June 24, 2021
Sponsored by:
LYNBROOK
June 24, 2021 — HEAD of the CLASS - TEACHER'S AWARD - HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
S-2
LONG ISLAND TEACHER AWARDS a letter from the
PUBLISHER The Herald Head of the Class Awards are a celebration that is long overdue, a celebration of Long Island’s top educators. Even before Covid-19 arrived, before teachers were declared “essential workers” by New York State last August, we all understood just how essential they were. It has always gone without saying that our schools are the true heart and soul of Long Island, and we have seen that proven time and Stuart Richner again. Top educators motivate students in countless ways and create atmospheres of understanding, compassion and curiosity. The most influential teachers go above and beyond, and their impact is felt both inside and outside the classroom. The impact of a great teacher can last a lifetime. I still often fondly recall the lessons that my 6th grade teacher—Mr. Stuart Brock—taught me, about confidence, leadership and to always stick up for those without their own voice. Throughout the pandemic, we have seen our educators meet countless new challenges, and they are more deserving than ever of recognition for their passion, perseverance and dedication. They inspire us in more ways than we can count, and they were the true inspiration for the inaugural Herald Head of the Class Awards. When we first started discussing the idea of honoring Long Island’s top teachers with these awards, we knew it was vital to get community input. The Herald has always been about serving our communities, about bringing people together and supporting one another, so we continued that mission with the nominations process, which was open to the public and generated more than 300 nominees from students, parents, colleagues, local business owners and others. Thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate a teacher, and for sharing the many moving stories behind why you felt they should be honored. Many thanks to the Head of the Class Awards presenting sponsor, Bank of America, and Long Island President Bob Isaksen, for their ongoing commitment to efforts that support workforce development and education, and community development, both locally and afar. And our endless gratitude to all the teachers, workers, support staff, administrators and others who have dedicated themselves to making our schools, and the remote learning opportunities, as engaging, enriching and safe as they were over these trying times. As we start to see some sunshine on the horizon, we know the essential role you will all continue to play in our futures. Stuart Richner Publisher
a note from
BANK OF AMERICA Bank of America is pleased to support the Long Island Herald in recognizing Long Island’s top educators with the inaugural Herald Head of the Class Awards. Now more than ever, we need to acknowledge the educators and staff who have made a difference in the lives of our students this past year. We know that teachers play a critical role in the development and advancement of our youth, and they deserve recognition for their immeasurable contributions. Quality education, from robust programming in K-12 schools to access to re-skilling and up-skilling, is crucial for the economic advancement of students, especially those from low- and moderate-income backgrounds. Bank of America is committed to empowering educators and students with the skills, resources and experience necessary for success, and has long supported programs that advance students to and through education at all levels, as well as up-skilling for their careers postgraduation. The impact of educators lasts long past their time in the classroom. We recognize the immeasurable impact of the nominees and the winners, and we thank them for their dedication, creativity, and steadfast determination in the face of challenges like the Covid-19 pandemic. On behalf of our Bank of America teammates, thank you and congratulations.
S-3
516-881-3210 516-881-3210 475 Sunrise 475 Sunrise Hwy, Lynbrook Hwy, Lynbrook geico.com/lynbrook-matassa geico.com/lynbrook-matassa ¡Hablamos ¡Hablamos Español! Español!
Some discounts, Somecoverages, discounts,payment coverages, plans, payment and features plans, are andnot features available are not in allavailable states, ininallallGEICO states,companies, in all GEICOorcompanies, in all situations. or in allHomeowners, situations. Homeowners, renters, and condo renters,coverages and condo arecoverages written through are written non-affiliated through non-affiliated insurance companies insuranceandcompanies are secured andthrough are secured the GEICO through Insurance the GEICO Agency, Insurance LLC. Agency, LLC. Lare ,yccoverages nunderwritten egA ecnaare rusunderwritten nbyI OGEICO CIEG eIndemnity ht hbyguGEICO orhtCompany. deIndemnity ruces eGEICO ra Company. dnaisseainregistered apGEICO moc ecisnservice usni mark detailservice iffaGovernment -nonmark hguoofrhEmployees tGovernment nettirw erInsurance a sEmployees egarevoCompany, c oInsurance dnoc dnWashington, a ,Company, sretner ,srDC enw20076; oemoHa.sBerkshire noi20076; tautis lHathaway laa nBerkshire i ro ,seInc. inaHathaway psubsidiary. moc OCIEInc. GGEICO llasubsidiary. ni ,sGecko etats lGEICO la ni elGecko bal1999-2021. iavaimage ton er© a© s1999-2021. er2021 utaefGEICO dna © ,sn2021 alp tnGEICO emyap ,segarevoc ,stnuocsid emoS Motorcycle and Motorcycle ATV coverages and.CLATV aarregistered of Washington, DC image © OCIEG 1202 © .1202-9991 © egami okceG OCIEG .yraidisbus .cnI yawahtaH erihskreB a ;67002 CD ,notgnihsaW ,ynapmoC ecnarusnI seeyolpmE tnemnrevoG fo kram ecivres deretsiger a si OCIEG .ynapmoC ytinmednI OCIEG yb nettirwrednu era segarevoc VTA dna elcycrotoM
1135492
koorbnyL ,ywH esirnuS 574 assatam-koorbnyl/moc.ocieg !loñapsE somalbaH¡
HEAD of the CLASS - TEACHER'S AWARD - HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 24, 2021
0123-188-615
RVCTA Spotlight On: Caroline Klein BS - Hobart and William Smith Colleges • MS - College of New Rochelle
see the joy in their faces when their writing pieces and poetry come together in published form. Making the wallpaper poetry books and poetry chairs are the highlight of each year. Teaching is my passion, and I find each day to be a new day of challenges and achievements. I love the students and I love to see them learn and grow each year! 1132920
My love for teaching and working with children started in college back in 1981. From my first job as a nursery school teacher, to working overseas in England and Scotland, to finally finding my home at Covert for the past 24 years, I have found each class of children a new and exciting adventure. I love how interested the boys and girls become when we read a new picture book. I
June 24, 2021 — HEAD of the CLASS - TEACHER'S AWARD - HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
S-4
Elementary School
LONG ISLAND TEACHER AWARDS
Eliza DellaMonica
Wantagh Elementary School Orchestra Director & 4th/5th Grade General Music
Jackie DeMainto
Keelah Helwig
FINALISTS
Erin Kennedy
Hewitt Elementary School 1st Grade
Waldorf School of Garden City Kindergarten
Rhame Avenue Elementary School 3rd Grade Special Education
“During the pandemic last year when we were remote, Mrs. DellaMonica always made sure that we would all Zoom together to play our instruments. But even more importantly, she made sure we were all healthy and safe and let us talk to each other and have fun in class. When racial discrimination was happening in our country, Mrs. DellaMonica shared stories of growing up as a person of color in the United States and helped us understand what was going on and how we could use music to help heal.”
“In a normal year, teachers are asked to go above and beyond to make sure their students feel welcomed, loved, and in turn, be successful. This year, Mrs. DeMainto has gone above and beyond that. She started a lunch group to have the remote students socialize so they felt more connected to the classroom and experienced a more normal school year. From her warm, silly, funny demeanor to her clear and concise explanations, to her establishing a remote student social group, to her excellent communication with parents, Mrs. DeMainto is the kind of teacher movies are made about.”
“Mrs. Helwig is a breath of fresh air. She goes that extra mile for your child. She gives you the comfort you need to know that your child is in great care and has been nothing but great throughout this pandemic. Her endless dedication and her passion for education is unfound and unmatched. This is our first year with Mrs. Helwig, but she has been teaching for many years and she continues to enrich herself with knowledge to restore and grow her teaching capabilities. She deserves to be acknowledged for her hard work, especially during these uncertain times.”
“It’s not easy to leave your child, especially your special needs child, in school all day. Erin Kennedy totally alleviates any parent’s concerns for a child in her class. She is warm, caring, and her love for her students is clearly visible. One cold afternoon at dismissal, she walked a child with his mom across the field without a jacket because the child needed her to. Her fabulous rapport extends outside of her own class. She knows the name of every child in the school and greets them all with the same level of interest she has for her own students.”
