After 11 years of teaching, physics and forensics, science teacher Dennis Robertson is retiring. Starting as an engineer for the first 30 years of his career, he spent the last 10 years teaching at Souderton.
During his time teaching, Robertson has learned many lessons.
“I’ve learned that if you put in a lot of hard work and you make lessons interesting that kids will respond and do well,” Robertson said.
This is evident to his students and his colleagues like fellow science teacher Christine Jackson.
“What I like best about working with him is how great he is with kids,” Jackson said. “He’s so good at getting them excited
about science, doing crazy demonstrations in front of the class.”
Along with his fun demonstrations, Robertson also works with Jackson to make new and interesting labs. “He’s always helped come up with some
unique lab ideas,” Jackson said.
These demonstrations and labs are a favorite for students in Robertson’s classes.
“While they are sometimes stressful, I do enjoy a lot of the labs we do in class and some of the other fun projects we’ve been able to do,” junior Sonia Dharmani said.
After working together for over a decade, Jackson will miss having him as someone next to her that she “can always rely on.”
“I know that if I need him in a pinch, he can answer my students’ questions,” Jackon said. “He’s just a really nice neighbor.”
Though he is leaving, he urges his students to continue to push themselves and work hard. “Make sure that you’re always challenging yourself and don’t avoid things that you think might be too hard,” Robertson said, “because doing hard things and challenging yourself is going to make you
a stronger person [who is] able to handle more things.” Robertson plans to spend his retirement at his beach house in Hilton Head as well as helping to take care of his grandkids.

Focusing on freelance activities, music teacher Daniel Kujala is retiring after 23 years of inspiring students.
Music teacher Adam Tucker started working at Souderton the same year as Kujala and has spent time working with him in the music department.
According to Tucker, Kujala is an “absolutely amazing cellist and he’s very, very easy to work with, as well.”
The first year Tucker and Kujala worked together they each performed a song for each other’s music history and appreciation class. Kujala played his cello and both
Tucker and his students were amazed.
“Even the kids that didn’t care about music, and everybody were just mesmerized,” Tucker said.
Junior Jessica Calin has enjoyed having Kujala as her teacher.
“He’s incredibly easy going and a really fun person to talk to,” Calin said.
Calin enjoys the special bond her class has made with him.
“It’s always good vibes in class and we have a lot of inside jokes that if someone would hear who isn’t in this class, they would have no idea,” Calin said.
Calin has taken a lot of teaching inspiration from him as she wants to become a teacher.
“I want to be a math teacher when I grow up and I look up to him because he is able to keep his cool,” Calin said. “He creates a comfortable environment where we can create music and we are encouraged to collaborate. We’ve done quartets and other small groups where he’s asked us to play in concerts.”
Kujala currently plays for the Warminster Symphony and other professional orchestras, which he plans to continue in his retirement. “I’m a cellist by training, so I’ll have a lot more time to do freelance activities,” Kujala said.

After a long career centered in artistry, art teacher Ginny Perry is ending her time at Souderton leaving students and staff inspired.
Perry has been teaching in the public school system for 23 years after having a prior career. Perry taught at Hussian College along with owning her own school and doing freelance art beforehand.
“[I] operated my own art school. It was called the Doylestown Art Center in the 1990s,” Perry said. “I was also a freelance illustrator and mural painter.”
Perry has enjoyed her time at Souderton, especially helping students with their art portfolios. “Years ago, I used to hold portfolio workshops on weekends during a time when many students didn’t work,” Perry said
Senior Reagan Lisius said she feels lucky to have an art teacher that “wanted me to succeed so much.”
“She has impacted my education throughout high school in the most positive way, always providing uplifting advice whenever I was feeling down or stressed,” Lisius said.
Art teacher Sabrina Pistoria said Perry has been a “mentor” to her. “She’s given me a lot of advice over the couple years that I’ve been here and I’ve seen how the students really appreciate and flourish underneath her teaching,” Pistoria said.
Art teacher John McLaughlin said he has also enjoyed his time working with Perry.
“We’re going to miss her. She has a unique set of talents both as a teacher and as an artist that will be probably impossible to replace,” McLaughlin said.
According to Perry, her retirement will not be uneventful and she will continue to work with art.
“I am looking forward to focusing on my own artwork and continuing to show my work in galleries and museums,” Perry said. “I will also continue my volunteer work working with the aging and Alzheimer’s patients, which ties into my art

