Barnum Woods remembers Richard Novarro

A video montage showed photographs from the early life of Richard Novarro, leading to his days as a teacher at Barnum Woods Elementary School. Accompanying the photos were quotes from Novarro, to the tune of “All the Things You Are” — a song he selected for graduation when his students walked the stage. By the time the nearly 10-minute video was over, there were few dry eyes in the room.

The video, made by teacher Elena DiCocco, played at the conclusion of a memorial ceremony at Barnum Woods honoring Novarro, who taught there for 27 years until his death in November at age 63. The ceremony was attended by more than 100 of his colleagues, former students and admirers.

Novarro came to Barnum Woods in 1985, and taught grades three through six, but spent most of his years there teaching fifth grade. He had previously taught at St. Boniface, a Catholic school in Sea Cliff, for 11 years. The day of the ceremony — May 8 — would have been his 64th birthday.

Barnum Woods principal Gregory Bottari began it by recounting his earliest memories of Novarro, when Bottari came to the school as assistant principal in 1997. “Who was the one who assisted me every single day to show me the Barnum Woods ropes?” he asked.

Everyone knew the answer.

It wasn’t until later, Bottari said, that he discovered that Novarro had also applied for the assistant principal’s job. “I’ll tell you, I’d have never known,” Bottari said. “Because he put the school before himself.”

Bottari announced the creation of the Richard Novarro Ever Your Friend Scholarship, which will be presented to graduating seniors of East Meadow High School beginning this year and for at least the next eight years, when Novarro’s most recent fifth-grade class graduates.

Superintendant Louis DeAngelo pointed out how appropriate it was to honor Novarro during the district’s Teacher Appreciation Week. He added that when Novarro first applied to Barnum Woods, the principal at the time, Peter Valente, wrote a note to the assistant superintendent of personnel that said, “Mr. Novarro impressed me as an individual of character, and someone who genuinely enjoys working with children.” The note added, “He looks like a teacher.”