Monday, August 22, 2022
My name is Karyl Pizzari (Hahn was my maiden name) and I was fortunate enough to have Mr. Pivnick as my 6th grade teacher, graduating from #38 School in 1969. He was my first male teacher and at first I was very afraid of him, but I quickly learned that he was there for me, had very high expectations of us, and would be a teacher I would never forget. He empowered me that year to stand up for myself when others bullied me and to be proud of my knowledge and desire to learn instead of trying to hide. From that grade on, he has been my favorite teacher, one I frequently went back to visit until his retirement. Since that time, we corresponded each year at Christmas, keeping each other up to date on our families, interests, and yearly highlights as well as discussing various changes in education. Mr. Pivnick is the reason I went on to become a Special Education teacher, recently retiring after 41 years in the North Syracuse Central Schools. I took from my experience in his class that all students can learn anything given a teacher's encouragement, determination, and support. I remember my mother telling Mr. Pivnick at Open House that I didn't know how to tell time. Mr. Pivnick took that under advisement and proceeded to ask me every day to tell him when it was time to do a particular task such as go to PE, music, lunch, or get ready to go home. I learned how to tell time that year . . . quickly! My senior year in college at SUNY Geneseo, I frequently was a substitute teacher at #38 School. Each time I was there, Mr. Pivinick reacted like a proud father, introducing me to the staff as his former student! The one thing I couldn't do was call him Bert. It just didn't seem right. My sincerest sympathies to his family and friends. I will always think of Mr. Pivnick which such admiration and fondness.
