The most beloved teachers are the ones who show others that they care for them, both in and out of the classroom. Ms. Alicia Biros, who died Wednesday, May 25, was such a teacher. 

Countless NKHS students and teachers experienced this connection with Biros, including Harper Hennings, a 2020 graduate. During Hennings’s senior year, they would talk about their shared favorite show on Netflix, their mischievous cats, Hennings’s plans after high school, and more. When the pandemic hit and school turned virtual, they would stay on google meets up to an hour after the class ended just to catch up.

“Her kindness and willingness to sit and chat about the things going on in our lives after class had ended is something I will never forget,” said Hennings. “Those moments were highlights of my weeks, and I’m nothing but grateful for her and those memories of our conversations.”

Graduating senior Izzy Montini, who had her as both an advisor and a math teacher, said, “She always wanted us to succeed both inside and outside of the classroom… She taught us that if we wanted to learn and get good grades, we would really have to put in the work, which I’m sure will serve me well later in life.”

Not only did Biros make an immeasurable impact on her students, but she also had fierce friendships with her coworkers within the school. Just a turn and a short walk down the hallway from Biros’s room is where one of her closest friends, Mrs. Marianne Conley, teaches. Despite their busy work schedules, the pair loved to go out to dinner, lie in the sun at Mackerel Cove, and go to concerts. 

“I’m not sure how, but she always made time for everyone in her life like that,” Conley said.

As a friend, she was both fun-loving and extremely dependable. 

Conley said that she “gave much to those around her and never expected anything in return. She did this gladly, with joy and care.”

Another colleague who spent a lot of time outside of the classroom with Biros is Mrs. Toni Silveira — her “concert buddy.” Together, they saw artists like Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Green Day, Luke Bryan, and many more.

“Whenever I wanted to see a show, I’d ask her to join me,” Silveira said. “She loved to dance and sing along and she would bring these yummy pizza breads for the late-night parking lot snacks.”

Biros loved to experience culture in many ways, whether it be through live music, line dancing — which she did often at Mishnock Barn — or traveling.

With Ms. Serena Mason, she traveled around the world on many Mason Tours, including those to Spain, France, Italy, Monaco, Canada, Australia, Hawaii and more. Mrs. Deborah Santagata remembers one particularly funny experience during the Spain trip when she and Biros spent hours searching for a Starbucks only to find that they couldn’t communicate with the barista who spoke only Spanish.

Santagata said, “Ms. Biros had a very particular coffee order- one shot of this, one shot of that, almond milk– but just a splash, etc. It was hysterical seeing her try to communicate this to the befuddled employee!”

Along with making her colleagues laugh, she also inspired them with her work ethic and professionalism.

“She was a consummate professional, well versed in her subject, and cared deeply for her students and their future success,” said Mason. 

Principal Dr. Barbara Morse, under whose supervision Biros was a student teacher, shared similar sentiments.

“We spent a lot of time together and had a lot of laughs along the way. I was very proud of the teacher she became.”

Biros was also extremely caring towards others, especially those with autism, raising money for the Autism Project and participating in the annual Autism Walkathon by leading teams.

“She would care for a youngster who was on the spectrum and just intuitively know what that child needed,” Silveira said. “Ms. Biros would connect with the student and be their biggest advocate.”

This caring extended to everyone that she surrounded herself with.

Silveira said, “I remember the way she made me feel, which was appreciated and loved…She was a loyal friend who would not hesitate to lend a helping hand and share any load that was weighing you down.”

Similarly, Hennings said, “Ms. Biros was a wholly loved person in the NK community. I feel so grateful to have experienced her kindness and influence in my life.”

“She celebrated the good in things and appreciated the good in people,” said Conley. “She loved a lot about life and made the lives of many better by having known them, taught them, helped them, laughed with them, and much more.”

Izzy Montini:

• My favorite memory of Ms. Biros was when I had a family member pass away and she was so supportive. She helped me make up over a week’s worth of assignments and was there for me every step of the way. 
• The best word to describe Ms. Biros is encouraging. She always wanted us to succeed both inside and outside of the classroom. We would have to work really hard in her math class, but she always encouraged us to push ourselves. She taught us that if we wanted to learn and get good grades, we would really have to put in the work, which I’m sure will serve me well later in life.
• Ms. Biros inspired me because she was assertive but was also caring about her students. She wasn’t afraid to dress code me, but then immediately after help me with a math assignment or listen to my plans for the weekends.
• I will definitely remember her laugh and her love for her two cats!
• Ms. Biros loved online shopping, and whenever she couldn’t sleep she would shop for hours online and would love getting anything with purple in it. She also had two cats named Lucy and Ricky.

Ms. Mason:

• Ms. Biros was a good friend of mine. We went on numerous Mason Tours trips around the globe. She traveled to Spain, France, Italy, Monaco, Canada, Australia, Hawaii, and many other points in between both international and domestic with us. I will miss her very much both inside and outside of the four walls of the academic classroom. She was a consummate professional, well versed in her subject, and cared deeply for her students and their future success. She loved her cats Lucy & Ricky a lot. She was a music connoisseur. She was very loyal and good to her circle of friends. Bonus points: She made a delicious cheese dip. Her legacy will always be one of caring, compassion, and a spirit of adventure.

