On Jan. 3, I retired from the Hicksville Public Schools after a 33-year career. Almost all of my teaching time was spent at the middle school (formerly junior high school) with a brief stint at the high school. I just wanted to thank the Hicksville community at-large for a terrific run.

Over the years, it has been my privilege to work with thousands of wonderful children. It was fun not only to teach them mathematics, but to watch them grow and change on their way to becoming responsible adults. I have read about many of my former students' accomplishments in The Hicksville Illustrated News and it is gratifying to see how well most of our students do in life.

I would also like to thank all of the parents who I have worked with throughout my time in Hicksville. I appreciated their continuous support and cooperation. It made my job that much easier.

Finally, I would like to thank all of the great colleagues I have worked with over the years. Their professionalism and caring ways have always been an inspiration to me. When I started my career in Hicksville, I learned so much from the experienced staff that was already established in the school. As my career progressed and I became one of the "senior staff," I was impressed by the dedication and hard work of our newer staff members. I guess I came full circle.

I will miss my school family. My colleagues have been more than just professional acquaintances to me. They have helped me through the difficult times in my life, always there to lend support. Working with the children has always been a pleasure as well. I appreciated their honesty and their humor.

As I begin my retirement, I take with me many happy memories of my time in Hicksville. I hope to remain in touch with my school family in one way or the other for many years to come.

Henry Euler