Halliwell’s past staffers return for one last look

(Also see story, page A1) NORTH SMITHFIELD – They tried to recover a few Dr. Harry L. Halliwell Memorial Elementary School memories from a time capsule buried in the school’s lawn on Monday, but they really didn’t need to, as it turned out.

The papers, photographs, recording tapes and even a Class of 2002 T-shirt were all water- and mud-damaged when the plastic box was finally lifted by a digging effort involving shovels and a backhoe.

But the really important memories of Halliwell’s days as a school were abundantly available all through the crowd showing up to note the school’s closing, from former students to the many past teachers and even one of the school’s longtime principals, Eugene Peloquin.

“I feel very, very lucky to be here,” Peloquin said while spending time with a few of his old staff members also showing up to the school grounds.

“We had great teachers, great support staff, great parents, and a great community,” Peloquin said. In addition to celebrating the school’s last day with his fellow alumni, Peloquin also brought along his daughter, Christine, and his granddaughter, Maddie.

“It was a wonderful way to celebrate Dr. Harry L. Halliwell and all that he did for our kids,” Peloquin said of Monday’s closing ceremony.

Pam Authier, a physical education and health teacher who has been working at Halliwell as part of her duties, also had many great Halliwell memories in mind as the school’s local education role came to a close.

“It was a fantastic place to work. It was a like a big family,” she said. “We taught, we cried, we prayed, we laughed, and we loved,” she said. Authier said she was at Halliwell as the events of September 11 unfolded and she still remembers who she was with that day, Joyce Plante, a lunch lady, and Ray Lamoureux, the school’s custodian.

“I’m a mess,” she said of her feelings on Monday. “It’s very emotional. I mean, it’s good to see progress but this was a family, this was life, everybody here worked together to educate the kids.”

The students and their families were also a part of that experience, and Authier noted how Halliwell had raised over $184,000 over the years while holding jump rope fundraisers for the American Heart Association.

The school’s current principal, Jennifer Daigneault, also shared warm memories of the school while noting Monday came with a “bittersweet” taste.

“It is a beautiful campus but it’s time,” she said.

The alumni included Carolyn Frayne, the former principal of the North Smithfield Elementary School who had retired with 36 years service to the school department, 10 of them as a teacher at Halliwell; and Christine Young, who worked at Halliwell for 35 years.

“I just loved the community and children over the years. Everyone was so friendly and it was just great to work here with my colleagues,” she said.

Mary Lou Bertherman remembered starting her career teaching at the school a little after the start of the school year under Peloquin when another teacher was found to be needed.

“I had been a lifeguard at the Tupperware Pool over the summer and all the kids were saying “Hey, it’s Mary Lou,” she said.

“I worked here for 16 years and then went to NSES to work with my friend, Jennifer Daigneault, for another 15 years,” she said.

Margaret Fay, Peloquin’s longtime secretary, also recalled Halliwell with fondness on Monday.

“I worked here for 25 wonderful years,” she said. “I worked with Eugene Peloquin and he was a wonderful boss.”

She also remembered how the superintendent of schools at the time, tried to steal her away from Halliwell, to be his secretary. “I got there and I said there are no kids here, I want to go back,” she said. It took about a week, but Fay got her way and returned to her old job at Halliwell.

As she wrapped up the end of another school year later in the day, Halliwell Assistant Principal Rachel Salvatore said she too had enjoyed Halliwell, its staff and students after she joined the school.

“Everything they told me about this place, about how special and unique it was, turned out to be true,” Salvatore said.