Don Rosenbaum was born in 1947. He began teaching in 1972 and has continued for over 50 years.
He grew up without many modern conveniences like television, microwaves, dishwashers, jet planes, or space exploration. When he was young, his family spent time at a cottage in the Laurentians. “That’s one of the reasons I moved out of Montreal – to live in the country,” he says.
He started teaching at an elementary school in Sherbrooke before moving to Ormstown, where he taught at Chateauguay Valley Regional High School. He also worked at McGill University, where he taught teachers about computers.
His favourite subject to teach was English, “because there are lots of opportunities to learn about different times and different places, and to learn about people, what motivates them, and what makes them tick.”
Mr. Rosenbaum also works as a volunteer, including driving people to hospitals and grocery stores with SABEC. He supports organizations that help refugees and those who are facing a crisis. He also participates in environmental activities, like the Earth Day Forum, and composting.
He has lived in the same house in Ormstown, near the river, for 37 years with his wife. He has four children, including three who became teachers and another that became a nurse. His family would often have other people living with them. They have four pets, including two cats and two dogs.
Mr. Rosenbaum likes to travel. He has been to many places in Europe including Russia, France, Jerusalem, Istanbul, England, and Spain. He went on a safari in South Africa where he saw a lot of animals.
He swam with dolphins in Cuba and visited other Caribbean countries like the Bahamas and Costa Rica, and he has travelled to all of the Canadian provinces.
He and his family also travelled to India to adopt their daughter. After two years of paperwork, they brought her to Ormstown. “We thought we had room in our heart, and in our home, for one more,” he said.
Mr. Rosenbaum is fun. He likes to adventure, and he has lived an exciting life.
*This article was written by students in Grade 5-6/A at Heritage Elementary as part of a partnership between the New Frontiers School Board, the Montérégie West Community Network, and The Gleaner.