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Tried and true trio: Teachers have taught at Jesuit for 44 years

 
Dick Peloquin, from left, Joe Sabin and Ernie Charette all started teaching at Jesuit in 1971. Sabin and Charette attended Jesuit as students.
Dick Peloquin, from left, Joe Sabin and Ernie Charette all started teaching at Jesuit in 1971. Sabin and Charette attended Jesuit as students.
Published May 21, 2015

TAMPA — When Joe Sabin started Jesuit High School in 1962, freshmen had to wear school-supplied beanies every day up until the homecoming game.

If those boys survived the first few months of school wearing a beanie in the Florida heat, they got to ceremoniously toss the head gear into a homecoming bonfire.

Fifty-three years later, Sabin is a fixture at Jesuit. He came back as a math teacher in 1971, became a guidance counselor and then the school's first lay alumnus principal. He also holds the title for longest tenured principal in school history.

"You can sense his kindness from the first time you speak with him," said Peter Young, Jesuit's director of communications. "Humble, nice, genuine, helpful, knowledgeable, kind, sincere — these are the words that pop into my head when I think of him."

After 44 years of teaching, guiding and leading at Jesuit, Sabin is retiring at the end of the school year. He's counting the days in lasts: his last day is today, his last function will be the graduation ceremony.

"This has been like family," Sabin said. "It's seen me through high and low points in my life. But you know when it's time."

Sabin has shared his 44 years at Jesuit with two other teachers: Latin and Spanish teacher Dick Peloquin and English teacher and yearbook adviser Ernie Charette.

Both Charette and Sabin attended Jesuit and came back to teach in 1971. Peloquin, who come to Jesuit from a seminary in Pennsylvania, "retired" in 2012 but came back to teach part time.

Why stay at Jesuit so long?

Peloquin credits his longevity as a teacher to the working environment and continued support of students' families and fellow teachers.

All three have enjoyed teaching the thousands of young men who have gone through Jesuit, then years later teaching those men's sons.

"It's always fun to see the next generation come in," Charette said. "The experience as a student stays with you."

Charette was the student newspaper adviser for more than 20 years and has been heading the student yearbook, the Tiger, for the past 10 years. He's known around school for wearing a tiger tie every day. He has about 35 different ones.

He's also known for his "poof words" — commonly misspelled words in English.

"That's the same sound their grade makes when they misspell the words," Charette said.

Sabin describes Jesuit as his second home. He says he will miss the Jesuit traditions, visits from former students who bring their sons and being known as the teacher who used to spray inattentive students with the water bottle from the overhead projector.

He says his retirement will hit him when he doesn't receive a letter to return to school.

"It's more of an experience, not just education," Sabin said. "I just ask for a perpetual pass to sporting events at Jesuit."

At the end of April, Charette and the rest of the students and teachers held a special convocation to celebrate Sabin's retirement. There is also a faculty luncheon the last day of school to celebrate those who are retiring.

Contact Chelsea Tatham at ctatham@tampabay.com.