Cheryl Maestranzi, who has taught kindergarten at St. Pius V Elementary School for 34 years, reads a story to Daymian Soto, Layla McDonald, Riley Langlois and Tyler French, from left. (Item photo by Owen O’Rourke)
By Michele Durgin
LYNN — When asked what has kept her at St. Pius School in Lynn for 34 years, Cheryl Maestranzi, 60, sighed and smiled. “This is so much more than a job. Yes, I love teaching kindergarten here, but it has become a home, and the children and staff are family to me.”
Maestranzi, the longest-serving teacher at the 71-year-old Catholic institution, has had a front- row seat to the changes in schools, society and children through the years. She, like most veteran teachers, agrees that the three are very much intertwined and it is important to acknowledge that when preparing the day’s lessons.
“The children are far more worldly today, and that’s both good and bad,” she said. “I try to keep that sense of innocence and wonder alive in the classroom.”
Maestranzi graduated from St. Pius and moved on to St. Mary’s High School, graduating in 1975. She attended Salem State College, graduating in 1979 with an early education degree. And by 1982, she was back at her elementary school alma mater, settling in for what would become a successful and enjoyable tenure.
Each morning begins with a “class meeting” and Maestranzi goes over the day’s plans with her students. Afterward, she encourages bonding time and asks the children to share any family news or important upcoming events they would enjoy discussing.
“It opens them up to the day ahead and I believe a sense of trust is established as well,” she said. “And life is so busy these days. We have to stop and think about the children. They are only 5 years old, but they have needs and we must give them the attention they deserve.”
She talks about fullness of her days in the classroom and believes the students’ sense of wonder and interest in learning is contagious. She added she has countless fond memories tucked away from her lifetime spent at the Catholic school on Maple Street.
“One of the highlights of my time here actually connects my life as a student to my life as a teacher,” she began. “Several years ago, Mrs. Mary Murray, my second-grade teacher, who was also my favorite, came back to the school for a visit. I was thrilled when she stayed and read a story to my students. She was the reason I became a teacher. It was an emotional moment for both of us.”
Cheryl Meaney, 57, the school’s 28-year veteran administrative assistant, said she is proud to call Maestranzi her co-worker and friend.
“Both of my sons, who are now 24 and 28, had her as a teacher and loved her,” she said. “She is so caring and hard-working. She arrives early in the morning and stays late into the afternoon. Her dedication to St. Pius and Catholic education is so wonderful and admirable. She is a true role model for up-and-coming teachers.”