The Gilbertsville-Mount Upton Central School District kicked
off the 2018-19 school year Tuesday, Sept. 4 with its annual opening faculty/staff
meeting on the eve of the first day of classes on Wednesday.
GMUCSD Superintendent Annette Hammond welcomed the teaching,
cafeteria, transportation and building & grounds staffs for the daylong
gathering, which featured brief comments from GMU Board of Education President
Jeremy Pain.
Keynote speaker for the second year in a row was John
Perricone, a nationally renowned educator, author and motivational speaker who taught
health in the Maine-Endwell School District for 31 years. Perricone was named outstanding
teacher by members of the senior class in the Maine-Endwell district 12 years
in a row.
In a wide-ranging address to the faculty and staff, Perricone
quoted Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl: “Love is wanting to uncover the potential
in others.” He challenged his audience to recognize that each of their students
has a unique background that shapes their perception of the world. And he
reminded them that “every member of the staff is a teacher at GMU.”
“Each time you step in your classroom, you have the
opportunity—in that moment—to be the kind of teacher you always wished to be,”
Perricone said.