WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES JULY 4, 2019 21
Veteran CK teachers celebrate retirement
The administration and faculty
of Christ the King High School
in Middle Village held a
luncheon in honor of former faculty
member, Sister Veronica Byrne and to
announce the formation of the Sister
Veronica Scholarship Fund.
Sister Veronica came to Christ the
King in 1966, where she began a long
ministry to the school. During her
many years at CK, she had served as
social studies teacher, chair of the
Social Studies Department, leader of
the Choral Group, and moderator of
Cheerleaders and Student Council.
Past and present members of the
Christ the King’s administration
and faculty were in attendance as
Wednesday, June 26th, was offi cially
proclaimed “Sister Veronica Day”.
Sister Emma Rhon was also on
hand for the celebration. Sister
Emma taught Social Studies and
organized the Social Studies Dept.
and was also the fi rst moderator
of the John XXIII National Honor
Society of Christ the King High
School. She also supervised
the resource room, and later
worked in the school library,
assisting with the Middle States
Accreditation process.
The day also mark Sister Emma’s
92nd birthday. She was presented
with a cake in her honor.
Serphin R. Maltese, Chairman of
Christ the King Board of Trustees
said, “Sister Veronica is known
and respected for her dedication
and commitment not only to the
students and teachers, but to the
entire CK community. We are
grateful we had the opportunity
to pay tribute for all she and Sister
Emma have done at Christ the King
High School.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to
the Daughters of Wisdom and
the religious community for
their contributions to Christ the
King High School,” concluded
Chairman Maltese.
BUZZ
BY MAX PARROTT
MPARROTT@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@RIDGEWOODTIMES
Betty Mayer, a teacher at Christ the
King High School who is retiring
aft er 34 years in the classroom,
is planning a trip to Turks and Caicos
on the fi rst day of school in the fall, but
it’s for more than just a well-deserved
vacation. She’s going to need it to take
her mind off of her former students.
“My friends are taking me so I don’t
miss school,” Mayer said.
Mayer, an English teacher, will be
joined by administrator and foreign
language teacher Steve Giusto in
retiring from Christ the King with
over 80 years of teaching experience
between the two of them.
“Their dedication to improving
young lives has been inspiring
to many. You will always be
remembered as caring, passionate
and energetic teachers,” wrote the
school in a statement.
Mayer, who grew up in Flushing
and taught English throughout
her tenure, said that she loved
introducing her students to the
world of literature.
“In a world that’s so concerned
with math and science, I think a love
of the human side is so important,”
she said.
Giusto began teaching Italian
and Spanish at CTK in 1988 before
becoming director of admissions
in 2008 and assistant principal in
2010. He will continue working with
the school on a part-time basis as
a consultant.
As a foreign language teacher, he
relished the opportunity to expose
his students to a new culture. When
he began teaching at Christ the King,
a majority of the students were
Italian-American, so the Italian
program was especially popular. As
chairperson of the school’s language
department, Giusto spearheaded
the effort to start an American Sign
Language class.
When he crossed over into the
realm of admissions, he said his
goal changed to giving students an
opportunity at Christ the King.
“The message that I want to give
to the students is that their parents
gave a huge financial investment.
And there’s no doubt in my mind that
that paid off,” Giusto said.
Both teachers are planning to
stay in the New York City area at
least part-time. Mayer is planning
to spend more time with her son in
California, and Giusto will travel
down to his second home in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida for part of
the year.
“My message to the students is
Carpe Diem and to thine own self be
true,” Mayer said.
From left, Betty Mayer and Steve Giusto
Photo Courtesy of Christ the King High School
CK also holds luncheon for long-time educator
Photo courtesy of Christ the King High School
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