As the school year draws to a close, Brewster High School prepares to bid farewell to their teachers and the seniors as the summer and a breath of fresh air await them over the next two months. However, with saying goodbye comes the idea that some of these teachers might not be at BHS any longer, as a selected group of educators here at BHS, ones who have shaped the minds and hearts of countless students, retire this year. They intend to leave behind their legacy of knowledge, inspiration, and unwavering commitment to the Brewster community. Their remarkable careers, honorable contributions, and overall impact on the school will forever leave a lasting impression at this institution. We sat down with each of these teachers to get their final educational thoughts. Here are some lasting words to celebrate the next chapter of these retirees’ lives and what they plan on doing during their years of retirement.
Pam Beadle
Mrs. Beadle has been working in special education at Brewster High School for many years, but her career began working in business. She went to school to study business and worked in finance and insurance for 20 years. After she was transferred to Long Island, Mrs. Beadle decided she wanted to take up teaching. A major inspiration for her to make this decision was her second grade teacher, Mrs. Gorman. She taught Mrs. Beadle what it meant to be a teacher, and Mrs. Beadle admired her teaching style and classroom setup.
When she first began teaching at Brewster, Mrs. Beadle admits she was a bit strict with students; however, in one of her first years of teaching, something stuck with her. Her classroom was abuzz, and the anxiety levels were high. A student noticed this and said to her, “Mrs. Beadle, puppies.” This simple word made her smile and reminded her why she chose the job in the first place. It calmed her down and reassured her. Her students taught her many lessons over the years. For one, Mrs. Beadle noticed the relationship between students and the connections they made with each other. Students here are often willing to lend a helping hand in situations when others are struggling, which is a valuable skill and mentality to have. This did not go unnoticed by Mrs. Beadle. To build her own connection with students, she makes sure to make efforts to engage and get to know them. She asks them engaging questions about their lives, experiences, and stories. Mrs. Beadle had a big impact on many students during her time here and even connected with past students through text and email.
As many of us know, Mrs. Beadle runs the yearbook club here at Brewster High School and has done so for 16 years. This experience is one of Mrs. Beadle’s highlights from her time teaching at the high school. Another highlight for her was the year she taught a bilingual class.
Now, as far as interesting facts we may not know, Mrs. Beadle shared that she is mostly an open book with students. She often shares stories with her students and even plays songs for her class, which often pop into her mind. She recommends traveling to Rome, Italy, which is one of the most beautiful places she has traveled to. Mrs. Beadle has been there five times, the first being her honeymoon. On one of these trips, she even met Mr. Franze years before he began teaching at BHS. Mrs. Beadle plans on traveling to Italy again in the future, and after her retirement, she wishes to travel a lot more. Additionally, gardening is a love of Mrs. Beadle, which is something she is going to be doing in her free time after retiring.
In leaving BHS, Mrs. Beadle will miss all of the students, her coworkers, and the overall environment of the school. She loves how the Bears Den always supports one another, and school spirit runs high throughout the school and community. She is proud of how enthusiastic we are with uplifting and cheering on many different activities, from sports to ROTC. Mrs. Beadle plans to visit the high school again, and we can’t wait to see her.
When asked to give advice to someone just starting out a career in education, Mrs. Beadle says, “Be kind, be happy. Enjoy your colleagues; we all learn from each other and lean on each other.” She shared how tight-knit every department is with each other. She believes her department is like her siblings, and other departments are like her cousins. They are like a mini-family that is always there for each other. Mrs. Beadle believes that teaching is a rewarding profession, and it has its ups and downs, but she’s loved it nonetheless. About our school, Mrs. Beadle says, “Brewster High School is a great place to work. I walk into work every day with a smile on my face.” Her retirement marks the end of an era, but her impact on the school and community will be felt for generations.
Renee Acquisto
Mrs. Acquisto began her career in the medical field, which she worked in for over 24 years. She started volunteering at Northern Westchester Hospital when she was in high school, which led to holding multiple positions there before attending college. She worked for doctors in various fields before working for a plastic surgeon as his assistant and scrub nurse in the operating room. Mrs. Acquisto has a passion for science and wanted to share her passion and knowledge with those around her. When she decided to shift careers, she became a 1:1 special education assistant at H. H. Wells Middle School. During this time, she was also at SUNY New Paltz for education classes, with a minor in sign language. From there, she continued her education at Western Connecticut State University.
Mrs. Acquisto has learned a lot from the students she has taught over the years. They have shown her how to persevere and to reach out to people when times are tough. She will miss the students and athletics the most. Mrs. Acquisto was a three-season coach here at Brewster, coaching cross country, boys swimming, and track and field. She loved getting to know her students and players and was a positive influence in their lives, as well as helping them be productive and responsible people. She will not miss, however, getting up early in the morning on cold winter days.
Something students may not know about Mrs. Acquisto is that she loves to bake. When she went back to college, she baked and catered weddings and events for several restaurants in Westchester. She recommends that everyone visit places that their family is from and learn where our families come from and all the traditions and customs that have been passed down from generation to generation. Her own family is from Oslo, Norway, and Calabria, Italy. She has visited Italy several times and is looking forward to visiting Norway in the future. She plans on spending her retirement traveling to visit her family. Mrs. Acquisto also wants to play more golf and connect with nature by spending time outdoors. Though she will be missed, we celebrate her remarkable career and wish her all the best in her retirement.