Jamie MacMillan
Gia Nigoghossian
Lynda Last
Hebrew Academy of Nassau County-Plainview Campus 4th Grade Teacher/ Ed Tech Coordinator “Lynda Last goes above and beyond the call of a teacher by always looking for new ways to teach and inspire her students. She is a BrainPOPcertified educator, Freckle ambassador, GoNoodle ambassador, and has many other certifications. In addition, she has implemented mindfulness into the school building and especially into her 4th grade class. In addition to her teaching the students, she is also the Educational Technology Coordinator of the school. She is a teacher who does not hesitate to educate herself by attending conferences, webinars and Zooms to continue to learn how to be the best teacher possible. She is very deserving of this award.”
William L. Buck Elementary 2nd Grade
Glenwood Landing Elementary School 3rd Grade
Schechter School of Long Island Kindergarten
Dorit Pinto
Melissa Polzella Covert Avenue School 5th Grade
Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf 4th/5th Grade
Susan Steers
“Mrs. MacMillan is a problem solver, an innovator, an overcomer, and a dynamic member of the 2nd grade at the school. She has mastered the elusive art of being firm but fair, having rules yet maintaining relationships, and keenly remembering that though she teaches numerous subject areas her most important job is teaching children. Mrs. MacMillan can reach a troubled or struggling student with simple, yet profound, motherly instincts and empathy coupled with complete professionalism. She can also accelerate and challenge her brightest of students because of professional development experiences and innovations she has pursued and mastered. Mrs. MacMillan was born to be a teacher.”
“My 3rd grade teacher was just the best teacher I think I have ever had, and ever will have. She was the sweetest teacher and taught me so much. Ms. Nigoghossain wasn’t just sweet, she taught me things in such a way that made me understand math so much better. I struggled with math and my confidence issues and taught me confidence and simply how to be myself. I was always stuck trying to keep up with others and to rush. But she taught me how to take my time, to understand what I was learning.”
“Mrs. Pinto tenaciously creates a classroom that touches on all five senses: Israeli music plays in the background while children sit in a circle touching items, tasting Israeli foods, and playing games. They don’t realize they are learning and absorbing—they are playing!—but they have all made great strides in their reading, writing, and conversational Hebrew skills. Dressing up in costume to celebrate various Jewish holidays, Mrs. Pinto creates a tactile environment where all of the senses are stimulated to effectuate learning. The children have baked cakes and potato latkes, sampled new foods, and learned the Hebrew words to several songs while singing and dancing along to them.”
“A good teacher ignites the thirst for knowledge and curiosity. A master teacher does this without effort and with intense love. Melissa Polzella happens to go above and beyond her daily responsibilities. During ‘normal’ circumstances, she typically goes above and beyond for her students. Mrs. Polzella has risen to meet the challenges of virtual instruction. At the beginning of the school year, Mrs. Polzella transitioned to a virtual fifth grade teacher who had a class of children from various schools in the district. To unite her class, Melissa used music and song to bring the students from various schools together and unite them together as one.”
“Besides having been a high-risk cancer patient, deaf/hearing impaired, and the mother of three young kids, Susan Steers’ expertise in teaching deaf/special education students are always motivating students in engaging learning, out-ofthe-box approaches and putting students in others’ perspectives and applying real life world routines. Susan is one of two deaf teachers of the deaf on campus. When she was COVID-19 positive with mild sickness, she attended virtual school days to bring her positive energy to her students. It was an inspiring journey, not leaving students with deaf and other multi-disabilities behind in the uncertainty moments.”
S-5
Elementary School
Jordan Sabinsky
Searingtown Elementary School Kindergarten For Searingtown Elementary School kindergarten teacher Jordan Sabinsky, being a teacher always came naturally — he just wasn’t the first to notice. “When I was younger, everyone always used to tell me, my friends, my family members, they always said, ‘Joey, when you get older you’re going to be working with kids,’” says Sabinsky. “Then, as I started to get a little older they started to say, ‘You’re going to teach kindergarten,’ which is the grade I currently teach now.” During a trip to Guatemala, Sabinsky saw what everyone else saw in him.“My family and I do a lot of overseas work,” he says,“and we went to this remote village and brought school supplies. We spent the day playing soccer with them and I was in their school there. They had a hut where they lived and they had the school and I was working with this little boy, who only spoke Spanish. At the time I didn’t understand what he was saying, but we were working together. When I saw the look on his face, when we figured it out together, it was that light that went off in him and then I remember I realized that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I remember my family, my mom was looking at me with the boy and I looked up at her and I said, ‘I see it now. I understand what everyone’s been telling me.’” Today, Sabinsky works to inspire and enrich his students’ lives every single day, and that goes beyond the curriculum.“I’ve got a call and response with my students,” he says.“It’s ‘don’t be good, be great.’ It’s really just about being the best, the best learner we can be, the best friend we can be.” As a lifelong lover of sports and the outdoors, Sabinsky incorporates various activities into the school day for the children.“Now that the weather’s been getting nicer and nicer, not only do we take a mindful walk every morning, but in the afternoon, we start to incorporate even more play,” he says.“When we go outside, we not only take another walk around, but we make this big circle. I’ll call out a number, like five plus five, and if they say 10, and we do 10 jumping jacks together or we run in place together. We have a lot of fun doing that.” For Sabinsky, it’s important that the kids “love who they are, and that we take pride in not only our progress, but our friends’ progress, as well. It’s that emphasis that has led to the results of my classroom.” Sabinsky emphasizes the importance of instilling a love of learning in his young students.“That’s something that is so important to me at such a young age, for them to actually love coming to school, to love to participate,” he says, noting that positive reinforcement is important in his classroom.
Sabinsky also builds confidence in his students as they learn vital skills such as reading and writing.“When we believe in ourselves, and when I give them that motivation, it starts to become a part of who they are. That’s something that doesn’t just apply to a kindergarten curriculum. It applies throughout their academic career and throughout life just believing in themselves, advocating for themselves.” While still a young man himself, Sabinsky has already seen the results of building character in his young students. Recently, he says, his students helped a classmate conquer her fear of riding the slide on the playground.“A group of students started to notice that this girl was just standing out there at the top of the slide, not going down,” he explains. The other kids started to cheer her on without Sabinsky’s prompting, and she went down the slide. “That meant everything to me,” he says.
