WELLINGTON, Fla. — Friday is the last day of school for nearly 200,000 students in Palm Beach County.
As the year comes to an end for students, teachers and staff, one principal is also leaving school for the last time.
Betsy Cardozo, principal at New Horizons Elementary in Wellington, is retiring after 15 years at the school. She has been an educator for 41 years -- 39 of them spent in Palm Beach County.
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Cardozo says the students are the highlight of her career, and she especially likes running into former students and seeing how well they are doing today.
She said it will be an emotional day to say goodbye for the last time, and plans to greet the students outside of school just like she does every morning.
When it comes to advice as she leaves the school, Cardozo says to students “to always try your best and to be kind to the students in their classroom. That’s really important, to treat each other with kindness and to get along with everyone.“
She also encourages students to read over the summer.
Cardozo plans to travel and hopes to sleep in during her retirement. But she knows come late July and early August, it will be an adjustment to not prepare to go back to school.
"Early August is gonna be tough, and so I’ve already talked to my husband that we need to maybe take a trip to North Florida or the beach but just do something else so my mind is on something else,” said Cardozo.
School starts back up on Aug. 12 in Palm Beach County.
New Horizons Elementary principal Betsy Cardozo greeting students for the last time on this last day of school! She’s retiring after 15 years as principal here @pbcsd @wptv pic.twitter.com/w2019EHfLK
— Stephanie Susskind (@StephanieWPTV) May 31, 2019
