On December 15, Ms. Angela Marcello will be retiring from HMHS after working as a secretary in the main office for 26 years. She has been an incredible asset to the HMHS community, always going above and beyond for teachers, students, and parents. The HMHS staff surprised her with a retirement celebration in the courtyard on October 9. We too wanted to honor her hard work and dedication in our own way, so we decided to interview her and write and article on her time at HMHS. We are so grateful for all that she has done for our school and would especially like to thank her for always taking the time to print out the Bulldawg Bulletin print publications! Thank you again, Mrs. Marcello, for 26 amazing years. You will forever be remembered and cherished as a member of the HMHS community. We wish you all the best as you begin your retirement!

Interview (conducted via email) :

Helene Usher: How has HMHS changed in the time since you’ve been here? 

Ms. Marcello: The obvious answer would be how security has changed and the accommodations that were implemented on how people enter the building. All the security drills that now take place every month. There has been a consistent increase in the student body. 

HU: What do you think you will miss most about working here? 

MM: I know it’s cliché but all the people I’ve met and friendships I have fostered through the years, the students who have always been so sweet and respectful as well as the parents who are so supportive of everything that goes on in the high school.

HU: What is your favorite memory from working here? 

MM: I don’t have one specific memory because there are so many but I do cherish the time my children attended the high school from 1999 to 2005. It was so heartwarming to see them thrive and grow here at HMHS. 

HU: What is your favorite annual event that takes place at HMHS? 

MM: It would have to be Spirit Week [,] seeing how everyone gets together for a common goal of raising money for specific charities [and how] they all have fun together completing all the tasks required.  There is so much good that happens here at the HS because of the students, teachers, administrators and parents. 

HU: What are you looking forward to about retirement? 

MM: Relaxing at times [,] being with my family and being a grandmother as well as caregiver to my first grandson Matthieu. [I am] so looking forward to forging a relationship with him. As they say it’s better being a grandmom than a parent. I’m finding this to be so true. 

MM: I would also like to add that the 26 years I’ve been in the same job at the high school have been rewarding, at times challenging but also fulfilling. I would like to publicly thank Joseph Serico and Carol Barbano for hiring me and taking a chance on a person who had never worked in a school system. I have loved working here through all the changes. Haddonfield Memorial High School is truly a special place. I am so grateful for the experience it has afforded me and the memories that I will take with me!