HEAD of the CLASS - TEACHER'S AWARD - HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 24, 2021
LONG ISLAND TEACHER AWARDS
RISING STAR
S-6
June 24, 2021 — HEAD of the CLASS - TEACHER'S AWARD - HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
Elementary School
LONG ISLAND TEACHER AWARDS
WINNER
Nancy Aquino
Steele Elementary School 2nd Grade “I always had very engaging teachers, and I remembered a lot about how they made me feel, and I really try to think about that a lot when I’m teaching and I’m interacting with kids.” Over the course of her 24-year teaching career, Steele Elementary School 2nd grade teacher Nancy Aquino has positively impacted the lives of many students, hoping to make the same impression many of her teachers did when she was growing up.“I always had very engaging teachers, and I remembered a lot of how they made me feel, and I really try to think about that when I’m teaching and I’m interacting with kids,” Aquino says.“I really try to think of it from their perspective, and how I remember how I felt when I was in school. My biggest thing is that they feel comfortable with me, and then the learning happens.” Like many teachers, Aquino had a massive challenge to overcome in the form of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. While students and teachers alike had to adapt to virtual and hybrid learning, Aquino noticed early on that her class was concerned with one thing in particular.“The first thing they asked when we were on Google Meet, they were like, ‘Well, how are we going to use our Aquino Bucks?’” Aquino’s reward system for the children was of paramount importance to the children. All the kids wanted to know: ‘What does our classroom look like? Is everything okay?’” In order to make sure her students felt a sense of normalcy during a time where life was anything but, Aquino set about crafting special moments and experiences for them.“They’d ask, ‘What happened with the leprechaun tracks, and did the leprechaun come?’ All these things,” she says.“I was able to go into the classroom and put pictures and send them the leprechaun didn’t come. I went back to school and went to the store, and then in June when it got a little bit better, I went to each kid’s house, and I put a sign on the lawn with a picture with the kids and all the work they had done.” Teaching via computer is far from ideal, as most teachers will agree, and so is learning. Aquino says that both her students and their parents adapted well during the pandemic.“They were very understanding and flexible and supportive, and honestly they made me feel better,” she says.“The kids every day when you log on, and see their faces, that it felt a little bit normal just to see them. We got through it all together.” To this day, Aquino understands the importance of a great elementary school teacher, as she still keeps in touch with some of the teachers from her childhood.“I was in touch with my 4th grade teacher as he passed away last year. I went to his wake and everything, and I just found my 3rd grade teacher, who is a mayor in Florida. I think she just
retired as a mayor. I was able to find her on Facebook, I just left a message. I wanted to, as an adult, be able to tell them how they impacted me, and that now I’ve been teaching 24 years, it was really emotional for me. I was excited to find them.” One of Aquino’s former students, Jasmine Philibert, 22, recently reconnected with her by chance.“When I first moved to Long Island in 2004, I recall being nervous to start at a new school where no one knew me,” says Philibert.“I recently had the pleasure of running into Mrs. Aquino, 17 years later. During our conversation, she told me the same things she used to tell me as a child; that I am smart, beautiful, and will do amazing things. That experience further confirmed how much she truly cared for all of her students. I am so proud to have had Mrs. Aquino as my kindergarten teacher.”
Merrick and Bellmore
Join Now! Fall 2019 School Registration Now Open!
Join Now! Now! Join w! Fall 2019 Join Join Now! Now! o New N n i o J Join Now! of New Join Now!Fall 2019 9
Congregation Beth Tikvah
Full Temple membership beneits Merrick and Bellmore Merrick and Bellmore with every meaningful pledge! The Reform Jewish Congregation
Call now to enroll for Fall classes!
3710 Woodbine Avenue Wantagh NY 11793 (516) 785-2445 Dr. Moshe Pinchas Weisblum, Rabbi • Certiied Hebrew and Judaic Teachers Gail Jeby-Levy, President • Smart Boards, Wi-Fi enabled classrooms
We are a vibrant Reform Temple on Voluntary Pledge 1 Long Island 202019 School Registration Join Now! llFall FaFall New New Merrick and Bellmore the South Shore of2019 Join Now! New w e N New FallOpen! 2019tion Model! Pledge offering: Now AmVoluntary School Registration
Our Award-Winning Hebrew School features:
h Voluntary tra tNew Fall is2019 gRegistration eRegistration R l Fall 2019 ple BeNew o Voluntary Pledge Pledge o h c S School School n Fall 2019 e io g at g d le ongre VoluntaryPPledge
Join Now!
every meaningful pledge! Call now to enroll for Fall classes! ya vibrant rwith School nWetaareModel! Jewish C lu High Holiday Services Now Open! o Voluntary Pledge V en! Voluntary Pledge p School Reform Temple on • Our ORegistration Award-Winning Hebrew School Registration wRegistration o Voluntary Pledge Full Temple membership beneits Registration Model! Model! School • School Bar/BatN Mitzvahs of Now Now Open! Open! the South Shore of Long Island features: with every meaningful pledge! el! nebeneits Call now to enroll for Fall classes! dmembership Model! oNew M Full Temple Temple membership beneits Now for Fall classes! offering: • •Adult Education rollOpen! Model! Certiied and Judaic Teachers Model! to en BellmoreFullFull its Now Open! ll nowNow Fall 2019 CaHebrew Open! ership be ick andModel! mb Temple membership beneits with with every meaningful meaningful pledge! pledge! me Call Call now now to to enroll enroll forfor FallFall classes! classes! leevery Full Temple membership beneits
• Family Shabbat Services
• Active youth group • Bar/Bat Mitzvah lessons • Music, dance and art Classes for children entering Fall 2019: • Torah for Tots (ages 2 ½ - 4) • Grades K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Now Open!
In light of the trying times that we have all endured this past year, we are comforted by the fact that we can share precious "Our curriculum provides a balance of study time and hands-on activities to allow our children to learn “the 3 moments with family and friends.
Smart Boards, Wi-Fi enabled classrooms • Family Shabbat Services Temp ll Full Membership Pledgeeb in Lieu WeFubeneits are a vibrant Reform Full Temple membership e! Temple on • •Voluntary Our Award-Winning Hebrew Temple membership rewof Dues ful pledgbeneits ing an with every meaningful ng Fullwith Temple membership beneits Call now toin enroll forH Fall classes! ni ery me • Active youth group • High Holiday Servicespledge!Call now to enroll for Fall ev W withwith every meaningful pledge! dclasses! ar w every meaningful pledge! • Discounted Rates for Social Hall Rental A Call now to enroll for Fall classes! the South Shore of Long Island ur School features: O We We are are a avibrant vibrant Reform Reform Temple Temple on on with every meaningful pledge! Call enroll for Fall•Our classes! OurAward-Winning Award-Winning Hebrew Hebrew Bar/Bat Mitzvah lessons • Bar/Bat Mitzvahs pletoon mnow
Voluntary Pledge School Registration m Te eforOur Rof ton l features: We are a vibrant Reform Temple on an oo offering: Our Award-Winning br ch are a vibrant Reform Temple vi S Award-Winning Hebrew a ! e the the South South Shore Shore of Long Long Island Island ar School School features: features: Hebrew w e are nd We a vibrant Reform Temple on W o la Our Award-Winning Hebrew are a vibrant Reform Temple on Is Our Award-Winning Hebrew N ng Lo n Shorethe of Long iering: re of South Shore Island South ofoffering: Long Island Model! features: Sho School features: School th offering: Now Open! Sou eLong • Certiied • Certiied Hebrew Hebrew and and Judaic Judaic Teachers Teachers th the South Shore ofSchool Long Island South Shore of Island features: School features: 1 offering: 19 202 :F llllServices ring • Smart • Smart Boards, Boards, Wi-Fi Wi-Fi enabled enabled classrooms classrooms • Family •fe Family Shabbat Shabbat ring: of offering: FaServices • Warm, Friendly, Supportive Clergy
