by Dawn Kane | Sep 26, 2025
Norman Zogaib completed a 25 year tenure as the vocal music director at Hamburg High School in 2023 where he directed numerous choirs, produced 24 musicals and taught classes in music theory, music composition, voice and piano.
Under his direction, the Hamburg HS Concert Chorale performed extensively throughout the Northeast, including performances by invitation with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra with Music Director JoAnn Falletta, and at the ACDA Eastern Division Conference (2010), as well as the NYSSMA Winter Conference (2000 and 2008). The chorale had the privilege of performing at Lincoln Center and nine appearances at Carnegie Hall, including a featured performance in the only Statewide Choral Festival sponsored by Carnegie Hall in 2003. From 2000-2014, the Hamburg HS Concert Chorale was awarded nine consecutive NYSSMA, Level 6, Gold with Distinction ratings and won best overall choir awards at National Choral Festivals in New York City and Toronto.
During his tenure, no fewer than 60 HHS students were selected to the NY All-State Choirs. He mentored dozens of students interested in pursuing careers in music, helping them earn acceptances and scholarships to the nation’s finest collegiate music programs. These alumni are now employed around the country in music education, performance, composition, therapy, business, church, musicology, production and theater.
An active clinician, Mr. Zogaib conducted over 30 all county, area all-state and other honor choirs and has given numerous professional development workshops on music education for teachers. He was the 2005 recipient of the Buffalo Philharmonic Award for Excellence in Choral Music Education.
Mr. Zogaib served as the President of NYACDA, the board of directors of ECMEA, Voice Chair and All State Chorus Chair for NYSSMA and the Eastern Division representative of the NAfME Choral Music Education Council.
Norm and his wife Renée are the proud parents of 6 children, all of whom attended HCSD, and 2 grandchildren. They currently reside in Central Florida where Norm has continued his career in education as a Middle School Dean of Students.
by Dawn Kane | Sep 26, 2025
Diane Schultz grew up in Buffalo, graduating from the Buffalo Seminary, and then studying at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where she earned degrees in English and Education. In the fall of 1968, she accepted a position at Hamburg Junior High, teaching English 7. Over the next 34 years, she worked with administrators, faculties and students who offered her many opportunities to learn the joys – and sometimes heartaches, of working with young people. She taught English 7 and 8, and spent many years in English 9, sharing the beauty of Romeo and Juliet. The opportunity to read and study To Kill a Mockingbird allowed students to meet unforgettable characters and reflect on their own values and beliefs. With her colleagues, she worked to develop a successful Writing and Reading Workshop program. In the fall of 1997, she had the privilege of moving to the high school with that year’s freshman class. She retired in 2002 after serving as a cooperating teacher to years of Fredonia’s student teachers, and as English Department Chairperson.
After retirement from Hamburg, Diane taught Education courses as an adjunct professor at Daemen College from 2002-2010. Again, she supervised student teachers, often on the elementary level, where she gained even more respect for what elementary teachers do every day. From 2005 – 2025, she has been the secretary of the East Aurora Educational Foundation, whose mission is to enhance the educational experience of East Aurora’s students by funding innovative grants presented by teachers.
Diane and her husband David, who had a long and distinguished career as an English teacher in East Aurora, raised two sons, Eric and Andy. Diane is the proud grandmother of six grandchildren, ranging in age from 7 to 17.
Diane is deeply grateful to Hamburg’s teachers and students for her teaching career.
by Dawn Kane | Oct 14, 2024
Betsy can vividly recall the day in 1974 when she was hired as Hamburg High School’s sole art teacher. She shared her extensive portfolio with Associate Superintendent, Mr. Edwin Osborne. Displayed upon his office floor were four years of nude figure drawings along with other evidence of her artistic skills and instructional techniques. This provided all Mr. Osborne needed to know. Much to Ed’s relief, the interview was successful…and brief!
From that day forward, opportunities for expanded course offerings and leadership roles soon became paramount as student enrollments multiplied rapidly.