Mrs. Silveira:

• Ms. Biros was my concert buddy. Whenever I wanted to see a show, I’d ask her to join me. She loved to dance and sing along and she would bring these yummy pizza breads for the late night parking lot snacks. We saw Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Green Day, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Dave Matthews, and a bunch of other shows. Live music was our euphoria.
• [Ms. Biros was] big-hearted. Ms. Biros loved her family and was an amazing aunt to her nephews. She cared about her colleagues and her students. She was a loyal friend who would not hesitate to lend a helping hand and share any load that was weighing you down.
• She was kind and considerate. We would often see each other at the end of the day in the parking lot as we were parked next to each other. She’d ask how my day was, ask about my family and make some self-deprecating joke to make me laugh. We would both drive to Starbucks and whoever got there first bought the other one their after-work treat. I remember the way she made me feel, which was appreciated and loved. I hope I make my other friends feel that same sense of value.
• I don’t know [what I’ll remember most] because I don’t feel that she is gone. It doesn’t seem real. As you know, she had been out of school since October caring for her mother. It feels like she is still on leave and I’ll see her soon. I have already had the impulse to contact her three or four times since her passing and I have to give myself a painful reality check. Tickets are on sale now for summer shows and I can no longer walk to her room and ask her if she wants to go…
• Ms. Biros was also a big supporter of students with autism. She would care for a youngster who was on the spectrum and just intuitively know what that child needed. Ms. Biros would connect with the student and be their biggest advocate. We would talk about my own son’s journey and she would often check in to see how Anthony was doing. I always appreciated her words of encouragement. She also raised money for The Autism Project and led teams in the annual Autism Walkathon.
• I, like many others at NKHS, am still grieving. I assume it will be a long process. The sadness comes in waves and then I have flashes of happy memories that make me smile. I think of that Robin Williams quote that is often posted on IG – “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.”

Mrs. Santagata: 

• One of my favorite memories of Ms. Biros involves her relentless search for a Starbucks in Spain. She was desperately craving her favorite Starbucks coffee concoction. I agreed to go along with her, and she googled the nearest shop. She put the coordinates in Google Map on her phone, and away we went! After many false starts and circling back, we finally found one! It only took us about two hours to find the coffee shop, but we made it. Plot twist: The barista could not speak English, and Ms. Biros had a very particular coffee order – one shot of this, one shot of that, almond milk – but just a splash, etc. It was hysterical seeing her try to communicate this to the befuddled employee! Good news: she got what she wanted. Bad news: We had spent so much time looking for a Starbucks that we had no time to sight see. We had to make our way back to the tour bus.
• [Ms. Biros was] determined: she was a person who never “settles.” She would always say, “I like what I like, and I want what I want.”
• Ms. Biros’ biggest influence is once again, the fact that she never “settles.” Whenever I think about just accepting something that I don’t really want or like, I just ask myself, “What would Alicia do?”
• I will remember her smile and her laugh. She was always up for having fun.
• Ms. Biros loved to dance. She was a big fan of country line dancing and went to Mishnock Barn on a regular basis.
• She loved her cats, Lucy and Ricky and even had a “cat cam” installed in her house!
• She loved the color purple. 
• She loved to make crafts with shells that she collected on the beach.
• She loved the beach.
• Most of her tattoos are to commemorate the people she loved and lost in her life.
• She was afraid to drive in the snow.
• She was always the first to insist on helping yet resisted help from others.
• On the surface, I know that Ms. Biros was a very serious teacher. That is because she really wanted her students to learn and excel. But she was also a very loving, selfless person. She loved her nephews like they were her own children, attending every school and sporting event. She had a strong sense of family and spent most of this school year taking care of her mother who was diagnosed with cancer.

Mrs. Conley:

• I have too many good memories of Ms. Biros to choose just one, but in the midst of her passing I keep recalling one. It was a dinner we went to in Newport at Fifth Element. I had convinced her to let her sister care for her sick mother that evening for a couple of hours and we went to have some fun and catch up. Even though she needed to get home, we stayed for dessert because they had a special we wanted to try and it was amazing! I’m not sure how, but she always made time for everyone in her life like that. I remember looking forward to going back with her again. Another outing that was memorable was at another restaurant in Newport. Regulations for Covid were loosening up, but definitely still present. Maybe it was during one of the winter “surges.” Anyhow, a couple people I knew from high school were working the bar and we stayed with a few regulars after they closed, giving the bartender song requests and dancing by ourselves.
• The first word that comes to my mind is “loyal,” followed by many others… “selfless,” “hardworking,” “fun-loving” to name a few.
• Ms. Biros inspired me to continue having fun while carrying out all of the obligations that come with being a responsible adult. She always told me to “Do what makes your soul happy” because I am so often a people-pleaser. She helped me learn how to say “no,” stick up for myself more often, and confidently stand by what I believe is right.
• I will remember her sweet smile the most. The one where she tilts her head to the side. I will remember her dancing at concerts and enjoying the sunshine with me at Mackerel Cove or her sister’s pool. 
• Ms. Biros enjoyed line-dancing at Mishnock Barn, searching for seashells, and riding on Harleys.
• I want people to remember Ms. Biros as someone special who gave much to those around her and never expected anything in return. She did this gladly, with joy and care. She celebrated the good in things and appreciated the good in people. She loved a lot about life and made the lives of many better by having known them, taught them, helped them, laughed with them, and much more.

