Cindy Tobin may have retired from her position as a physical education teacher in 2009, but she never really said goodbye. This summer, she celebrates 50 years working in the Summer Recreation Program, a job she said still feels like fun after all these years.
“Helping the kids is so gratifying to me,” she explained.
Ms. Tobin taught physical education in several of our schools, but spent the last 15 years of her teaching career at Bayville Primary School. She is also a Locust Valley High School alumna (Class of ’70) and joined the LVCSD faculty right after college. She was ingrained in the district as not only a teacher, but as a coach as well, and to this day she still works for the athletic department as a supervisor and scorekeeper.
Her summers spent with the young children in the District’s camp program give her a warm feeling that she hasn’t been able to walk away from since her first summer in 1971 when she helped run the program. “I enjoy working with the little kids,” she said. “They’re eager to learn and they’re fun. They have so many fun stories to share.”
This summer, as Ms. Tobin helps register new campers each Monday, she often finds herself welcoming parents who were her own students when they attended LVCSD schools. “I’m a friendly face that can help make parents feel secure about leaving their children,” she said.
She said while she loves seeing the children running around and having fun, watching them learn new things and make new friends, she also has a sense of satisfaction from helping the camp directors – she’s worked for seven of them over the past 50 years. “I like knowing I’m making their lives a little easier and I love working with the staff,” she said, and describes her coworkers as great team players who get along and help each other out in addition to helping the children.
Monica Cagney served as the Director of Summer Recreation for 10 years and valued Ms. Tobin’s contributions greatly. “She was a tremendous support, holding me up in challenging moments,” she said. She described Ms. Tobin as an asset to the program, someone who helped everyone, cared about the children and was a pleasure to work with.
Caroline McBride followed in Ms. Cagney’s footsteps, taking over as director and echoing her sentiments about Ms. Tobin. “Cindy is the person you want to have on your team,” she said. “She plays fair, remains loyal to the core and can laugh with you. So many of us, both young and old, have benefited from her advice and enjoyed being in her circle.”
Marie Fonzo, the current director, quickly grew to appreciate Ms. Tobin’s experience and knowledge of the program. “Having a mentor like Cindy Tobin this summer was incredible,” she said. “Her selflessness, dedication and commitment to the program has made a positive impact on so many people.”
Ms. Tobin has clearly been an integral part of the Summer Recreation Program during her 50 years as an employee. The District congratulates her and thanks her for her dedication to making the program a success and working to create fun and engaging summers for thousands of children over those years.