A Talk With Ed Garvey

Suffield High School Vice Principal Ed Garvey will greatly miss the interacting with students after he retires on June 30.

Garvey, 62, has worked in the Suffield school system for 23 years. He said the town has some great kids.

"I have always said the kids help me stay young," Garvey said. "90 percent of my job is chasing kids around. It's great to see them grow over the four years. You build up a mutual respect."

Garvey spent six years as the Suffield High School principal but found it wasn’t for him.

"I always aspired to be a principal, but once I got there it wasn't what I wanted," he said.

Garvey said he found he lost touch with kids while serving as principal. He cited bureaucracy and late-night meetings as some negatives of the situation.

"I lost track with the kids," he said. "My place is with the kids."

The biggest change he has seen in his time as vice principal is advances in technology. He said he has seen the good and the bad that technology has brought to the schools.

"Ten years ago kids didn't have cell phones, now everyone has one," Garvey said. "It's a great tool if used in the right way."

Garvey said there is more and more cyber bullying these days and that he has told kids that once something is sent online it can't be unsent.

Garvey doesn't think retirement will hit him until September, when he will be looking around for something to do since he won't be working.

His wife has a lot of projects for him to do during his retirement. He likes working on building projects.

"I enjoy working with my hands," Garvey said.

Two of his three children have recently bought homes, so Garvey envisions there will be some projects there for him to do too, he said.

Garvey will also be spending time with his first grandchild during his retirement.
In a few years, he and Jane, his wife of 40 years, will move to Cape Cod, where they have a house.