Dr. Morse:

• My favorite memory of Ms. Biros was when she was my student teacher.  We spent a lot of time together and had a lot of laughs along the way.  I was very proud of the teacher she became.
• It’s hard to pick one word [to describe her]!   I guess it would be “caring”.  She was always caring for her family and her students.  If department members needed something, she was always willing to help.
• Her work ethic and independence inspired me.  I was always jealous of her organization – all of her materials so neatly in binders.
• I will remember her laughter the most.
• She loved Pugs.  She used to have a lot of pictures of pugs in her room.  When visiting her room last year, I asked if she had gotten a pug yet.   She replied that because she worked long hours she’d feel guilty about not having time to care properly for a dog, but it was okay because she loved her cat.  That response was very Ms. Biros, so selfless.

Harper Hennings:

• My favorite memory of Ms Biros…Well, I have multiple.
  • I had to stay after school with her one day for something, and she asked about my plans for the rest of the day/weekend, and I told her that one of my favorite tv shows was releasing a new season at midnight and that I was going to stay up for that. She asked what show it was (Atypical, on netflix), and she told me that it was also one of her favorites and that she hadn’t realized they were already producing a new season. She was so excited and we spent a while talking about that and why it was important to her. She had a personal connection to ASD, and she was really happy to see representation for the autistic community, and I loved getting to learn about that aspect of her life as a person.
  • During my senior year, which is when I had her, I got to play Mary Poppins. I was in her class when I found out that I was going to be playing that part, and I was REALLY excited. She was SO happy for me and made sure to ask when it was and when I was performing, and she came to see it. She told me afterward how much she enjoyed it, and it was a really kind thing for her to do, and it made me so happy to have her there.
  • She LOVED her cat Lucy, and so for Christmas I got her a mug in the shape of a cat. She stopped me on my way into her class on our first day back from winter break to tell me how much she loved the mug and how much it made her smile every time she used it. That is one of my happiest memories of her.
  • Finally, and probably most importantly, I had her when everything shut down in 2020. Our classes moved to google meet, and that was how we all communicated. She and I would sit on the google meet after class had ended and we would just talk for 45 minutes to an hour after each one. I was always so happy to talk to her and hear about what was going on for her. She would tell me about Lucy and how she was getting up to mischief (I have an old email from her about Lucy being scared and digging her claws into Ms. Biros’s legs, and a distinct memory of her telling me over google meet that Lucy tried to trip her on her way up the stairs) and I would tell her about my cat and what she was up to in quarantine with all of us home. She was excited to hear about my plans post-high school, and math class was a highlight for me because I got to sit and talk to someone and really feel human connection while it was so hard to find. She was a bright light during a dark time, and I am so grateful for those meets that brought humor and joy back into my days.
• I think one word that best describes her is humorous. There are so many words to describe her. She was kind, thoughtful, caring, hard-working, and family oriented–picking one will never do her justice. But I feel like humorous really captures how I knew her. There were so many times, not just in our one on one moments, but even in class, where she would do or say something that just brought a smile to my face and made me laugh. Her stories about Lucy come to mind immediately, but she also had a way of dealing with the snarky teenage boys in class that amused me and that stick particularly well in my mind. She wasn’t afraid to joke about herself or what we were doing, and I do adore those memories of funny moments in her presence.
• She inspired me to believe that things will happen when they are supposed to. Toward the end of my senior year, I was pursuing a program that would be an alternative to going straight into college. When I told her about it, she was so excited for me (it was a program involving teaching) and was really supportive of the idea. When it ended up not working out because of my age, she was really convinced that it wasn’t the right time and that that was happening for a reason. I was really disappointed at the time, but knowing what I do now and having gone down this path instead, I fully believe that she was right and that it happened for a reason.
• In the aftermath of her passing, she has also inspired me to reach out to people I care about. I thought about her a lot this past semester and kept meaning to send her an email to say hi, but I never did. She has inspired me to not waste time when it comes to telling the people I care about that they’re important to me. I’d give anything to be able to tell her now how much she meant to me.
• I will remember most how kind she was. The beginning of Covid and quarantine was truly the stuff nightmares are made of. Her kindness and willingness to sit and chat about the things going on in our lives after class had ended is something I will never forget. Those moments were highlights of my weeks, and I’m nothing but grateful for her and those memories of our conversations.
• I know she liked line dancing, which really makes me smile. I also know that she had a lot of interest in her family and spending time with them. Her nephews in particular were people she mentioned on a regular basis, and I know that they were a huge part of her life.
• Ms. Biros was a wholly loved person in the NK community. I feel so grateful to have experienced her kindness and influence in my life. Though my heart is broken over this loss, her memory really is living on in the lives of the people she impacted during her lifetime.

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