Gail De Cicco Leaving WHRHS' Family, Consumer Science Department

With ready-to-eat meals easily accessible at every supermarket, with blue jeans the predominant style for all age groups and every occasion, with complete suites of furniture ready to quickly furnish a new apartment—is it still necessary to include such subjects as foods, fashion and interior design in the school curriculum?

The answer would be a resounding “yes” from Gail De Cicco, who has proudly taught such courses at Watchung Hills Regional High School for the past 38 years.

De Cicco, who will retire at the end of January, says that, even in this age of technology and instant everything, students need to learn the every-day skills that make life more comfortable, more fulfilling and more amenable.

The teacher came to the school in 1974, right after graduating from Misericordia University (Dallas, Pa.) and, of course, has seen many changes in the almost four decades in which she has taught such subjects as Foods 1-4, Fashion and Design 1-4, Interior Design and Independent Study in Interior Design.

These hands-on, deeply relevant courses provide students with realistic career exploration. (“Would I enjoy being a chef?” “Would my courses in fashion serve me in a retail position?”) More importantly, they enrich and improve students’ day-to day routines. Students learn about good nutrition, but also how to prepare foods/ meals that encourage healthy eating habits. (DeCicco says she has had students who’ve never had a home-cooked dinner!)

In Fashion & Design students learn about color and design, how to judge the quality of clothing, how to make repairs, and even, hopefully, how to appear at their best when they enter the adult world of work.

DeCicco admits that students are more drawn to technology courses these days, and that society itself shows the same trend. (How many fabric stores have been replaced by electronics stores!) However, there will always be a need for courses which show students how to pursue a healthy lifestyle.

In her own retirement , the Woodbridge resident will continue her interest in food and cooking, and perhaps even start a small business related to her interests—something her daughter would like to pursue with her.

She’ll spend more concentrated time with her family (husband, two grown sons, daughter and grandchild) and continue volunteering in a soup kitchen and helping the elderly.

The Woodbridge resident, who adores three cats of her own, is especially keen to continue putting in time at “Angel Paws,” a feline shelter in Colonia.

“I have so many rich memories of the staff and students who’ve come and gone over these many years,” De Cicco said. “I think of them often and wonder what they’re doing now.

“It’s been a wonderful 38 years!” she added.