By Cathy Terwedow
After twenty-six years with the Central Berkshire Regional School District, Mary Kay McCloskey, the principal of Becket Washington Elementary School (BWS), will retire in June. Her successor will be announced in late April.
When interviewed by the Becket Beat about her tenure and what comes next, she mostly talked about kids and the community. “This is a profession you hold in your heart. At BWS we get to know every student as an individual. We know what motivates each child and what frustrates them. When they graduate we keep a piece of them with us, and I believe they take a piece of us with them.”
Ms. McCloskey went further when asked about her biggest challenges. “You take the kids’ problems home with you. We’re always asking ourselves, ‘Are we doing enough for them? How can we do what is best for each child, socially, academically, and emotionally?’ It’s hard trying to be everything for every student.
“BWS is special. It’s a beautiful school. We have such a strong staff, very dedicated district management, and a wonderfully supportive community. Teachers want so much for their kids. We’re like a small, private school. Parents see that, and they love our school for it.”
Ms. McCloskey began her career in the publishing world of New York City, working with the likes of Stephen King, Kurt Vonnegut, and John Irving. Yet when she and her husband began their family, she realized her true passion was children. Upon moving to the Berkshires, she served as an elementary teacher at BWS for 16 years before becoming principal in 2017.
Renee Adams, mother of three adult children who attended BWS, recalls McCloskey as being very attentive, a principal who did way more than just teaching. “She did whatever it took, helping the PTO, pushing spaghetti dinners, you name it. When our daughter struggled, she helped us get to the bottom of her learning problems, building a foundation for learning that still serves her today. Now a college graduate with a degree in chemical engineering, our daughter still uses the strategies she learned at BWS.”
Looking back on her career, Ms. McCloskey gazed out the window and said, “It’s been such a privilege to watch these children grow up. Seeing them progress through middle and high school and watching their successes; it’s just wonderful to feel you had a part in it.”
Addendum: As this article went to press, we discovered there will be two other meaningful retirements from BWS this year: 3rd-grade teacher Patty Robie and administrative assistant Ronda Bilodeau, serving twenty-six and nine years, respectively.
Colin and Skylar Rosier, graduates of BWS and now honor students at Berkshire Community College, remember both women fondly, saying, “We remember Mrs. Robie as a teacher who was firm, but kind, in the classroom. Her sense of humor made learning memorable, and even her strict moments came from a place of wanting us to do our best. As she retires, we’re grateful for the lasting impact she had on us and for the many smiles she brought along the way.”
They continued, “Mrs. Bilodeau is absolutely wonderful. She kept us in line, literally, every single morning, somehow managing to do it with just the right mix of strictness and care. As adults looking back now, we can say she helped keep us on track in more ways than one.”
