A tree with roots: Mrs. White honored at Portsmouth High

Administrative assistant lauded for 42 years of service

By Jim McGaw
Posted 5/1/17

PORTSMOUTH — Like she does with every faculty member, Portsmouth High School’s Diana White pestered Jean-Paul Arsenault for a picture when they first met in …

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A tree with roots: Mrs. White honored at Portsmouth High

Administrative assistant lauded for 42 years of service

Posted

PORTSMOUTH — Like she does with every faculty member, Portsmouth High School’s Diana White pestered Jean-Paul Arsenault for a picture when they first met in 2008.

“Within the first few days of being here, I walked into her office and she asked me if I had any family. I happened to have just had my first son earlier that summer,” recalled Mr. Arsenault, a science teacher at Portsmouth High School who had matriculated there from the middle school. 

“She said. ‘Well, I have to have a picture,’” he said. “Sure enough, I look around and there were pictures of every kid of every faculty member that’s at the school.”

Since the photos illustrate how rooted she’s become to other faculty members over her 42 years at PHS, it was only fitting to see a tree planted in her honor Friday just outside the main office where she works as the school’s administrative assistant.

Dozens of faculty members, students and other fans of Mrs. White gathered for the Arbor Day celebration, which ended with students from the PHS Green Club shoveling dirt onto the base of a Princeton American elm. (Mrs. White got first crack, however, using a small engraved spade that was presented to her as a gift.)

“I love the tree and the fact that it’s an elm,” said Mrs. White. “It will live forever, I hope.”

Before you get the wrong idea, make no mistake: Mrs. White’s not going anywhere. Because of the ceremony, however, she’s had to set several people straight about her intentions to keep retirement at bay — at least for now.

‘Go ask Diana’

And it’s a good thing, for according to Mr. Arsenault, Mrs. White is invaluable to the day-to-day functions of the high school.

“I’m involved in the Green Club and also the student council, so I work pretty closely with the principal,” he said. “She’s the liaison — the middleman — not only to the principal but everything else. I’ll often ask the other secretaries, ‘What do I do about this?’ and they’ll say, ‘Go ask Diana.’ More often than not, she’s the one to go to.”

Mrs. White’s job “is endless,” he said — whether it be getting 200 seniors to turn in their money for their caps and gowns, or getting them to show up for awards night.

In an essay she composed for Mrs. White, Green Club President Amy Simoes compared her to a tree with strong roots in the school community. 

“As students enter the school each morning, she greets them with open arms,” said Miss Simoes, who called Mrs. White her fellow students’ unsung hero. “More often than not, one is directed her way with any issue or question relating to the school as a whole. Is there anything she’s not involved with? Attending sporting events, goofy games and other homecoming activities, countless fund-raisers and dances where she can surely bust a move.”

PHS Principal Joseph Amaral praised Mrs. White for “her kindness and empathy that she has for all the students and teachers in the school.”

Michael Monahan, director of guidance at PHS, said he thought of Mrs. White as a kindred spirit who always put him in a better mood when he was having a bad day.

“I’d pass by and see your miserable expression, too, and then we’d both look at each other and laugh it off,” he said.

Town Council member David Gleason presented Mrs. White with an Arbor Day proclamation on behalf of the council, which pointed out her unwavering “dedication to school, staff and students.”

The ceremony also featured remarks from Bruce Payton, deputy chief of the R.I. Division of Forest Environment, who lauded the Town of Portsmouth for being a Tree City USA for the 11th straight year. The honor from the Arbor Day Foundation, which validates the town’s commitment to maintaining sound urban forestry management, came with a $3,000 American the Beautiful grant. Mr. Payton said it was important for him to be at the high school on Friday. “This is my last official act as state forester. I’m retiring today,” he said.

‘Part of me’

Mrs. White, who was overwhelmed by the outpouring of affection throughout the brief ceremony, was asked what Portsmouth High School meant to her.

“Oh my God, how long have you got?” she said. “I can’t tell you that in two minutes. This school is part of me — or I’m part of the school. I don’t know which.”

Portsmouth High School, Diana White, Arbor Day

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Meet our staff
Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.