Middlesex County Public Schools honors retiring employees

Middlesex County Public Schools (MCPS) honored its 2024 retirees at an annual awards ceremony on Thursday, May 30, at St. Clare Walker Middle School in Locust Hill.

MCPS Superintendent Dr. Tracy Seitz said at the ceremony that there are six 2024 retirees who have collectively served 160 years of service to education and 137 years of service to MCPS.

Those retiring include:

• Lisa Holman, who has served MCPS for eight years and has 20 years of service in education. She joined the Middlesex Elementary School (MES) staff in 2016 as a special education reading teacher, reading coach and reading teacher.
• Melinda Hodges, who has 22 years of service in education and 11 with MCPS. She has taught biology, chemistry and AP chemistry at Middlesex High School (MHS). After retirement from MHS, she looks forward to not driving on Interstate 64 every morning during the school year, she wrote.
• Mary Bagby has 25 years of MCPS service. She started in 1999 as a “paraprofessional” (teacher’s aide) and most recently has been the ISS coordinator.
• Bruce Beverley has 30 years of service with the school system. For the past 30 years, Beverley has worked as a mechanic in the MCPS bus shop.
• Susan Valencia has 30 years of service with MCPS. She was a seventh grade special education teacher. She taught at the old St. Clare Walker school at Cooks Corner and in the new SCW building at Locust Hill.
• Evelyn West has serviced MCPS for 33 years as a substitute teacher and is a MHS graduate. “Thank you MCPS for allowing me to be a part of the school family,” wrote West.

Dr. Seitz wished happiness and joy to each in retirement and thanked them for the “long and dedicated service to MCPS.”