When we came to WHS in 1980 Ron was a Math teacher with Mrs. Murphy and Mrs. Buschenfeld. Mr. Durning was also teaching English.
Mr. Reid has a M.Sc. in mathematics and taught Math until 1997 after which he taught at Newbury College and also did web page design. He was self taught in web page design using HTML and CSS and built the first WHS website in 1997 when few schools had a site. Twenty years ago he saw the potential of the internet and now, with his help, I bring this project to you through my own website made by Mr. Reid.
SEPT. 21st,1980 – the date we arrived with our two children, Stuart age eleven and Kenneth age three. I was seven months pregnant at the time. We had been waiting for our green card for over eighteen months and should have arrived in Sept. 1979!! Orientation was over and we were trying to figure out the difference between nickels and dimes far less know the dorm rules. We had only one night off a week and one weekend off a month and had to be back by 10pm or 11pm to let the person on dorm coverage go home. Our dorm president Desiree helped us out and her frequent cups of coffee helped her. Cindy LeFevre the dorm parent from North House was our true support and mentor and also standby babysitter as our third child Andrew was born Nov. 7th only a few weeks after our arrival. She was my friend and savior for those beginning years. On our arrival day Mrs. Perrin came by with a bag full of breakfast groceries to welcome us. We had no furniture as it was being shipped from New Zealand so the school lent us beds and the theater department lent us a couch and some chairs. Mr. Taylor took us to Raider Furniture downtown Natick and said “You have to establish some credit in the USA. “Mr. Gedge, Dean of Students, lent us his car to go out for our anniversary in October. Later that month when our furniture arrived the Tumelaires and others helped us unpack. Also in October my mother died suddenly of a stroke at the young age of sixty. I could not go home for her funeral as I was pregnant. I was overwhelmed by meals and home made cookies and offers of help from the WHS community. Memories still remain with me from all those years ago and in writing this it reminds me why we have stayed so long in the community I have come to love and call home.
