Opyr to retire from Sewanhaka district

Gayl Teller, Nassau’s 2009-11 poet laureate, left; Maxwell Corydon Wheat, Nassau’s 2007-09 poet laureate; and Dr. Linda Opyr, the county’s 2011-13 poet laureate.

Courtesy Nassau County Poet Laureate Association

Dr. Linda Opyr, 58, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction at the Sewanhaka Central High School District, recently announced that she will be retiring from the district, effective Jan. 3, 2012.

At the Sewanhaka district’s monthly board meeting on Nov. 22, superintendent Dr. Ralph Ferrie announced that Opyr had submitted a notification of retirement, and thanked her for her dedication to the district. “She’s given her entire career to this district, in a variety of capacities,” Ferrie said.

Opyr, who has served the Sewanhaka district for more than 35 years, was named Nassau County’s 2011-13 poet laureate in June. A lifelong New Hyde Park resident, Opyr said that she has been devoted to poetry since elementary school. She’s the author of six collections of poetry, which have been published in numerous journals and magazines.

A graduate of New Hyde Park Memorial High School, Opyr taught English at Sewanhaka High School for 15 years, and served as assistant superintendent for the district for four. Regarding her upcoming retirement, Opyr said she is “very excited.”