Farewell to Retiring Faculty Members

Linda+Sherwood+%28left%29%2C+Annie+Ward+%28middle%29%2C+Carol+Scheffler+%28right%29

Photos Courtesy of Juliet Wei, The Mahiscan, and Carol Scheffler

Linda Sherwood (left), Annie Ward (middle), Carol Scheffler (right)

Mrs. Sherwood has been a fixture of Mamaroneck’s English department for decades and is a truly beloved teacher within the school community. Her teaching career dates back 35 years, to when she began teaching at Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx. In college, Mrs. Sherwood initially majored in biology, with plans for a career in medicine or education, though she later decided to shift her focus to English once she realized biology wasn’t for her . As she describes it, “once we got to a cow’s head, I decided I’d rather read books!”

Originally from Mamaroneck, Mrs. Sherwood returned to her hometown to teach, and has taught a multitude of courses. She was even once director of the APPLE special education program, which she viewed as “some of the most fulfilling work” she ever did. In recent years, Mrs. Sherwood has taught English 10 in addition to Art of Film, a course that combines her passions for reading, writing, and cinema. She considers this course to be her favorite of the many she has been involved with, and values the connections with students it has afforded her. She explains, “I regularly have students from years ago reach out about a great movie they saw or to chat about the Academy Awards.”

In retirement, Mrs. Sherwood looks forward to her free time and all the new opportunities she’ll have available to her. She is excited to travel extensively, with trips planned to California, Las Vegas, and even Africa. Additionally, she is excited to spend more time at her Naples, Florida vacation home. Of course, she is also thrilled to be able to read many books and watch plenty of movies. And most of all, she plans to spend much of her leisure time playing with her young grandsons!

Mrs. Sherwood will be deeply missed by students and teachers alike, and we wish her the best of luck in retirement!

After nineteen years of working as Mamaroneck Public Schools’ Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Ms. Annie Ward is retiring and concluding nearly two decades of commitment and transformational leadership. 

Ms. Ward’s time at Mamaroneck Public Schools can be described as one filled with program advancements. In addition, building relationships with families stands out as one of the most rewarding aspects of her job. She takes pride in seeing the growth of students who were in kindergarten when she first arrived in 2004 now venturing into their adult lives. Seeing these kids grow over the years and become adults has been extremely fulfilling for Ms. Ward especially “see[ing] the doors they have opened for themselves and the distinct paths they take.” 

Programmatically, Ms. ward is proud to have built curriculum consistency across the four elementary schools; launched the district’s dual language program and instructional coaching model; and collaborated to develop the teacher evaluation system, which places a strong emphasis on quality instruction. 

In retirement, Ms. Ward is excited to have the time to explore some of her many interests, especially traveling. She is eager to visit her daughter, Mimi Zimmer (MHS ‘14), who lives and works overseas in the UK. In addition to traveling, Ms. Ward is hoping to devote more time towards gardening and reading. Lastly, she is looking forward to dedicating more time towards her college rowing program and volunteering at Puppies Behind Bars. This organization is something close to Ms. Ward’s heart and works to have incarcerated individuals raise and train service dogs for veterans and first responders. 

Ms. Ward can proudly say, after almost two decades at Mamaroneck, that our district has been successful in upholding its core values, like putting learning itself before its external rewards. As she leaves MHS, she is hopeful that our district will continue to prioritize “qualities like curiosity, zest, cultural competency, empathy, and civic participation,” which she considers essential tools to “live happy, meaningful and successful lives in infinite ways.” Even when she is no longer working for our district, she hopes “the breadth of our programs “‘fills kids with possible selves,’ as literacy leader Jim Burke once said.” Speaking highly of our district, Ms. Ward cherishes the memories she has made here. She said she is especially going to miss “walking into one of our schools in the morning, feeling the hum of children and teachers launching the day, and watching lessons unfold into a vibrant collage of learning.”  She feels immense gratitude for her time at Mamaroneck, saying, “in our district, the everyday is spectacular.”

As Ms. Ward leaves alongside the Class of 2023, she wishes to say, “Congratulations, MHS Class of 2023! Know that we send you off with much love, pride, and encouragement! If and when you can, drop your teachers a line to let them know how you’re doing and what trails you’re blazing. We’ll be watching.”

For the past 18 years, Carol Scheffler has been overseeing all aspects of the Mamaroneck High School student body, serving as the Coordinator of Student Affairs. Name any occasion throughout the school year, and Mrs. Scheffler was involved in one way or another. Whether it’s the 50 plus events that Student Council hosts yearly (including Battle of the Classes and Pep Rallies), coordinating the entire Mahiscan yearbook, administering the over 150 clubs at MHS, or even just standing in the overpass during passing periods, every student has been impacted by Scheffler in one way or another. 

“I looked back at my original contract where it stipulated that I throw four events over the course of the year,” stated Scheffler, “a Halloween costume contest, Club Fair, one night of BOTC (Battle of the Classes)  and a spring event.  Needless to say, we’ve added a lot more since then. Student Council alone hosts close to 50 events!” said Scheffler reminiscing about the friendships and memories she helped to create that will last a lifetime. 

 When asked what her favorite event was, Scheffler said that if she “had to pick a favorite event it would be Club Fair.  It is such a celebration of student initiative, determination and creativity.  It’s the event where the breadth of the various interests of MHS students is on full display.”  

Scheffler is also a much appreciated friend for many students. Scheffler enjoys “sitting around with a group of students and listening to their funny stories,” something she will miss greatly upon her retirement.  

Though Scheffler says she is ready to retire, she is fortunate that she was able to “bring joy, fun and connections to the students of MHS!”  She hopes that she has brought “joyful moments, some opportunities to connect with friends, or make a new friend, and create fond memories of this place.” Scheffler has left a deep, lasting mark on MHS, and her contributions will last for many years to come!