By Siddharth Bharadwaj ‘24
Mr. Don Kluizenaar has been a teacher at The Wardlaw-Hartridge School for 11 years and has been in the teaching profession for 50 years. Along with teaching at a private school, he also has experience teaching in a college (Middlesex County Community College) and public school (Colonia High School) setting.
Mr. Kluizenaar, who will be retiring this year, is a distinguished teacher and Co-Chair of the Science Department who has taught various courses in the STEM field. He is well-known for his exceptional ability in simplifying and explaining complex subjects so that they can be understood by high school students. From teaching Physics to Astronomy to Pre-Calculus in the Summer Scholars Program, Mr. Kluizenaar has definitely left a lasting, positive impression on every student.
Luke Tan ‘24 said, “As my Physics teacher, Mr. Kluizenaar helped me realize how interested I am in the sciences and understanding how the world around me works. I’ll be forever grateful for his teaching and guidance as I hopefully pursue sciences in college and beyond!”
Mr. Kluizenaar also has experience coaching track and field, especially since he was a track runner himself during his high school years. Mr. Kluizenaar recalls how, at a faculty meeting many years ago, “Mr. Webster once encouraged everyone to try new things. He said, ‘If you’re going to fail, fail spectacularly.’ He recounts that experience as a pivotal moment for him since it “gave [him] great freedom to do things differently and made [him] glad.”
Mr. Kluizenaar has deeply cherished his time here at W+H and made the most of it by making time and managing the scoreboard for basketball games, viewing many plays and performances, and getting to know his fellow students and colleagues. His friendly nature, kind demeanor, and willingness to go the extra mile have created a long-lasting legacy. His skills, combined with his unwavering patience and dedication to our school, made him not only an extraordinary educator but also a renowned figure in the W+H community.
As Mr. Kluizenaar retires, he imparts a piece of invaluable advice: “Find something you love, that you’re good at and that helps other people, and do it as often as you can for as long as you can.”
We are not saying goodbye, but rather, expressing our deepest gratitude and respect for a job well done.