BY RYAN O’CONNOR

When Andre Dusseault began talking about retirement, Hopkinton Middle/High School Principal Steve Chamberlin had an easy solution.

“Every time he would come in and talk about his retirement, I would just ignore it,” said Chamberlin. “He finally went to one of his colleagues and said, ‘You better go talk to Steve for me because I really am retiring.’ I guess I just didn’t want to face it.”

Chamberlin said Dusseault  is an extraordinary person who will be missed on personal and  professional levels.

“I’m happy for him because he’s no longer going to have bells and school vacations and stuff like that controlling his life,” he said.

Chamberlin, who has  worked with Dusseault for the last eight of his 30 years at Hopkinton High School, was chosen by a hiring committee that included the teaching icon.

When asked to describe Dusseault’s contributions to the school, Chamberlin had a hard time accomplishing the task with only a few words.

“Andy has a love of children, a love of history. He’s kind and gentle. He’s a nurturing soul for everybody from first-year principals to freshman to middle school kids on trips,” said Chamberlin. “For many, when you say Hopkinton High School, Andy Dusseault is the first person that comes to mind.”

In addition to teaching history and social studies courses, Dusseault spent much of his time at Hopkinton Middle/High School serving as class advisor, holding mock political and presidential conventions, and dedicating his time to ensure a positive educational experience for all students, said Chamberlin.

By Chamberlin’s estimation, Dusseault has been to every prom and graduation throughout his tenure and has chaperoned numerous class trips, from New York to Washington, D.C., to Russia.

“I have no regrets at all. I love being around kids and that’s one of the things I’ve loved most about this job,” said Dusseault.

One of his fondest memories, he said, was a trip to New York City over Thanksgiving break his first year, when he chaperoned 67 students.

“As luck would have it two of the kids decided they would leave the hotel after curfew and go for a little fun in Times Square on Saturday night,” he said. “I stayed up outside their room until 4 a.m., when they finally showed up, read them the riot act and put them to bed. They were two nice guys and nothing happened. They just went out and had a lot of fun.”

Two years later, Dusseault received a post card over Thanksgiving weekend from the same two guys whom, he said, happened to be in New York City again and thought of him. They wrote to thank him for taking care of them that night.

The story would come as no surprise to Chamberlin.

“For me, Andy is bringing history alive,” said Chamberlin. “I’ve never met a kid he didn’t like or care for and over 30 years we’re talking thousands and thousands and thousands of kids that have been touched by him.”

Though he’s been teaching for almost four decades, including six years at Bishop Brady High School in Concord, Dusseault said popular culture and fashion change, but students remain the same.

Still, he said the computer revolution has been the most notable change in his career.

“When I think back to when I started teaching there were no computers, so when I think back to simple things like running off papers, you had to get your fingers all dirty (with ink) just to be able to run off papers, versus today with what you can do with a computer is just phenomenal,” said Dusseault.

“I can no longer imagine what it was like to teach without the use of the computer compared to today.”

Dusseault said responsibilities of teachers have changed a lot as well.

“When you consider when I started here we had classes of 40 or 50 students, which was a large class.

Where as now, all of our classes are in the vicinity of a 100 students,” he said. “When I started here, we
didn’t have a middle school, and I taught at the seventh-grade level the same day I taught the seniors.”

Now, Dusseault plans to take advantage of the extra time on his hands, including substituting at the elementary level, spending time with his grandchildren, participating in volunteer work and traveling.

He and his wife are planning a travel to Germany in the near future.

“In essence, I’ve been working since I was 12 years old, working for my dad at that point,” said Dusseault. “Everybody’s wife has a honey-do list, but I have my own list that I’ve created of things I want to do at home. So it will be pleasant to just do something different.”

As far as Hopkinton Middle/High School is concerned, Chamberlin just hopes to continue educating students in the manner Dusseault has proven successful over his many years.

“You don’t replace Andy, you just continue his legacy,” he said.