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On Wednesday, February 10, students, parents, school staff and PTO members gathered at the Upham Elementary School library to celebrate the career of Donna Chaff as the Upham community wanted to honor this outstanding educator for her dedication to her craft.
After 35 years teaching music, 26 years of which were spent teaching the elementary students in Wellesley, Chaff retired on January 29.
Chaff began playing the piano at age five and studied music education at UMass Lowell, Cambridge College and Brandman University. She has also taught in Newburyport, Nashua, NH and Athens, Greece.
In 2011, Chaff was the Massachusetts recipient for the Society of General Music "Excellence in Music" award.
Though she has taught at six of the elementary schools in town, most of Chaff's time was spent at Upham Elementary School. She was a fixture at school assemblies and cheerfully played the piano to accompany the young singers.
Though she will be missed, the musical memories that Chaff has imparted upon her students will be long-lasting.
