where  our  students  need  caring  and  talented  adults  to  point  them  toward  success  every  day.  Today  we  dedicated  the  2016  Newark  Middle  School  yearbook  to  one  incredible,  successful  and  caring  teacher  .  .  .  Mrs.  Wendelyn  Hrabak.

“Mrs.  Hrabak’s  8th  grade  ELA  room  provides  all  of  the  evidence  you  need  to  know  about  success.  Facing  the  front  of  the  room,  the  Rirst  thing  you  see  is  a  bulletin  board  full  of  pictures  of  her  former  students.  There  are  diverse  students  from  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Newark,  New  York.  These  bright  faces  reRlect  their  sense  of  pride  in  their  success  and  their  joy  of  learning.  The  success  of  these  children  is  because  Mrs.  Hrabak  appreciated  each  individual  and  brought  out  the  best  in  them.

“Mrs.  Hrabak  has  expected  the  best  of  all  of  her  students  and  provided  them  with  the  supportive,  collaborative  and  creative  environment  to  success.  Whether  the  theme  is  Finding  Home,  Taking  A  Stand,  or  Being  Made  Indivisible,  every  learning  target,  and  performance  goal,  has  been  analyzed  to  provide  students  with  the  best  learning  strategies  and  classroom  environment  that  lead  to  success.  Using  her  tremendous  experience  and  wisdom,  Mrs.  Hrabak  provides  varied  opportunities  for  her  students  to  work  together,  share  thoughts  and  expand  their  thinking  beyond  their  original  thoughts,  to  more  sophisticated  and  complex  ideas.  Opportunities  to  express  ideas  through  discussion  and  writing  allow  students  to  move  on  to  the  high  school,  conRident  and  prepared.

“Mrs.  Hrabak  has  the  respect  and  trust  of  every  colleague  with  whom  she  works.  The  ELA  Department  has  beneRited  from  her  tremendous  intelligence,  constant  strength  and  leadership  when  faced  with  changes  and  challenges.  Her  sense  of  humor  can  lighten  a  debate  and  provide  perspective  on  any  issue.  Her  willingness  to  share  professional  knowledge  and  insights  has  aided  parents  and  fellow  teachers  to  navigate  the  complex  world  of  middle  schoolers.”

 A  Toledo,  Ohio  native,  Hrabak  earned  her  bachelor’s  degree  in  education,  with  a  specialty  in  English,  from  the  University  

of  Toledo  and  earned  her  master’s  degree  in  liberal  studies  from  SUNY  at  Stonybrook.  Her  25  ½  years  in  education  have  found  her  teaching  at  various  elementary,  intermediate  and  Middle  School  levels.

She  taught  for  3½  years  in  Ohio  and  seven  in  Indiana  before  coming  to  Newark  where  she  has  taught  the  last  15  years  _  the  last  10  as  an  eighth  grade  ELA  teacher  at  Newark  Middle  School.

Hrabak  was  also  surprised  to  be  joined  onstage  during  the  reading  of  the  yearbook  dedication  by  her  husband,  David  Fitch,  who  teaches  math  at  Clyde-­‐Savannah  High  School.  The  couple  lives  in  Sodus.  Fitch  is  stepfather  to  Hrabak’s  two  adult  children:  Lauren  Heckler,  a  digital  marketer  with  Novo  Nordisk  in  Copenhagen,  Denmark,  and  her  son,  Gregory  Heckler,  an  aeronautical  engineer  at  NASA.

Others  who  joined  Fitch  onstage  to  surprise  his  wife  were  his  sister,  Diane  Costantini  and  husband,  Steve,  who  were  visiting  from  Orlando,  Florida  and    Susan  VanTyle  and  her  husband,  Bill.

 After  the  yearbook  was  dedicated,  Thoms  recognized  members  of  the  staff  including  student  photographers  and  NMS  eighth  graders  Ben  Cepulo,  who  has  been  yearbook  treasurer  for  two  years;  Evelyn  LoTempio,  who  created  the  title  page  art  work;  Lynzee  Havert,  who  provided  the  grade  level  section  divider  art  work;  and  Colby  Moore,  who  provided  the  sports  and  club  section  divider  art  work.