• •Music, dance Hebrew and art and Judaic Teachers • Adult Education Certiied Teachers daic2019: lasses for children Fall • Voluntary Membership Pledge in Lieu of Dues and Ju • CSocial Religious for Singles, Seniors brewentering d He ieand • rti Smart Boards, Wi-FiPrograms enabled classrooms • Family Shabbat Services • Ce ooms ssrschool-age cla • Torah for Tots (ages 2 ½ 4) • Discounted Rates for Social Hall Rental led enab and Families with pre-school and children s, Wi-Fi ard •Grades Active youth • HighFull Holiday Services art Bo H's” – Hebrew, Holidays and Heritage." - Rabbi Michael Temple membership beneits Sm • Certiied •Certiied K, 1,Hebrew 2, 3, 4, group 5, 6,and 7 Judaic Teachers • Warm, Friendly, Supportive ClergyHebrew and Judaic•Teachers • Certiied Hebrew and Judaic Teachers p ou Baum, Rabbi/Director of Education • Certiied Hebrew and Judaic Teachers gr h now "Our curriculum provides a balance of for studyFall time and ut with every meaningful pledge! yo • Social and Religious Programs for Singles, Seniors • Bar/Bat Mitzvah lessons • Bar/Bat Mitzvahs Call to enroll classes! e tiv • Smart Boards, Wi-Fi enabled classrooms s mily Shabbat Services Ac ce • rvi • Smart Boards, Wi-Fi enabled • Family Shabbat Services t Se hands-on activities to allow ourns children toclassrooms learn “the 3 abbaand • Active • Active youth youth group group Sh •• High ••FaFamily High Holiday Holiday Services Services ly • Smart Boards, Wi-Fi enabled classrooms y Shabbat Services Families with pre-school and school-age children mi so les ahand • Smart Boards, Wi-Fi enabled classrooms Services tzv Mi H's” – Hebrew, Holidays and Heritage." Rabbi Michael • Music, dance art AdultShabbat Education at • Active youth group h Holiday Services• High• Holiday r/B Ba •• Active youth group Services Reform Baum,lessons Rabbi/Director lidMitzvahs • Active youth group on Holiday Services •We •Our Bar/Bat • Active Bar/Bat Mitzvah Mitzvah lessons of Education are aayServices vibrant Temple • High Bar/Bat Mitzvahs Ho Award-Winning Hebrew art • Bar/Bat e andgroup youth •Hi Holiday Services Pledge nc for children entering Fall 2019: C•lasses • Bar/Bat Voluntary Membership in LieuMitzvah of Dueslessons •gh Bat Mitzvahs sic, da Mu 19: s • •Bar/Bat Mitzvah lessons • Bar/Bat Mitzvahs • Bar/Bat Mitzvah lessons at Mitzvahs Mitzvah at tering Fall 20 • Music, • Music, dance dance and and art art • Adult • Adult Education Education en r/B n the South Shore of Long Island Ba Interfaith Families are Welcome! re • School features: ild(ageslessons Music, dance and art Bar/Bat Mitzvah ult Education • Bar/Bat Mitzvahs r ch • •Torah for Tots 2 ½ - 4) • Discounted Rates for Social •Hall Rental fo s se las C on FOR MORE • Music, dance and art Education • Music, dance and art • Adult Education ati uc 4) Ed es ½ lasses lasses for for children children entering entering Fall Fall 2019: 2019: INFO: (516) 378-3477 C C Voluntary Voluntary Membership Membership Pledge Pledge in in Lieu Lieu of of Dues Dues • • ult 2 Du es • • Ad ufor children lasses entering Fall 2019: Cin untary Membership Pledge in Lieu of Dues Supportive offering: LieFOR To Grades 1,ts2,(ag 3,and 4,and 5,art 6,Judaic 7 •Certiied Music, dance • Warm, Friendly, Adult Education eClergy forK, Hebrew Teachers rahfor PledgCin MOREentering INFO: (516) 378-3477 •• •To ership lasses for children Fall 2019: ntary Membership•Pledge in Lieu Dues mb MEMBERSHIP@TEMPLEBETHAMMERRICK.ORG children entering Fall 2019: Classes Voluntary Pledge Lieu of Dues yofMe 7½ tarMembership 6, lun • Torah • Torah for for Tots Tots (ages (ages 2 ½ 2 4) 4) 5, • •Discounted •• Vo Discounted Rates Rates for for Social Social Hall Hall Rental Rental 4, • Torah for Tots (ages 2 ½ 4) counted Rates for Social Hall Rental al 3, "Our curriculum provides a balance of study nt 2, Re and 1, • Social and Religious Programs for Singles, Seniors ll in Lieu MEMBERSHIP@TEMPLEBETHAMMERRICK.ORG K,for children lasses entering 2019: C Voluntary Membership Pledge of! Dues time and l Ha Smart Wi-Fi enabled classrooms • Family Shabbat Services dy time adesBoards, Socia of stu •• Gr ceFall Torah for Tots (ages 2 ½ - 4) • Torah for ounted Rates for Social Hall Rental es tes ssK, balan Rawith es hands-on activities allow children to learn “the 3 for Tots (ages 24, ½ - 4) • Discounted Rates forSupportive Social ll cla ted vid Fa unFriendly, r• Clergy pro foClergy scoFamilies llHall •Rental Grades 1, 2, 3,children 4, 5, 6, 7 m, Friendly, Supportive Clergy lum • Grades • Torah Grades K, K, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3,(ages 3, 4,to 5, 5, 6, 6, 7aour 74) • Warm, • Di Warm, Friendly, and and school-age ro ricu to learn “the 3 en cur yRental to pre-school ur–youth ldren rg wSupportive "O chi • for Tots 2 ½ Discounted Rates for Social Hall Cle r e ou ll nodly • Active group • ••High Holiday Services tiv w H's” Hebrew, Holidays and Heritage." Rabbi Michael Ca or • Grades K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 m, Friendly, Supportive Clergy allo chael iesprovides , Supp Clergy "Our curriculum Mitime ivit4, bbi time act enReligious rs a balance provides of ha study time and Rastudy • Grades K, 1,ncurriculum 2, 3, 5,to 6, 7anRabbi/Director • Warm, Friendly, Supportive Fri ." - study s-o ,Singles, nio "Our "Our curriculum provides a balance a balance of andand ial and Religious Programs for Seniors nd SeSeniors rm ritageof s,w Wa • Social Social and and Religious Programs Programs for Singles, Singles, Seniors •• Warm, gle of Education Sin for tion lidBaum, sfor "Our curriculum provides a balance study time and Grades K, 1,activities 3, 4,ays 5,allow 6,dour 7Heour Friendly, Supportive Clergy uca re w, Edlearn gr •of•Bar/Bat Mitzvah lessons l and Religious Programs forschool-age Singles, Seniors • •Bar/Bat Mitzvahs hands-on activities to ren allow our children to learn “the 3 2,Ho oflearn bre rto eb s Pro H ” – He ire hands-on hands-on activities to allow to children children to “the “the 3 3 iou H's g ild i/D lig amilies with pre-school and children curriculum of cto study time and inam ch Re n Rabb dwith gechildren • Social and Religious Programs for Singles, Seniors an in l-a lw and and Families Families with pre-school pre-school and and school-age school-age children hands-on activities to allow ourHeritage." children"Our to learn “the 3 provides Bauma, balance oo cia -W So sch ••and rd H's” – Hebrew, Holidays and Rabbi Michael d a an l milies with pre-school school-age children "Our curriculum provides achildren balance of study time AEducation choo H's” H's” –Michael Hebrew, –activities Hebrew, Holidays Holidays and Heritage." Heritage." - Rabbi - Rabbi Michael Michael rd Fa and for Seniors uSocial to allowand our to learn “the 3 and • hands-on Music, dance and art O • Adult th pre-sPrograms wipre-school H's” –Singles, Hebrew, Holidays andRabbi/Director Heritage." - Rabbi liesReligious Families and school-age children Baum, of Education miwith mple on and an hands-on activities to allow our children to learn “the 3
e
and
f Dues
ration School Regist Now Open!
Interfaith Families are Welcome!
CBT Hebrew School
HEAD of the CLASS - TEACHER'S AWARD - HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 24, 2021
Temple Beth Am Temple Temple Beth Beth Am Am New mAm A Temple Beth th e B le p The Reform Jewish Congregation Temple Beth Am m eThe TThe n io The Reform Jewish Congregation at Reform Reform Jewish Jewish Congregation Congregation eg Temple Beth Am gr ish Con of rm JewJewish fo Reform Congregation Re of eThe ThBeth of of Voluntary Pledge The Reform Jewish Congregation Temple Am of of Merrick and Bellmore Temple Beth Am Merrick and Bellmore e Merrick Merrick and and Bellmore Bellmore The Reform Jewish Congregation or of llm Be The Reform Jewish Congregation rick andand Mer Merrick Bellmore of Merrick and Bellmore of Temple Beth AmModel!
