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TMCNet: Fred Tone to retire as principal at Dwenger: Started at school in 1968 as teacher, football coach.

[March 13, 2010]

Fred Tone to retire as principal at Dwenger: Started at school in 1968 as teacher, football coach.

Mar 13, 2010 (The News-Sentinel - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- One day earlier this school year, a student approached Bishop Dwenger High School Principal Fred Tone and gave him some interesting news.

"You taught my grandfather." "Maybe that led me to think it might be time," joked Tone, who announced to the Dwenger student body and staff in Thursday morning announcements that he'll retire at year's end, wrapping up a career that has spanned more than four decades. Tone will officially retire June 30.


Hired at Dwenger Aug. 13, 1968, as a teacher and football coach, Tone's first interaction with the school came just two days later, when football practice opened. Tone sat with 100 young men in Mass before sunrise.

"It overwhelmed me," Tone said.

He would spend the next 42 years teaching, mentoring and leading student after student, class after class and, as he learned, generation after generation.

Tone said the Bishop Dwenger family has been just that -- a family -- to him. The school's administration, faculty, staff and alumni all worked together in an attempt to be successful, Tone said.

As a football coach, Tone oversaw three state championship teams, including the undefeated 1990 team on which his sons, John and Jason, played.

In the classroom as a teacher and in the school office as a principal, Tone said his goal was simple: treat students with respect.

"I always tried to respect every student to the fullest," Tone said. "I wanted to make sure I knew each of their names, because I think that makes a big difference. Now, sometimes with 1,000 students that gets more difficult as the years go on." Tone said he's been honored to have watched students who lacked confidence as freshmen but then later "came alive" to discover their abilities.

"To know that I was a small part of that, when they began to realize they were capable of accomplishing a lot -- that's something absolutely special," Tone said. "Something I will truly miss is the interaction with kids.

"I hope I've been a good influence, and I've tried my best to do that, and I believe I have." Tone said his retirement will primarily consist of playing grandpa to his five grandchildren, three of whom live in Virginia. He said he plans to spend more time getting closer to them, and being a "normal grandpa." But Tone said he also hopes to continue to have a presence at Dwenger.

To see more of The News-Sentinel, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.FortWayne.com. Copyright (c) 2010, The News-Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Ind. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

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