ROCHESTER — School Committee members presented retiring Superintendent Dr. Douglas White with the book “Swimmy,” on June 2. The book will be added to the Rochester Memorial School library with a dedication in his honor. 

White finished up his doctorate while at Old Rochester Regional, and did his dissertation on professional learning communities and teamwork. In selecting books, committee members chose “Swimmy,” because a school of small fish has to work together to frighten away a big scary fish. 

School committee members used the gifting as a chance to reminisce about the last 10 years with White as superintendent, with committee chair Sharon Hartley saying “we have watched the growth of our school system as we have moved into the age of computers and this year into remote learning.”

White recalled the physical changes to the Rochester Memorial School building that have taken place over the last 10 years, including a renovation that gave kids room “to expand and be in space conducive to learning.”

He thanked the Rochester School Committee, saying it has “been a privilege and an honor to sit in this chair and lead this wonderful district. And I couldn’t have done it without the work of the school committee and the support that you have provided over this time. I can’t imagine a better support team than I have had.” 

The retiring administrator said he looks forward to reading the book with his new grandchild, Olivia.