Leslie Fine
Mrs. Fine grew up working on her family’s dairy farm and worked multiple jobs in college. She did everything from a graveyard shift on an assembly line to being an advertising copywriter. She worked as a librarian while she was in graduate school, was in the children’s library, and was the “story hour lady” on Saturday mornings. Mrs. Fine has always loved reading and writing and had great English teachers when she was in high school, which inspired her own teaching journey. However, she originally never imagined she could be a teacher. After coaching soccer and working as a horseback riding instructor, she realized she had the skills to be a teacher. She combined her passion for English with her newfound ability to teach, and she became an English teacher here at BHS.
Over the course of her career, Mrs. Fine’s highlights include moments with students and colleagues when ideas were brought to life and all the times they laughed uncontrollably. “There are too many of each of those times to list,” she says. Mrs. Fine feels very fortunate to have worked with such wonderful students and teachers while teaching at BHS. She will miss them all. She loves the opportunity to be creative and problem-solve and will miss the ability to do this on a constant basis. She believes that these challenges were rewarding. She won’t miss the constant decision-making every day, which gets exhausting.
She has learned a lot from the students at BHS, including that people are at their best when they are being themselves. She values everyone’s story and believes that they all deserve to be heard. If asked to give advice to someone just starting out in education here at the high school, Mrs. Fine says, “Your work is important; please treat it that way by working hard, maintaining high expectations, and being generous with your time, patience, and compassion.”
Mrs. Fine believes that everyone should spend time outdoors every day for at least an hour. She believes this time of unplugged thinking, breathing, and observing is energizing, inspiring, and beneficial. During her retirement, she plans to enjoy every day. As she retires, her legacy of dedication and care will remain with us. Best wishes, Mrs. Fine.
Richard Tivnan
Mr. Tivnan’s career began at a crossroads. His goal was to be an involved father, and his first job working on Wall Street with long hours was not working out. He proceeded to work driving a beer truck, and then worked for Firestone. He moved to Colorado and worked as a broker selling oil. His next job was at a retail company as a buyer for electronics. Eventually, Mr. Tivnan moved back to New York and started working towards his Masters Degree, where he ended up here at Brewster. Mr. Tivnan started out working as a Special Education teacher, teaching English and Math.
Over the course of his career at BHS, Mr. Tivnan has many highlights. He enjoyed working with the new superintendent, who was originally his co-teacher when she first started. Mr. Tivnan says he has worked with fantastic teachers over the years, and feels that his department is like a family. He will miss the students and his colleagues at Brewster, and has appreciated his time here with them. He won’t, however, miss the politics of teaching.
Working as a teacher, Mr. Tivnan has learned that all students learn differently, and teachers must know how to adapt to different learning styles, and it is a teacher’s job to recognize this. He has learned to “be flexible and encourage them to find their path.” Mr. Tivnan’s advice for new teachers working at BHS is that it is a great place to work. He believes that the colleagues are very supportive, and students are awesome. Mr. Tivnan encourages teachers to get involved in our close knit community. He values the building of relationships, and recommends that new teachers either coach, go to games, or just find a way to support the kids.
He recommends traveling to Lake Tahoe, which is where he wishes to hold his 60th birthday. During his retirement, he plans to do a lot of traveling and hiking. His goal is to travel somewhere once a month. Along with traveling and spending time in nature, Mr. Tivnan also wants to spend time with his family. His son is getting married soon, which he cannot wait for. We thank him for all he has done for Brewster, and wish him the best in retirement.
Michael Yurus
Growing up, Mr. Yurus’ path to becoming an educator was inspired by his role as the older brother in his family, as well as some past teachers that he had while he was in school. Although his initial career plan to become a teacher was delayed by the practical challenges of securing employment and managing financial responsibilities straight out of college, his persistence and dedication never wavered.
Before joining Brewster High School, Mr. Yurus managed and co-owned a college bar near his old university, Pace, for around 11 years. Before even owning his own establishment, Mr. Yurus also spent some time working at a bar called Mullane’s Mug, which was owned by the family of BHS’ very own Thomas Mullane.
Even with some obstacles in the way, Mr. Yurus eventually took on the role of social studies teacher here at BHS. This has been a position he has passionately held throughout his career, where he has taught all types of classes, such as AP courses and inclusion classes, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to his students.
One of Mr. Yurus’ fondest moments during his career has to be his involvement with the varsity ice hockey team in 2001/2002. This role allowed him to connect with students and their families on a personal level, fostering relationships that have endured long after the students graduated. He cherishes these connections and the doors they have brought him over the years. As he reflects on his time here at BHS, he acknowledges that he will deeply miss the bright, shiny faces of students and the camaraderie of his colleagues. However, he won’t miss the relentless emails, phone calls, grading, or faculty meetings. His passion for teaching was evident in his advice: “If you are a teacher, you need to love the kids or the subject, ideally both, because students know what genuine dedication is.”
As he moves into retirement, Mr. Yurus looks forward to traveling with his wife to Ireland in the early fall season, embarking on a cross-country road trip to sightsee and enjoy the scenery while en route to visiting his son in San Diego, and overall dedicating this time to spend with his father, who just turned 100. We are extremely happy to see what is next in his future, and we wish him lots of luck.
In celebrating the incredible careers of these fellow teachers, we at Bear Facts extend our deepest gratitude and wish them nothing but the best. Their impact will forever be felt here at BHS in generations to come, and they will continue to inspire both students and colleagues. As they embark on this new path of success, we hope this new chapter is filled with relaxation, adventure, and fulfillment. Congratulations to you, esteemed retirees. You have earned this time to enjoy the fruits of your labor, and we hope you enjoy this time as much as we enjoyed yours. Thank you for everything.