The reputation of Pelham Union Free School District (PUFSD) is defined by the people who devote so much time and care to making the community and schools so special. One such educator who epitomizes this spirit is Mrs. Rosemary Matthews, Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Personnel Services, who recently announced her retirement. Mrs. Matthews has spent the last 13 years of her career improving the lives of special education students. Though she will be greatly missed, Mrs. Matthews will leave behind an impressive legacy through the contributions she has made in special education administration, and the individuals she has influenced at PMHS.

Mrs. Matthews recognized her interest in and passion for this field very early on, becoming a special education teacher right after finishing her schooling. After many years in the classroom, she switched her focus to administration, with the goal of playing a larger role in the molding of special education programs. In 2006, Matthews assumed the role of Administrative Intern to the Interim Director of Special Education, and was promoted to the Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Personnel Services two year later.

“I recognized that Pelham really supports students, they really support education,” Mrs. Matthews said. “I would have the resources to do what kids need, and that was very appealing to me.”

Mrs. Matthews’ responsibilities at PMHS are vast, as special education, guidance, and all social and emotional learning within the district fall under the umbrella of Pupil Personnel Services. Because she covers such great territory within the school system, throughout her time at Pelham, Mrs. Matthews has been able to initiate widespread programs that have helped to improve the lives of many Pelicans. Under Mrs. Matthews’ direction, Pupil Personnel Services introduced therapeutic support to all levels of schooling in Pelham. These programs make necessary additional social and emotional help available to students who need it to continue to thrive. Additionally, Mrs. Matthews and her staff began Pelham’s first program for high needs autistic children, known as ACE Learning.

Just as Mrs. Matthews has given so much to the Pelham community, she feels that those she has worked with have reciprocated her efforts.

“I’ve watched some [students] grow from when they were in preschool, and that has been extremely rewarding. I get to visit all of the Pelham students who get placed in outside placements and… to get to the see the growth in these students and to see their families so pleased that their children have a future and have so much to offer society, it really is what’s most important to me,” Mrs. Matthews said.

While Mrs. Matthews looks forward to spending some extra time with family, she also hopes to stay involved in education in some capacity. Though Pelham will certainly be different without Mrs. Matthews, her determination to improve special education will live on through all she has accomplished.