Mary Lou Massucco

Mary Lou attended St. Charles School through 8th grade and then on to Bellows Falls High

School, graduating in 1969. In 1973, Mary Lou earned her BS in Home Economics from UVM,

and in 2011 she completed a Masters in Education.

From 1974-1975, Mary Lou was a special education aide at BFMS and CES in a self-contained

classroom. She worked one-on-one with students in reading, writing, and math.

In 1975 she was hired as an assistant to the art teacher, Merle Larson, at BFMS. At this time

classes were so large that Mary Lou would have to take half of each group into the shop room

for class. By the end of that school year, Mary Lou became certified in Art, and in 1976

she was hired as an art teacher at BFMS and began her long-time teaching career which

would span the next 46 years.

Mary Lou was honored and named UVM Outstanding Teacher of The Year three different years,

in 1984, 1998, and 2022. Her lifelong passion for gardening led Mary Lou to achieve status as

a UVM Master Gardener in 1994. During her teaching career at BFMS, Mary Lou often

volunteered for trips, dances, sports, spelling bees, and tech fairs. She chaperoned students at

Winter Ecology Camp Week which was held at Seyon Ranch in Groton State Forest 7 times

during winter vacation weeks in February. There, students and chaperones all gained the full

winter experience! She also participated in the BFMS plays and musicals, helping students to

create costumes, props, and scenery.

She wrote and was awarded several arts grants which brought programs and opportunities to

all of the students in our WNESU schools, and included circus performances, the art of

photography, brass ensembles, and much more. For several years Mary Lou was able to offer

an “Art Plus” class as an elective for BFMS students. This elective served as a multi-age

classroom with student-directed projects allowing kids to try a variety of creative experiences

or to concentrate on one medium. They took trips to many museums and galleries, including

the Boston Museum of Art, the Norman Rockwell Museum, the DeCordova Museum, the Hood

Museum at Dartmouth College, the Boston Museum of Science, Northern Stage in White River

Junction, Barry Pinske’s Vermont Wooden Bear Company in Chester, and Stephen Huneck’s

Gallery and Dog Mountain in St. Johnsbury.

Mary Lou worked every season teaching the after-school program and offered groups a wide

variety of classes including ceramics, sewing, cooking, paper maché, pickle-making, and open studio time, just to name a few. A student favorite was “Down on the Farm”, where students visited local farms weekly. Cows, sheep, llamas, chickens, ducks, turkeys, goats, and horses were seen up close! Kids were introduced to milking machines and giant carrot washing machines. Pulling carrots and sliding down manure piles were some of the highlights kids loved. She also wrote a grant in 2011 to expand the BFMS Garden Program which she had initiated in 2009, and which continues today. Even though she is retired from teaching, Mary Lou still loves working with students in the school gardens in the spring and summer. In 2022 she was awarded an important grant that provided fruit trees for the front of the school, and in 2023 she brought in more grant funding that paid for 250 trees which were distributed to families in the WNESU district.

Mary Lou was a loyal member of the teachers’ union for over 40 years, and she served as the

Middle School’s representative, worked as the union secretary, and was a member of the

union’s scholarship committee for many years.

Mary Lou volunteered on the wellness committee in the district and worked on grants to fund

many VEHI programs and the “Farm to School” program in order to address general wellness

and healthy nutrition for both students and staff.

Mary Lou was responsible for arranging many public displays of artwork created by BFMS

students. Showcases of student art were celebrated in downtown business windows and

proudly displayed annually at the Rockingham Free Public Library, all thanks to Mary Lou. A

favorite project of hers was the year that her students crafted 100 ceramic poppies in honor of

the American Legion’s 100th birthday. After being “planted” for display outside the local Pierce

Lawton Post, the Legion Auxiliary sold the poppies, with all proceeds going directly to benefit

veterans.

Without a doubt, Mary Lou has demonstrated a quiet yet prolific dedication to her school and

community over the past forty-six years and beyond!