Yearbook art editor, literary magazine advisor, Art Department Chair/District Coordinator, NYSATA presenter, technology facilitator, annual reviewer and NYSATA Authentic Portfolio Assessment Institute contributor were some of the welcome challenges for affecting positive change.
Working cooperatively at various department levels and with other disciplines provided a wealth of perspectives from which to base decisions to further support student success and collegiality. The process of such reflection was more important than any summative product.
There are too many students to count, but so many relationships to recall. Fostering mutual respect was key while still maintaining that professional separation. Betsy laughed, cried, argued, critiqued, praised and became comfortably “still” with her students. Any teacher’s ultimate triumph is to eventually become unnecessary; able to breathe freely having made a difference between success and failure. The final product may have needed wanting, but the critical process of knowing how to learn was everything!
Of course, no one lives the teaching life alone. In addition to Betsy’s teenage charges, Betsy thanks her many mentors from whom she learned not only content, but intangible qualities such as compassion, empathy, patience and honesty; a debt that can never be repaid.
Betsy lives in Blasdell, NY, with her husband of fifty years, Michael, and their son, Sam.
by Dawn Kane | Oct 14, 2024
Carolyn Mooney (1948 – 2023) was a classroom teacher, building representative, union officer, and student teacher coordinator in the Hamburg School District for 40 years.
Carolyn was hired in September 1970 as an elementary teacher after graduating from Buffalo State. Armor Elementary School, AES, was her home for the next 33 years. She taught third grade for almost all of those years, most of them with her Level 3 colleagues Marianne Chiumento, Nancy Masters, and Carmen Kluckhohn. Many of Carolyn’s former students fondly remember her “Multiplication and Division Olympics” which helped to ingrain a mastery of basic mathematics.
In 1972 Carolyn, an ardent believer in the importance of student teaching as a critical building block in the development of effective teachers, joined the Fredonia-Hamburg Student Teaching Programs as a charter member. She continued in this program for 40 years, first as a cooperating teacher and a recruiter of other teachers, later becoming the program’s Steering Committee chairman, finally assuming the overall Program Coordinator role conducting classroom instruction for all interns as a n Adjunct Faculty Member of SUNY Fredonia.
In 1987 Carolyn was honored in Albany as an Outstanding Teacher Educator by the New York State Association of Teacher Educators.
In addition to her teaching career Carolyn was a longtime member and former President of the Hamburg-Orchard Park ZONTA club and worked passionately in that role to advance the status of women and girls in service and advocacy.
Carolyn was married to Joseph P. Mooney for 50 years and was the mother of Jeffrey Mooney and Julianne (Jeffrey) Senulis and the grandmother of Cameron Mooney, Anna, Patrick, and Nina Senulis.
Carolyn passed away on November 11, 2023. She is missed to this day by her family, her friends, and her many admirers.
by Dawn Kane | Oct 14, 2024
Born in South Buffalo, Rich attended Saint Martin of Tours Elementary School, followed by one year at Bishop Timon High School.
The Nassoiy family moved to Orchard Park in 1959, and Rich attended and graduated from Orchards Park High School in 1963. While at Orchard Park High, Rich was a member of National Honor Society and participated in several sports. He received the Mayor’s Award as best athlete in 1963. He was inducted into the Orchard Park Athletic Hall of Fame in 1968.
Rich then attended Fredonia State University, graduating in 1967, whereupon he had the good fortune to be hired as a Social Studies teacher at Lackawanna High School, where he taught 10th and 12th grade Social Studies for 3 years. Fortuitously, he heard of an opening at Hamburg Junior High School, interviewed with Principal Don Conklin, and was hired in 1970 to teach Social Studies at that level. Thus began a fulfilling career as an 8th and 9th grade Social Studies teacher, interim Assistant Principal, and ultimately, Secondary Social Studies Coordinator for the School District. Rich also coached Modified and JV basketball and football.
Rich retired in the year 2000 and subsequently substitute taught in the Middle School for several years. Both of his sons, Michael and Todd are Hamburg High School graduates. Rich is proud to have been a “Bulldog” and considers this induction as a Distinguished Educator to be a great honor and a capstone to a rewarding experience in an outstanding School District.