Teachers and staff are celebrating math teacher Kathleen Perricone for spending 24.9 total years helping students learn
math.
Perricone taught at Pennridge High School for 16 years and took a break after
having children before returning to teaching at Souderton.
While she was not teaching at a school, she was still tutoring students.
“I still felt like I was in education because I tutored upwards of like, 25 kids a week so I was able to keep in the loop,” Perricone said.
Perricone has always gone above and beyond in ensuring students understand material, often spending time with them after
school. “Even from the time when I did my
student teaching, my mentor used to make
fun of me that, ‘Oh, here comes Miss Moyer with her 10th period of the day’ because
they have nine periods,” Perricone said.
Perricone also co-advises Interact Club with teacher math Jennifer Detwiler.
“Working with Mrs. Perricone has absolutely been wonderful,” Detwiler said. “She is an outstanding teacher, she is organized, she is caring, she’s kind, she just really goes above and beyond in everything she does.”
Perricone’s students recognize and appreciate her dedication and the extra work she puts into her students. Junior Hailey
Riexinger would often attend her review sessions, which she held before every test.
“She would have office hours online all the time and she would be waiting there
and she’d work on each person individually and really go through your questions,” Riexinger said.
Junior Amanda Yang agreed, saying she appreciated how Perricone did everything she could to ensure students understood the material.
“She always made sure that we were never behind,” Yang said. “She was constantly asking us if we were understanding things and she was just honestly so nice.”
In retirement, Perricone hopes to spend more time with her family, especially her grandchildren who live out of state.
“I have four grandchildren and they’re all in Maryland, so I don’t get to see them that often,” Perricone said.
As Perricone’s time in education comes to a close her grandchildren are starting school, which is something she is excited
for. “My oldest granddaughter will start kindergarten in the fall. Maybe I can see her on the bus for the first day,” Perricone said.
Perricone also looks forward to to having more time for travel. “We’re going to see things and do things that we haven’t done before,” Perricone said. “I’d love to see Germany. [My husband] would love to go to Rome and, this summer, we are taking the whole family to Disney in August.”

With plans to move from Pennsylvania to Maine, guidance counselor Dan Barber is celebrating 32 years as a guidance counselor.
Barber has appreciated working in such a “wonderful” area. “I’ve always enjoyed working at Souderton because of the community,” Barber said. “I think it’s great.”
With his many years of experience, Barber has learned many valuable lessons.
“One that really resonates with me more recently is students need to seek out the things that they really want to do,” Barber said. “[They have to find things] that they’re good at and pursue things that they have a passion for and things that they’re going to be successful with.”
One of guidance counselor Nickole Trout’s favorite things about working with Barber is his willingness to be of service to others. “He’s extremely genuine and he’s very level-headed,” Trout said. “If you have a problem, he’s always there to try to help you work through it.”
Students who have Barber agree. “Mr. Barber was a gigantic help when applying to colleges and for me specifically the Air Force Academy, which had more requirements that he helped me to navigate and understand,” senior Ethan Frattarelli said.
Trout will not only miss Barber for his knowledge, but she will miss having him as a part of the team. “We really work well
together,” Trout said. “My students move up to him so we’re constantly talking.”
For Barber, this is more of a “semi-retirement.” He and his wife will be moving to their house in Maine where he’ll be working at a much smaller high school of about 240 students.

Throwback Thursday..Saying cheese for past annual Unaliyi yearbook photos, this year’s crop of retiring teachers showcase their
photogenic style through the years. (Top left) In 1996, guidance counselor Dan Barber highlights a 90s haircut. (Top center) In 2014, science teacher Dennis Robertson enjoys a casual blue stripe. (Top right) In 2006, art teacher Ginny Perry rocks a shoulder-length coif. (Bottom left) In 2013, math teacher Kathy Perricone sports a snakeskin blouse. (Bottom center) In 2003, music teacher Dan Kujala flaunts an early 2000s stache.

Photos reprinted from the 1996, 2003, 2006, 2013, and 2014 Souderton Area High School Unaliyi yearbooks

Gallery • 5 Photos

science teacher Dennis Robertson