S-7
CBTyou Hebrew Schoolfamily Wishing and your Interfaith Families are Welcome! CBT Hebrew School CBTNY Hebrew 3710 Woodbine Ave • Wantagh, 11793 School CBT Hebrew School s: re u at fe l ! o e om Scho lc e W 3710 Woodbine Ave • Wantagh, NY 11793 re a s Interfaith Families are Welcome! ie il CBT Hebrew School m (516) aINFO: FFamilies FOR 378-3477 hFamilies itMORE Interfaith Interfaith are are Welcome! Welcome! Interfaith Families are aWelcome! (516) 785-2445 • www.congbt.org rf 3710 Woodbine Ave • Wantagh, NY 11793 3710 Woodbine Ave • Wantagh, NY 11793 3710 Woodbine Ave • Wantagh, NY 11 te Temple Beth Am of Merrick and Bellmore L'Shanah Tovah Tikatevu, 5781. In CBT Hebrew School Interfaith Families are CBT Hebrew 8-3477 37Welcome! (516) 785-2445 ••www.congbt.org )Welcome! 3710 Woodbine Ave Wantagh, NY 11793 School FOR MORE INFO: (516) 378-3477 (516 Interfaith Families are Baum, Baum, Rabbi/Director Rabbi/Director of Michael Education of Education H's”of–Education Hebrew, Holidays and Heritage." Baum, Rabbi/Director Families with pre-school and school-age children entering Fall- Rabbi 2019: Classes Voluntary Membership Pledge in Lieu of Dueschildren • and H's”for – Hebrew, Holidays and Heritage." Rabbi Michael Baum, Rabbi/Director of- Education rsBeth Am of Merrick and Temple Bellmore he ac Te ic da Ju d Baum, Rabbi/Director of Education anSocial • Torah for Tots (ages 2 ½ - 4) • Discounted Rates Hall Rental brewfor 2377 • Certiied He oms Avenue, Merrick, NY 11566 ssroMerrick cla abled MEMBERSHIP@TEMPLEBETHAMMERRICK.ORG • Grades K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 • Warm, Friendly, Clergy Wi-Fi en , Supportive ds ar Bo t Tel: 516-378-3477 www.templebethammerrick.org ar Sm • : 2377 Merrick Avenue, Merrick, NY 11566 INFO(516) REINFO: FOR MORE INFO: (516) 378-3477 "Our curriculum MO R • Social and Programs for Singles, Seniors FOR FOR MORE MORE INFO: (516) 378-3477 378-3477 ICK.ORGprovides a balance of study time and FO RR ME uth group MEMBERSHIP@TEMPLEBETHAMMERRICK.ORG e yoReligious tiv LEBETHAM • Ac hands-on activities to allow our children to learn “the 3 IP@TEMP(516) MEMBERSHIP@TEMPLEBETHAMMERRICK.ORG MORE INFO: 378-3477 and Families with pre-school and school-age Tel: 516-378-3477 www.templebethammerrick.org MBERSHchildren sons FOR ME MEMBERSHIP@TEMPLEBETHAMMERRICK.ORG MEMBERSHIP@TEMPLEBETHAMMERRICK.ORG
(516)785-2445 785-2445 • www.congbt.org (516) www.congbt.org (516) 785-2445 • www.congbt.org (516)NY 785-2445 • www.congbt.org 3710 Woodbine Ave • Wantagh, 11793 3710 Woodbine Ave • Wantagh, NY 11793 CBTLocated Hebrew School in Wantagh,(516) Congregation Beth Tikvah (516) 785-2445 • www.congbt.org 785-2445 • www.congbt.org Located ininWantagh, Congregation Beth Tikvah Located Wantagh, Congregation Beth Tikvah 3710 Woodbine Ave • Wantagh, NY 11793 Located in Wantagh, Congregation Beth Tikvah Located inisWantagh, Congregation Beth Tikvah Located in Wantagh, Congregation Be an Egalitarian Synagogue, (516) 785-2445 • www.congbt.org is an Egalitarian Synagogue, isisan Egalitarian Synagogue, an Egalitarian Synagogue,
vah les – Hebrew, Holidays and Heritage." - Rabbi Michael FOR MORE INFO: (516)H's”378-3477 • Bar/Bat Mitz MEMBERSHIP@TEMPLEBETHAMMERRICK.ORG Baum, Rabbi/Director of Education e and art MEMBERSHIP@TEMPLEBETHAMMERRICK.ORG : • Music, danc 19 ll 20 n entering Fa re ild ch r fo Classes ½ - 4) (ages 2Temple Beth Am of Merrick and Bellmore • Torah for Tots 5, 6, 7 FOR MORE tim 4, INFO: 3, 2, 1, e and (516) 378-3477llmore K, es dyAvenue, Temple Am of Merrick and Bellmore • GradBeth ce of stu 2377 Merrick Merrick, NY 11566 d Be balan
Interfaith Families are Welcome!
3 Merrick an vides a MEMBERSHIP@TEMPLEBETHAMMERRICK.ORG Temple "O Beth Am ofproMerrick and Bellmore “theof rn m ur curriculum ildren to leaA our ch
1132301
Located in Wantagh, Congregation BethinTikvah Wantagh, Congregation Beth Tik is Located an Egalitarian Synagogue, is their an Egalitarian Synagogue, welcoming all children! welcoming allfamilies families && their children! welcomingall all families families &&their w.te NY 11566 welcoming theirchildren! children! ww 2377 Merrick, 8-3477 37 6-eMerrick Tel: Tel:516-378-3477 Avenue, Avenue, www.templebethammerrick.org www.templebethammerrick.org 2377 Merrick Merrick, NY 11566 is an Egalitarian Synagogue, l: 51 is an Egalitarian Synagogue, Located in Wantagh, Congregation Beth Tikvah Te516-378-3477 welcoming all families & their children! welcoming all families & their child With a caring, experienced & dedicated faculty, ! om lc Tel: 516-378-3477 www.templebethammerrick.org e W With a caring, experienced & dedicated faculty, re a s Tel: 516-378-3477 www.templebethammerrick.org ie il With a caring, experienced & dedicated faculty, h Fam With a caring, experienced & dedicated faculty, Our Hebrew School focuses on Judaic traditions, culture &their language. welcoming all families & their children! 8-3477Temple Beth Am of Merrick and Bellmore welcoming all families & is an Egalitarian Synagogue, 37 With a caring, experienced & dedicated faculty, With a caring, experienced &children! dedicate ) 16 (5 : FO IN MORE RG Our Hebrew School focuses on Judaic traditions, culture & languag K.O RIC Our Hebrew School focuses on Judaic traditions, culture & language. ER M M 2377 Merrick Avenue, Merrick, NY 11566 HA ET EB Classeson offered from K–7 ERSHIP@TEMPL Our Hebrew School focuses Judaic traditions, culture & languag Tel: 516-378-3477 www.templebethammerrick.org With a welcoming caring, experienced &focuses dedicated faculty, With a caring, experienced & dedicated facu all families & their children! Our Hebrew School on Judaic traditions, culture & languag Our Hebrew School focuses on Judaic traditions, Classes offered Classes offered from K––7 7 Learn to read, write &from speakKHebrew Classes offered from K–7 CBT Hebrew School Our Hebrew School focusesexperienced onOur Judaic traditions, culture & language. Hebrew School focuses on Judaic With a caring, & dedicated faculty, Classes offered from K –Hebrew 7 traditions, Classes offered –7 Celebrate the Jewish Holidays Learn3710 toread, read, write write & speak from Kcultu Learn to & speak Woodbine Ave • Wantagh, NYHebrew 11793 re o lm Learn to(516) read, write & speak Hebrew 785-2445 •&www.congbt.org Research the history heritage of Judaism errick and Bel Classes offered from K – 7 Classes offered from – 7 Heb Our Hebrew School focuses on Judaic traditions, culture & language. Learn to read, write & speak Hebrew Learn to read, write &K speak Beth Am of M 6 Celebrate the Jewish Holidays 56 11 Y N , Celebrate the Jewish Holidays Merrick e, u n ve rg A .o ck ck ri er Celebrate Study lessonsthe for Jewish Bar & Bat Holidays Mitzvahs merri Located .templebetham in Wantagh, Beth Tikvah LearntoClasses read, write & Celebrate speak Hebrew heritage Research the & of Judaism Hebrew Learn to read, write & speak offered from Khistory – the 7 Congregation Jewish Holidays Celebrate the Jewish 77 www Research the history &extra heritage Judaism Holiday Individualized tutoring & help areof offered is an Egalitarian Synagogue, of Judaism Research the history & heritage Study lessons for &for Bat Mitzvahs Holidays Celebrate the Jewish Holidays Bar &Research Celebrate the Jewish of J Learn to read, &programs speak Hebrew Research the history & heritage of Judaism the history & heritage write Monthly activities the whole family Studywelcoming lessonsallfor Bar&& Bat Mitzvahs families their children! Study lessons for Bar &forBat Mitzvahs tutoring & extra help are offered Individualized Registration is now open FALL 2021! Research the history &Study heritage ofexperienced Judaism Research the history &faculty, heritage Judaism Celebrate the Jewish Holidays lessons for Bar & Bat Mitzvahs Study lessons for Bar & of Bat Mitzv