Farewell, Teacher Mary!

After many years of dedicated service to our school and her students, beloved Teacher Mary Peros is retiring.

Mary taught ESL at San Mateo Adult School for almost eighteen years.  She organized and participated in many SMAS activities and events, including International Days, holiday events, and a Talent Show held at the Performing Arts Center.   You can watch videos of the Talent Show here in these clips.  Be sure to watch the last part of the second video!

 

She never missed a chance to have fun, put on a costume and cut a rug.

Halloween 2013

International Day 2011

Dunking for Apples on Halloween

Mary and students, Halloween



Belting Out a Song with Patricia and Lisa



Video of teachers dancing at International Day (below)

 

When the cuts and closures hit Adult Schools in 2009, Mary responded, attending meetings, discussing strategies, and helping to organize a school wide response to a statewide problem. 

Mary Peros
Burlingame School Board Member

Before Mary taught at our school, she was an Elementary School teacher.  She had also been on the Burlingame School Board.  She understood a lot about Public Education and our local community.  She understood how important it was for us to organize, speak up, and connect with both the larger community and with elected officials.



Mary as Mistress of Ceremonies of the 2012 Press Conference

She helped to organize our 2012 Press Conference and was the MC - the Mistress of Ceremonies.  

She encouraged and helped her students to speak up and write letters to elected officials and the press.



CCAE Bay Section Conference 2013

She was active in the Teachers Union, CCAE, and the PLC, the Professional Learning Community system that SMAS teachers use to improve their teaching skills.







Most recently, Mary taught Advanced ESL in the morning and the Writing Intensive in the afternoon. She was so proud of her students' progress and achievements.

Mary and her students

Mary and students from Japan

Mary and students on a field trip

Mary and students at Coyote Point on Earth Day

Mary and students

International Day



Adult Ed Week 2015 Essay Contest Winners and their Teachers

 

Students treasured Mary's well-planned lessons, skillful teaching, and kind manner.  She supported them in learning, growing, and expressing themselves as students and community members. 
Student Ayako Ueda shares this comment, "Before taking teacher Mary's writing class, I was scared of writing in English.  Mary was a wonderful teacher. She helped students to become good writers by intimately interacting with each student. I learned a lot in her class.  Thank you so much, Mary, for giving me confidence in writing."

Friday, March 4th from 9:30 am to 12 noon in Room 22, students will honor and thank her at a retirement party

All students, current and former, are invited to attend.   Food is welcome.

Join us in thanking Mary for her service and wishing her many rich and joyful years of retirement! 

Mary and husband Nick