06/24/2026
"Effective effort equals success."
Every student who passed through Gary's classroom over the past 30 years carries that message with them out into the world.
The message hung in Gary's classroom next to others reminding students that "It's intelligent to ask for help" and "It's okay to make mistakes. That's how we learn."
This combination of accountability and encouragement was the heart and soul of Gary's approach to teaching, and it is just one of the reasons he was a favorite with students (in spite of the Scary Gary nickname!)
On behalf of all of the lives he has touched here at PVPA, we extend our deepest and most profound thanks to Gary for spending the last 30 years here at PVPA, and wish him a long, happy and healthy retirement!
https://gazettenet.com/2026/06/19/scary-garys-last-bell-one-of-pvpas-founding-teachers-retires-after-three-decades/
for more info about PVPA: pvpa.org/admissions
SOUTH HADLEY — At Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter School commencement earlier this month, history teacher Gary Huggett joined the Class of 2026 on the Academy of Music stage in a purple graduation cap to turn his own tassel. “In case you hadn’t figured it out, I figured I’d graduate w...