With a caring, & dedicated Individualized tutoring & extra help are offered st is free forJudaic congregation members! Theprograms 1 yearfocuses Individualized tutoring & extra are &offered Our Monthly & activities for help the whole family School traditions, culture language. Study lessons forHebrew Bar&& Bat Mitzvahs extra Study lessons Bar &offered Bat Mitzvahs Research the history heritage ofonJudaism for Individualized tutoring & help are Individualized tutoring & extra help ar For Monthly programs & activities for the whole family more information orClasses to register, please contact our VP of Education, offered from K – 7 open for 2021! family MonthlyRegistration programs is & now activities forFALL the whole Individualized tutoring &Marcus extra help are offered Individualized tutoring & extra are Study lessons for Bar & Bat Mitzvahs Monthly programs & activities for the whole family offe Monthly programs & activities for the w Ada @ (516) 785-2445 or amarcus4@gmail.com Learn to is read, write & speak 2021!help Registration now open forHebrew FALL st year is free for congregation members! The 1 Registration is now openHolidays for FALL 2021! Celebrate the Jewish now Monthly programstutoring & activities for the whole family extra Monthly programs &for activities for thefor whole Individualized & help are offered FALL Registration is now open 2021! Registration is open FALLf st Please join our Facebook group CBT Hebrew School PTA free for congregation members! The 1 st yearoristo For more information register, please contact our VP of Education Research the history & heritage of&Judaism & like page CBT congregation Hebrew School PTAmembers! isour free for The 1styear st year Registration is now open for FALL 2021! Registration is now open for FALL 2021!m Monthly programs & activities for the whole family year is free for congregation members! The 1 is free for congregation The 1 Also follow us on Instagram #cbthebrewschoolpta & on Twitter @cbthebrewpta Ada Marcus@ (516) 785-2445 or amarcus4@gmail.com For more information or to register, please contact our VP of Educat Study lessons for Bar & Bat Mitzvahs For more information or to register, please contact our VP of Educat st st “Our Family Serving Your Family” yearmore is free for congregation members! The 1 Registration year2021! is free for congregation membe The 1FALL is now open for For information or to register, please contact our Educat For more information or to register, please Individualized tutoring & extra help are offered VP ofcontact Ada Marcus @ (516) 785-2445 or amarcus4@gmail.com Please join Facebook group or CBT Hebrew School PTA Ada Marcus @our (516) 785-2445 amarcus4@gmail.com Monthly programs & activities for the whole family our VP of Education, For more information or toisAda register, please contact For more information or to register, please our V free for congregation members! The 1st year Marcus @ (516) 785-2445 or amarcus4@gmail.com Ada Marcus @ (516) 785-2445 or amarcus4 & like our page CBT Hebrew School & PTA contact Beth
2377 Merrick Avenue, Merrick, NY 11566 le allow lMerrick toTemple sTemple mprita Tel: 516-378-3477 www.templebethammerrick.org Beth Beth Am Am ofchofae Merrick and and Bellmore Bellmore i Mi Te tivitie NY 11566 bb ." - Ra 2377 Merrick Avenue, Merrick, 11566 rick, geNY er hands-on ac es, Seniors onnue, M lidays and He ve ati Ho A uc w, k Temple Beth Am of Merrick and Bellmore Ed of bre ric r Tel: 516-378-3477 www.templebethammerrick.org He er n cto – ” re ire M Avenue, H's ild516-378-3477 i/DBeth 77 mmerrick.org bb , RaMerrick ha 2377 2377 Merrick Avenue, Merrick, Merrick, 11566 -age ch um23 Temple Am of Merrick Bellmore et11566 Ba bNY Tel: www.templebethammerrick.org pleNY mand
Cecere Family
Registration is now open for FALL 2021!
Please our Facebook group CBT Hebrew School PTA us onjoin Instagram #cbthebrewschoolpta & on Twitter @cbthebrewpta F U N E R A L more H Oinformation M E Ada Marcus @Also (516) or amarcus4@gmail.com Ada @ (516) 785-2445 or amarcus4@gm For orfollow to785-2445 register, please contact our VP ofHebrew Education, st Marcus Please join our Facebook group CBT School PTA
1135228
1135251
is free forHebrew congregation members! The 1our & like page CBT School & School PTA CBT Please join our year Facebook group CBTFacebook Hebrew PTAHebrew Please join our group & like our page CBT Hebrew School & PTA For more information or to register, please contact our VP of Education, 2283 Grand Avenue • Baldwin • Ada 516-223-4200 amarcus4@gmail.com Marcus (516)us785-2445 Also@ follow on Instagram #cbthebrewschoolpta & onCBT @cbthebrew & likeor our page CBT & Hebrew &Twitter PTA like ourSchool page Hebrew School & Please joinAlso ourfollow Facebook group CBT Hebrew School PTA Please join our Facebook group CBT Hebrew Schoo us on Instagram #cbthebrewschoolpta & on Twitter @cbthebrew www.cecerefamilyfunerals.com Ada Marcus @ (516) 785-2445 or amarcus4@gmail.com Also follow us on Instagram #cbthebrewschoolpta & on Twitter @cbthebrew Also follow us on Instagram #cbthebrewschoolpta & on T & like our page CBT Hebrew School&&like PTAour page CBT Hebrew School & PTA Please join our Facebook group CBT Hebrew School PTA Pleaseus joinon our Facebook group CBT Hebrew School PTA Also follow us on Instagram #cbthebrewschoolpta &Instagram on Twitter @cbthebrewpta Also follow #cbthebrewschoolpta & on Twitter & like our page CBT Hebrew PTA & likeSchool our page& CBT Hebrew School & PTA Burials, Cremations, Pre-Planning Also follow us on Instagram #cbthebrewschoolpta & on Twitter @cbthebrewpta Also follow us on Instagram #cbthebrewschoolpta & on Twitter @cbthebrewpta
June 24, 2021 — HEAD of the CLASS - TEACHER'S AWARD - HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
S-8
Middle School
LONG ISLAND TEACHER AWARDS
Barbara Bentley
Jean Carlson
Maggie Delahunty
FINALISTS
Kimberly Epps
Michele McLoughlin
St. William the Abbot School 5th/6th Grade Science Teacher
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Math
Baldwin Middle School 7th Grade ELA & ELA Honors
Oceanside Middle School 7th Grade Math & STEM Teacher
Robert M. Finley Middle School Art Teacher
“Ms. Bentley has taught in the Diocese of Rockville Centre for 46 years, the last 10 of which have been here at St. William the Abbot School. To say she is highly effective in the knowledge of her subject matter would be an understatement. Her plans and instructional outcomes reflect a great deal of familiarity with a wide range of approaches in the disciple. Alway enthusiastic about the subject, Ms. Bentley uses a variety of resources to make lessons effective and entertaining. The excellent rapport she has with students and parents extends to administration and colleagues as well.”
“While a huge number of educators in the public sector looked for every opportunity to stay away from the classroom, Ms. Carlson spent even more time than usual to ensure her students were afforded a high-quality, in-person education this year. She made great personal sacrifices to be diligent so her students and colleagues could stay healthy. This is exemplary dedication to our community — going well above and beyond earning a paycheck. She probably worked an extra 10 hours per week every week, to ensure a safe environment, as well as to provide an excellent learning experience for all of the students.”
“This teacher has been a cheerleader for my two daughters and all students in her advanced 7th grade ELA class. She is the chair for the school’s National Junior Honor Society and rallies her group for participation in the Jones Beach Making Strides Breast Cancer Walk annually. My girls were both members. When people couldn’t get vaccine appointments, she made a plea to contact her so she could advocate and get those appointments made.”
