Brewster Superintendent to Retire

After seven and a half years with the Brewster Central School District, Superintendent Dr. Jane Sandbank is retiring Jan. 2 of 2014, she announced in an email to parents Wednesday afternoon.

Sandbank started her career in the early 1970s as an English teacher in New York City. Later on she worked for Ossining’s school district as an English director. A first-generation American, she was the first of 11 cousins to go to college.

“I understand the importance of education and public education as a great leveler in our society,” she told Patch during an interview in 2011.

It is with mixed emotions that I announce my intention to resign my position as Superintendent of Schools for the purpose of retirement on January 2, 2014. It has been a wonderful seven and a half years and the Brewster community in many ways has become my second family. I thank you for the trust you have afforded me and the opportunity to shepherd your children through their vitally important experiences in school.

As a school community we have accomplished a great deal evidenced by not only the success of our graduates and our beautiful campus, our renovated Wells Middle School, multi-purpose field and full-day kindergarten, but also having the benefit of a stable and talented group of fine professionals who daily deliver outstanding learning experiences to their students. 

Brewster is a special community and as I have written in past messages, we have become a lighthouse district in the region. We are in our sixth year of an exchange program with high schools in China. We are still humming “Danny Boy” after our marvelous band played in Dublin and Limerick last March on St. Patrick’s Day. We offer a vast array of advanced courses, BOCES courses, NJROTC, elective courses, athletics, outstanding theatrical performances and a myriad of clubs. We are a philanthropic community and in our schools we try to echo and build on the values and lessons that our parents, the students’ first teachers have taught them.

We have a devoted, expert and caring Board of Education committed to maintaining the highest quality of programs and services at a cost that is acceptable to this community.

Now it is time for me to pass the torch. We have laughed and cried together; cheered our athletes on, celebrated at awards ceremonies and graduations. The small moments of daily school life resonate most deeply; reading a story to kindergarteners, watching students figure out how to play together at recess, listening to a holiday concert, participating in an online English class debate about grading, or sitting down in the Wells cafeteria to chat with students and discovering that the best thing about school is the pizza.

I know that the students in the Brewster Central School District will flourish and continue to be successful and well prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve this fine community.

What sorts of experiences have you had with Dr. Sandbank? What would you like the Board of Education to keep in mind when choosing her replacement? Leave your thoughts here.