With spring turning to summer, the typical transitions in school and life have been anything but typical this year. For the graduating classes of 2020, the rights of passage that many of us remember looking forward to as we moved from one school building to the next are impossible to recreate, and in their void, new traditions are emerging. Rye did not say good-bye to its seniors without a special farewell, for the first time relying on the participation of the entire community. We answered the call and filled the streets on May 31, and the first-ever Senior Caravan was a huge success. Parading from Playland parking lot around town and back, passing all three elementary schools, the caravan of smiling seniors and their families filled our town with Garnet pride.

Our hands were sore from clapping, eyes damp with tears, and faces still fixed in a smile long after the last car. Pure joy, promise of the future and nostalgia mixed in they way they should at a high school graduation, and without the formality of speeches, diplomas and gowns, we realized once again what really matters in this historic moment. The Rye Historical Society would like to thank the seniors and their families as well as the community volunteers who made this special day happen.

Members of the high school Senior class are not the only ones saying goodbye this June. Preschoolers, fifth graders, eighth graders, college students and retiring teachers are moving on from one chapter to the next without the celebrations, yearbooks and ceremonies we typically enjoy in these milestone moments. We had a chance to catch up with Dave Ball, Rye Middle School Social Studies teacher and Rye High School alum, to hear his thoughts on Rye past and present and retiring during COVID-19. Thank you, Dave, for this interview!

Alison: What is it like to retire during the pandemic?

Dave: It is really strange to leave without good-byes. The year-end assembly won’t happen, and it is like sliding off into nothing. But I’m working on a couple projects that will keep me connected to the school. I’m working with Dr. Byrne on a project to build an amphitheater outside the middle school. I’m also working with Chris Maloney, another Rye resident, on his Rye Veterans project at ryevets.org. I’m working with some high school teachers to get the juniors and seniors to take part in the project, and getting the background bios on the World War II Army vets. So retirement doesn’t mean I’m leaving Rye, just shifting my focus to some really exciting projects.

Alison: How long have you been teaching? How did you get into it?

Dave: I’ve been at Rye Middle School for 30 years. I went to University of Richmond, then worked at U.S. News and World Report in print production and then had my own printing company. I met my wife, and when we first met and talked about what we wanted to do in life, it inspired me to make a career change to teaching. I started teaching in 1990, moved back to the area and got my graduate degree at Manhattanville College. It is the most incredible thing, teaching and coaching in my hometown.

Alison: What has changed and what has stayed the same since when you were a student in Rye?

Dave: The physical plan has changed a lot in the schools. We are using the space better because with the larger numbers of students, we are completely maxed out. Dr. Byrne is doing a good job finding creative solutions for that. The kids are much more aware and they talk to us teachers like we are peers. We were formal with our teachers growing up, and kind of intimidated by them. That’s not the case anymore. It’s different, but there’s something cool about it because we see each other as people and the conversations are more open. Technology is different for sure. Skills, like note taking and outlining, are harder to teach now. Research happens online, and at the moment, everything happens online. Technology is good, but I’m a fan of old-fashioned note-taking. The school spirit and pride are as strong as ever. I’m lucky I get to coach some of the kids through high school and see them develop as individuals and as a class. As much as things change, this is still a special place to grow up. I feel so lucky to be part of their lives.

Alison: What will you miss most?

Dave: It’s been so much fun and I will miss it so much. This time where we can’t see the kids in person makes you realize that’s what it’s all about. That’s the part that matters. I miss that every day.

Thank you, Dave Ball, for your time with us and for your thirty years of dedicated teaching. We wish you and all the teachers and administrators who are retiring from Rye City, Rye Neck, and Blind Brook districts as well as the independent schools and the preschools in our community a wonderful retirement. Thank you to Andy Ball, Dave’s brother and Rye Historical Society board member for the introduction.

If you would like to share your story of celebrating a milestone during COVID-19 or of the everyday ways you pass the time, please visit our new project, the Rye COVID-19 Archive at covid19.ryelibrary.org. All voices and perspectives welcome!

By Alison Relyea

Moving Up and Moving On During COVID