A crowd of more than 50 community members and staff from the newly designated Jerry Burnell Great Works School gathered midday Thursday in the school cafeteria to honor Burnell as he retires after 47 years of service to local public schools.
Burnell has been the only principal at the Great Works School since 1999, when a new Marshwood High School was completed and the Marshwood Middle School at the Academy Street location moved to the former high school building in Eliot, and 4th and 5th graders from both communities began attending the Great Works School.
Jeff Chase, commander of VFW Post 5744, presented Burnell with an award recognizing his efforts to “promote Americanism and patriotism in the South Berwick/Eliot schools.”
Lisa Flynn, a school board member and former eighth grade student of Burnell, reflected on their long connection. She summed up his impact with two words: “kiddos,” the affectionate term he regularly uses for his students, and “legacy,” which she said captures how he will be remembered.
Burnell thanked the staff for its support and admitted he’ll never quite get used to hearing the school named after him.
He also shared a book the “kiddos” had given him, in which they were asked to write adjectives describing him, noting that the word “kind” appears on nearly every page.