“Mrs. Epps is an outstanding leader within the math department at Oceanside Schools. She has continued to re-envision student learning, as she transitioned to a hybrid learning environment. Not only was Mrs. Epps able to successfully navigate this new environment, but she found new and creative ways to connect to students and their families providing a structured routine that gave students a sense of normalcy in uncertain times. Mrs. Epps ensured learning was relevant, and most importantly was meaningful in such a challenging environment. She instills in students a desire to learn, achieve, and encourages their talents.”
“Ms. McLoughlin has brought tremendous energy and positivity to our school. As an art teacher she has developed the talents of hundreds of students, but she has contributed so much more. Students and staff alike love Ms. McLoughlin. Whether it’s been designing the sets for our theater productions, creating arts and craft projects for our annual Halloween celebration with our Deasy Elementary School neighbors, designing our yearbook each year, or painting beautiful murals throughout our building, she really is amazing. What I’m most grateful for is her connections with students. She embodies the ‘you have to touch their hearts, before you can touch their minds’ philosophy.”
Jennifer Monsour Southside Middle School 7th Grade ELA
Lynbrook North Middle School 6th Grade
James O’Hara
Michele Palmer Baldwin Middle School Life Skills Teacher
Wisdom Lane Middle School 6th Grade Math
David Radtke
Beverly Robinson
“Jen Monsour is the epitome of kindness and generosity. Tirelessly, she inspires her students and the entire school community through her acts of kindness. Each year, Jen leads a drive for our veterans through the Beacon House — massive amounts of donations brought in from hundreds of students, from food to clothing to toiletries, have filled room 210 before she fills her van to deliver to the Beacon House Center out in Bay Shore. Each day in her classes, Ms. Monsour promotes kindness by incorporating ‘kindness journals’ for students to record their acts of kindness. She really does make a difference!”
“Mr. O’Hara has been an anchor in the middle school and consistently provides strong instruction by utilizing all the resources provided to engage and motivate students to learn. He even conducted surveys of the students to gather feedback from them during the pandemic time to make sure he was addressing the needs of his classes in the manner that best suited their learning styles. Mr. O’Hara routinely develops projects that students are able to take control of their own learning and reach their maximum potential.”
“Ms. Palmer works tirelessly with severely developmentally delayed children, always puts her students first even if she needs to give up sleep and time taking care of her own four children. She helps with many activities, from coaching her students with disabilities in basketball to attending dances with them and uses own money to fill any gaps she can, whether it is a student who needs supplies, decorate the class and even search for students when they have gone missing from home.”
“Dave Radtke is a 6th grade math teacher at Wisdom Lane Middle School. He is also the 6th grade class advisor who runs the Philadelphia overnight trip, the 6th grade picnic and 6th grade orientation. Mr. Radtke has spent the last 33 years as a Wisdom Lane teacher and coach in the Levittown School District. He coaches the district’s varsity golf team, the MacArthur High School girls varsity basketball team and the Division Avenue High School varsity softball team. His dedication to his students in the classroom and on the field has inspired many to teach or coach.”
“Ms. Robinson has had a significant impact on the lives of hundreds of middle school students who attend the ABGS Middle School in Hempstead. She is a strong and powerful force for students, whom she always puts first. When it comes to her students, Ms. Robinson persistently advocates strongly for them and is determined that they are always given the best possible opportunity for success in the classroom. She is a true champion of public education, feeling strongly that education can change our student lives in myriad ways, but we must make them see its value and importance in their lives. Her love and commitment to learning is something to behold.”
ABGS Middle School Special Education
S-9
Congratulations To All The Teachers
HEAD of the CLASS - TEACHER'S AWARD - HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 24, 2021
Thank You, Teachers! In celebration of our 22nd year, we are offering specials for both our School Year Classes & Summer Camp (Flexible Hours). Trial Classes Seasonal Classes
Matthew J. Fritz, Manager/Funeral Director
769 Merrick Rd., Baldwin 516-223-1460 • www.fullertonfhny.com
Adult Classes And Parties 1135252
Four Generations Of Compassion & Trust Serving All Faiths Since 1903
1135367
Birthday Parties
221 North Long Beach Road • Rockville Centre
WWW.TheArtStudioRVC.com • 516-763-2050 • 516-641-8824
Elisa’s Ristorante Café 2754 North Jerusalem Road North Bellmore, NY 516-679-4805 • 516-679-4806 • ElisasRestaurant.com
We Have A Lot To Be Thankful For. We’re thankful for our customers who have stood by us for the past year, and continue to support with their business and kind words. We are thankful for our staff, who have remained flexible to constantly changing situations, and put the customers first. And we’d like to say a very deliberate and special thank you to our schools, who have done a nothing-short-of “amazing” job in keeping our kids in school, and ensured our children had a safe and smooth learning experience in an unprecedented situation. In the districts where we live, the local school administrators, teachers and parent volunteers rallied swiftly and carefully to create a learning environment that is safe and effective.
executive chef Paolo and rocky Telese.
1131927
From the bottom of our hearts, we appreciate it. Thank you BeLLmore, merrIck, WAnTAgH, LevITToWn, eAsT meAdoW and neighboring communities for being just that, a community that cares.
Visit elisasrestaurant.com to see our Complete Menu, Specialty Night Menus and our Family Specials. Check out our Facebook page to see additional Weekly Dinner Specials created by Chef Paolo (Posted Every Thursday)
S-10
June 24, 2021 — HEAD of the CLASS - TEACHER'S AWARD - HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
Middle School
LONG ISLAND TEACHER AWARDS
WINNER
Grace Dong-Janeo
ABGS Middle School Hempstead Special Education Math Teacher In 2020, as the world shut down due to the pandemic, ABGs Middle School Hempstead Special Education teacher Grace Dong-Janeo had a huge challenge in front of her. Being faced with teaching remotely for the first time, Dong-Janeo, a teacher of more than 30 years, quickly realized she’d have to think on her feet.“Not everybody in our district got laptops,” she explains. For the first couple of months, I reached out to them by calling them and their parents, and when one or two got their laptops because the parents purchased them, they didn’t know how to go on because they were never taught how before the pandemic. We’d go back and forth, I’d send a lot of pictures on my phone and take pictures of my screen to show their moms and dads, but another thing was [sometimes the parents] didn’t know English, so I had to Google quickly in Spanish!” For students that didn’t get access to laptops, Dong-Janeo printed out packets of work and mailed them to their homes. She made it work. “I remember my daughter was recently saying to me, ‘Mommy, you engaged them,’” Dong-Janeo recalls.“I was like, ‘What do you mean by that?’ Because this is already a year-plus. Sometimes you put a hat on — let’s say with Cinco de Mayo I wear a hat — they were paying attention to me, or I had a toy and I put it across the screen and I said, ‘You’ll get bonus points if you see that,’ because I know they’re really seeing on the screen or they’re playing a game behind it,” she says. Despite the bumps in the road, Dong-Janeo never forgot her belief that “you have to reach students before you can teach them.” And in teaching special education, reaching children is pivotal.“I remember my first year [teaching],” Dong-Janeo says.“It was an eye-opener for me, because I come from a home where you had to make sure to do your homework [right after school], and you couldn’t do anything else. I had that type of upbringing. When I went to work, things were very different.“It was predominantly a lot of families with single parents. They worked very hard and it’s very hard for them to be home when the kids are home. I noticed that, wait a second, the stuff that I learned at school was not working yet. I realized I have to reach the students before teaching the students. I always kept that in mind. I had to bond with them.” Dong-Janeo learned quickly to adapt to students with special needs.“I’ll find a way for them to figure it out, or think outside the box. That’s my skill set, I guess — thinking outside the box helped to reach them.” Over the years, Dong-Janeo has also been the adviser for the school’s
National Junior Honor Society, which has given her the opportunity to develop relationships with students outside the special education program.“Some of those kids are doing very well,” she says.“One’s a doctor. I was so glad to have him come back and tell me that.” She has also mentored other teachers, giving them invaluable advice. “I say, ‘Just put the book down, just reach out because you don’t know because we come from a different family background. Single parents or grandmas taking care of them. Maybe they have limited means, maybe they don’t have supplies.’ What I tell the new teachers is, start small, build the trust.” Whether working with special education students or students who naturally excel academically, Dong-Janeo is steadfast in her “reach before you can teach” motto.“I have been able to work with all students — bilingual students, special ed students, the honor students — so I have been very lucky to work through my years, and I feel good that I can reach them.”
