The impact of Heritage High School is not just found in the pages of a book but often felt through the impact that the staff has on students’ lives. This year, Heritage has 4 inspirational staff members retiring, leaving both a feeling of excitement for the future and a bittersweet goodbye of their impact on campus.
An instrumental person in Heritage’s growth and a go-to person for help on campus, Mrs. Pedrotti, is approaching her final days at Heritage. Mrs. Pedrotti has taught at Heritage since its opening, and taught English at Liberty for 17 years prior to HHS. This year, she taught English Language Learners and AP Literature and Composition. Mrs. Pedrotti is looking forward to spending her time off from a school schedule and hopes to travel more with friends during retirement.
It is no wonder that many turn to Mrs. Pedrotti for help, as she holds several important titles on campus. She is the President of the Liberty Education Association, Technical Director for the Theater program and English Department Chair. With her experience as a teacher and leader, Mrs. Pedrotti believes students must recognize that their success and failure is in their hands.
“Students are ultimately responsible for their education. They can’t lay the responsibility of their grades and their education on their teacher. They need to be responsible for their work, their output, and their progress,” said Mrs. Pedrotti.
Another heavy hitter that will be retiring after this year is Mr. Bursch. He has served at Heritage as an Assistant Principal for the past 12 years, a large portion of his administrative experience over the last 22 years. Before becoming an Assistant Principal, Mr. Bursch taught math, physical education, and social sciences for 13 years. He has also been highly involved in sports, including holding the position of Athletic Director and coaching high school basketball and track & field.
Mr. Bursch is well known amongst his staff for his famous slogan “Here for a good time, not a long time.” He has helped create the annual Big Blue Madness alongside ASB advisor, Mrs. Banchieri. During retirement, he plans to move to Arizona to enjoy time with his children and their families. Mr. Bursch loves the people that make up the Heritage campus.
“My favorite part about working at Heritage is the faculty and students. The teachers in my opinion are awesome. They really enjoy what they do. They want to see the school succeed and have the students reach a bar level where they didn’t think they could,” said Mr. Bursch.
Another retiree this year is Mrs. Charron. She has taught at Heritage for six years as a Spanish teacher and dedicated 25 years total to teaching. Additionally, Mrs. Charron worked as an Activities Director and Department Sheriff for the World Language Department prior to coming to Heritage. She has built amazing classroom culture and will miss those moments with students. Mrs. Charron looks forward to being with her grandchildren more throughout her years of retirement.
“I will miss interacting with students the most. I’ll miss the class interaction and the kind of families that you build within your classroom,” said Mrs. Charron.
A teacher with 31 years under his belt, Mr. Lindeman, will also be retiring. He teaches Living Earth and has taught at Heritage for the past two years. During his retirement, Mr. Lindeman wants to spend more time with his wife.
“Teaching is something that’s always excited me. Seeing that twinkle in people’s eye when they learn something,” said Mr. Lindeman.
These four important staff members will be extremely missed by both their students and colleagues. Although goodbyes after such influence on a community can be bittersweet, Heritage is thankful for the stamp these four have left on its history and will continue to carry on their legacies.
