Carol Martens
As an avid Boston Red Sox fan and UCONN Women's Basketball fan, Carol Martens' favorite sports teams are winners. The literally thousands of physical education students over the thirty-three years she taught in Branford were also winners for having had Carol as a teacher.
Born January 10, 1951, to parents Ron and Eunice Benson, Carol was the youngest of three siblings. After graduating from Cheshire High School in 1968, she earned Bachelors and Masters Degrees from Southern Connecticut State College. Carol's teaching career started the year that Branford Oater Walsh) Intermediate School opened in 1972. Before she retired in 2005, she had been positively involved in many aspects of Branford student life.
Carol established, with other members of the physical education department, the "Family Fun Night" and, with Cathy McGuirk, implemented a health/sex education program for eighth grade girls. With Barbara O'Keefe, she both co-chaired the first "Health Fair" and implemented and maintained the Adviser-Advisee Program. For many years she was a mentor teacher with the "Teachers as Friends" program, was a PTA faculty representative and a representative on the Principal’s Advisory Council.
Carol's Dad got CL&P to donate the utility poles for the outside ropes course for "Project Adventure", which Carol's physical education department, under John Case's guidance, implemented. Carol then was able to offer high ropes as an option for Belinha DeAbreu's "Girls Heart". As Toni Cartisano well knows, the only reason Toni's volleyball teams were State Champions from 1981 through 1983 was because Carol was her assistant coach.
As a teacher, Carol always tried to reach every student, a very difficult task with the large numbers of students a physical education teacher deals with every day. Being organized and creative, intelligent and caring, Carol tried to make students feel good about themselves and what they could accomplish. "Put downs" were never acceptable. Carol received the Faculty Excellence Award at Walsh in 1992.
Carol's life in retirement is more than full. She lives in Branford with her husband David, who recently retired as Professor and Chair of the Exercise Science Department at SCSU. Her daughter Jennifer has degrees in biology and education from the University of New Hampshire and teaches fourth grade in Milford, New Hampshire. Her son Christopher, a graduate of the University of Delaware, is a graduate assistant (at Delaware) pursuing a PhD in Applied Physiology. The Martens' sports blood flowed through both children. Jennifer lettered in field hockey, basketball, softball and track and field at Branford High School, was a key member of the State Championship field hockey team her senior year, and set the pole vault record in 2002. Chris also set the pole vault record and was a State Champion in both indoor and outdoor track in 2005.
Carol continues to follow Branford sports teams and continues to share her expertise, knowledge, experience and enthusiasm for working with young people as an adjunct faculty at SCSU, supervising student teachers.
Born January 10, 1951, to parents Ron and Eunice Benson, Carol was the youngest of three siblings. After graduating from Cheshire High School in 1968, she earned Bachelors and Masters Degrees from Southern Connecticut State College. Carol's teaching career started the year that Branford Oater Walsh) Intermediate School opened in 1972. Before she retired in 2005, she had been positively involved in many aspects of Branford student life.
Carol established, with other members of the physical education department, the "Family Fun Night" and, with Cathy McGuirk, implemented a health/sex education program for eighth grade girls. With Barbara O'Keefe, she both co-chaired the first "Health Fair" and implemented and maintained the Adviser-Advisee Program. For many years she was a mentor teacher with the "Teachers as Friends" program, was a PTA faculty representative and a representative on the Principal’s Advisory Council.
Carol's Dad got CL&P to donate the utility poles for the outside ropes course for "Project Adventure", which Carol's physical education department, under John Case's guidance, implemented. Carol then was able to offer high ropes as an option for Belinha DeAbreu's "Girls Heart". As Toni Cartisano well knows, the only reason Toni's volleyball teams were State Champions from 1981 through 1983 was because Carol was her assistant coach.
As a teacher, Carol always tried to reach every student, a very difficult task with the large numbers of students a physical education teacher deals with every day. Being organized and creative, intelligent and caring, Carol tried to make students feel good about themselves and what they could accomplish. "Put downs" were never acceptable. Carol received the Faculty Excellence Award at Walsh in 1992.
Carol's life in retirement is more than full. She lives in Branford with her husband David, who recently retired as Professor and Chair of the Exercise Science Department at SCSU. Her daughter Jennifer has degrees in biology and education from the University of New Hampshire and teaches fourth grade in Milford, New Hampshire. Her son Christopher, a graduate of the University of Delaware, is a graduate assistant (at Delaware) pursuing a PhD in Applied Physiology. The Martens' sports blood flowed through both children. Jennifer lettered in field hockey, basketball, softball and track and field at Branford High School, was a key member of the State Championship field hockey team her senior year, and set the pole vault record in 2002. Chris also set the pole vault record and was a State Champion in both indoor and outdoor track in 2005.
Carol continues to follow Branford sports teams and continues to share her expertise, knowledge, experience and enthusiasm for working with young people as an adjunct faculty at SCSU, supervising student teachers.