As the school year comes a close, the school gets ready to wish our seniors a final farewell as they go on to bigger and better things; however, this year there are some quite notable faculty and staff members leaving their positions at the ol’ NA. Just like our seniors, we will sincerely miss them and wish them good luck on their future endeavors.

Dr. Fischer

Dr. Fischer has been teaching at Nazareth for 24 years as the Physical Science, Physics and Environmental Science teacher. He has also been the moderator of the Photography Club for the past two years. Dr. Fischer will miss the people, the excitement of teaching and the sight of students “getting it.”

Mrs. Delong

“Hey is Mrs. Delong in today?” is a frequent phrase I hear throughout the day. She is obviously our fabulous school nurse. Also known as Mr. Turner’s sister-in-law,  Mrs. Delong is a huge Game of Thrones fan. After working here since 2009 (she thinks), she will miss the girls’ energy and the faculty.

Mrs. Lafferty

One of the most bittersweet moments of the music department was finding out that Mrs. Lafferty will be leaving the Naz community. Mrs. Lafferty, or most commonly called ‘Marge in Charge’ or “Grand-Marge” by the music students, is not surprising in charge of the music department and teaches brass, guitar, percussion, and music theory. She also conducts the orchestra ensemble and runs the pit for the annual school play. Mrs. Laff has certainly seen Nazareth evolve since she has been here for 39 years! Mrs. Laff will mostly miss the students’ enthusiasm and making music together. We’ll miss you Marge in Charge!!

Dr. Nocella

This wonderful teacher’s departure affects me personally because he is also apart of the Music department and he’s my violin teacher. Dr. Nocella has been working here for 15 years as the strings teacher (violin, viola, cello, bass, etc.) as well as one of ‘music appreciation” teachers. Fun fact about Dr. Nocella, he played the violin for a little known song called ‘Cry Me a River’ by some singer named Justin Timberlake. No big deal though. I speak on behalf of the music department and the string students when I say that he will truly be missed

Mrs. Versino

Mrs. Versino, or otherwise known as Cookie, has worked in the Main Office for 30 years as the Administrative Assistant to the Principal. To her, working here has been a wonderful experience that has brought her many wonderful friends and young women who will always have a special place in her heart. She will also treasure the beautiful memories she has made here. Mrs. Versino said that what she will miss the most is “all my colleagues, as well as, all the awesome young ladies I met in these 30 years. I will always be proud to say that I was a part of this AWESOME Nazareth Academy Family.”

Mrs. Hughes

Mrs. Hughes has been a member of the Nazareth community since 1984, starting as the Health Teacher and served as a teacher until 2016. She has kept herself busy throughout the years, including being the Assistant Athletic Director, the technical director for the school shows, and the Head Softball coach in the nineties! In 1995, she started working in the Registrar’s office, and as of 2016, she has worked part-time in the Registrar’s Office along with Mrs. Konnovitch. Along with Mrs. Diamond, she started the partnership between Nazareth and Saint Lucy’s School for the Deaf six years ago. Mrs. Hughes already misses the energy of the young ladies in the classroom. Mrs. Hughes has done a lot that impacted Nazareth; her many achievements will last for a long time.

This article originally appeared in the May 2019 edition of The Nazareth, Volume XCI, No. 5.