LEVITTOWN, NY — A Levittown high school teacher is turning heartbreak into an inspiring story. Dave Goldman, an English teacher at Division Avenue High School, was putting his 3-year-old son to bed one night when he told the tale of the Great Blue Dragon, a story that popped into his head and was inspired by his good friend and colleague Michael Verdi. Verdi was a teacher, adviser and coach at the school who died unexpectedly in September, shaking the Levittown community with grief.
The loss hit close to home for Goldman, who has taught at the school for 21 years. Students and staff at Division Avenue, home of the Blue Dragons, said Verdi had character and was someone they could always turn to.
"It was like an earthquake hit this school," Goldman said of Verdi's death. "Mike was the center of this building and was at the core of everything…he was the essence of the Blue Dragon."
Goldman's son enjoyed the dragon story, so Goldman decided to share a summary of the story in a Facebook post. It resonated with people, and he received many positive responses, including a suggestion that he share it with the world — and publish it into a book.
Goldman — who had previously written a children's book inspired by his son — took the idea and ran with it. He reached out to illustrator friend Michael Jump and soon thereafter "The Great Blue Dragon" children's book was born. It was dedicated to Verdi. The goal was to immortalize Verdi and help people remember him.
In the book, the dragon teaches the other dragons how to live and learn what they need to know, making the world a better place. At the end, the dragon tires and needs to rest. The world becomes dark, but the little dragons remember his lessons and quickly realize they can still make flames, fly and roar, too.
"The point of the story is that when you teach someone something, especially teachers and coaches, you pass on a piece of yourself," said Goldman. "That piece of Mike stays with us. It stays with the people who learned from him."
The book can be bought on Amazon.com. Profits will support the Verdi family.
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February 14, 2020 at 01:31PM
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