S-11
RIGHT
ARE YOU READY?
COLLEGE.
CELEBRATING THE TOP BUSINESSES
RIGHT
Nominate online at: liherald.com/contests #LIChoiceAwards
YOU COULD WIN $500
NOW.
OFFICIAL RULES: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER. To vote and be eligible for the $500 prize, at least 25 categories must be filled in. $500 prize is a Gift Card. For complete official rules go to: liherald.com/contests.
tuition dollar, Molloy is close to home but far from ordinary. With career-focused programs, real-world connections and personal guidance, we’re here for your student – for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities.
1132251
MOLLOY COLLEGE. THE RIGHT CHOICE. RIGHT NOW. Apply Today: Molloy.edu/RightChoice
WE APPRECIATE ALL OUR TEACHERS
Local expertise you can trust. As your local Allstate agent, I understand the unique coverage needed for the homes and cars in our community, and which coverage you may not need. You could say I’m an expert at getting you the protection you want with the savings you deserve. Call, email or stop by my office for a free quote today. JULIA MARY GAZZIO (516) 536-2442 213 N LONG BEACH ROAD ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY 11570 juliagazzio@allstate.com
Personalized service. Trusted advice.
1135447
One of the best values for your
HEAD of the CLASS - TEACHER'S AWARD - HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 24, 2021
MOLLOY IS THE
June 24, 2021 — HEAD of the CLASS - TEACHER'S AWARD - HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
S-12
High School
LONG ISLAND TEACHER AWARDS
Steven Anusiak
Jordan Hue
Joshua Levitt
FINALISTS
Ross Lipsky
Sara Perrone
Seaford High School Special Education
Long Beach High School English/Theater
Freeport High School Social Studies
Valley Stream South High School 10th/11th/12th Grade
East Rockaway Junior Senior High School Grade 9 English
“Mr. Anusiak is dedicated to his students. He goes above and beyond with his students, many of whom are on the autism spectrum. He has a good relationship with his students. He spends time teaching them many life skills to succeed in the future. Mr. Anusiak is extremely patient, soft spoken, and kind. He is a positive male role model for all the students. He is a part of the Seaford community and available at all times to the parents is it at any time. He also coaches the life skills programs soccer and bowling teams.”
“Mr. Hue is one of the most amazing teachers I have ever had. He has not only influenced me, but so many other kids in my school. I first met Mr. Hue my freshman year of high school doing our school play. I immediately remember him as being approachable and kind towards all. If you had any issues, even if they didn’t involve theater or school, he would listen and/or help in any way he could. This past year with the pandemic has been hard on theater. Even so, he was able to help us put on two amazing shows including COVID safeties that had to be taken.”
“I met Mr. Levitt the summer before going into high school when I volunteered at NCJW’s Back to School Store. During the time I was in high school, he was the supervisor of Student Government which held various community service events. He also was/is the Social Studies Chairperson. Though he is involved in a variety of organizations, Mr. Levitt is also a genuinely kind person who is willing to help anyone.”
“Mr. Lipsky teaches challenging math courses such as pre-calculus and AP courses. He is so devoted to his classes that he posted work for my son’s pre-calculus class throughout the previous summer in an effort to get the students ready for the rigorous course material. Mr. Lipsky not only posted material to keep students from falling behind, he gave individualized feedback so they could catch up before the school year officially began. He goes above and beyond to ensure that the children are college-ready and by sharing his knowledge and supporting them throughout every step of their education.”
“My children have both been blessed to have her as their English teacher where her love of literacy, thirst for gifting knowledge and natural magnetic personality let her connect with the students from the first interaction. She is passionate, yet not pushy, intelligent yet never boastful, youthful yet an old soul. She motivates and clearly sees each student where they are. She inspires them to reach for higher goals and dreams. And at the end of the year, she writes a handwritten card to her students. What a treasure! As an educator myself, I can say my children are better today after having her as their teacher.”
Paul Ryan
Roosevelt High School 9th Grade
Leslie Pieters
Glen Cove High School Social Studies
Susan Poulos
MacArthur High School Chemistry
Catherine Temps
Hicksville High School Industrial Art Technology Teacher
Benedict Tieniber
“Ms. Pieters is a teacher, community advocate and leader. She consistently raises the bar to help her students achieve academic readiness. In 2010, she partnered with the North Shore Land Alliance to teach environmental education to children and their families in the Roosevelt community. She engages her students both inside and outside of the classroom to help them learn about their environment, community and to stay healthy by leading nature walks, engaging them in community service and teaching them how to plant and grow their own food to offset food insecurity. She’s also very engaged in her own community by serving as a volunteer and inspiring others to stay healthy.”
“Susan is an educationally sound teacher who has been mentoring teachers and teaching for 25 years. Susan has established herself as a well-versed secondary teacher in the Glen Cove School District and has supervised the secondary Social Studies Department. What sets Susan apart from other teachers on Long Island is what she is doing for her students and community and her passion and love that she brings into the building every day. Her colleagues and administrators appreciate her efforts and trust her judgment. Susan empowers our youths and continues to be a vital asset in promoting Glen Cove Schools and the Glen Cove community to excel.”
“Mr. Ryan has worked as science teacher in the Levittown school since 1989. He is truly the heart and soul of the department, and an integral part of the MacArthur family. A majority of the science staff was either hired and/or mentored by Mr. Ryan. When chairperson positions were eliminated due to budget constraints he returned to the classroom to resume teaching full time. Mr. Ryan loves to teach and coach, and his students love being in his classroom or on his field.”
“Temps (as her students affectionately call her) is always going above and beyond, not only for her students but for the community as well. When Covid-19 first hit, she could not sit by and do nothing. So, she decided to get together a team to 3D-print face shields and assemble snack bags to be handed out to essential workers. To date, over 1,000 snack bags and 600 face shields have been distributed at no cost to the receivers. She is always there for her students whenever they need her, and alumni are always stopping by to visit and tell her about how much she has impacted their lives.”
“Dr. Ben is the teacher of business at Lynbrook High School. He is the Key Club advisor, senior class advisor, middle school wrestling coach, middle school baseball coach, and he teaches adult education classes in Math and Business at Farmingdale State College. He won Lynbrook High School Founder’s Day PTA award. He works with the Sunrise Senior Living of North Lynbrook community, aiding caroling, virtual BINGO, Mets alumni talks, and baseball games.”
Lynbrook High School
S-13
HEAD of the CLASS - TEACHER'S AWARD - HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 24, 2021
Character and Wellness Development Foundational Math & Literacy Introduction to World Language Experimental Science Innovative STEM Multi-Dimensional Visual Arts Music: Vocal Instruction Full Day of Learning through Play Family Friendly Extended Day Option Available
LWA’s 3K and PreK programs are expertly designed to provide a safe, nurturing and engaging experience during which students flourish emotionally, socially, artistically, intellectually and physically. Our integrated hands-on methodologies develop our students’ respective hearts, minds, and bodies, preparing them for a healthy, happy and successful future.
The building blocks for your child’s education Invest In Your Child’s Wellbeing, Education, and Future Today Limited Enrollment Capacity
Contact Admissions to schedule a tour
(516)374-9000 · admissions@lawrencewoodmere.org · www.lawrencewoodmere.org
336 Woodmere Blvd. · Woodmere, NY 11598
SAVE $5000 UP TO
1133399
*
WITH PSE&G REBATES ON THE INSTALLATION OF A CENTRAL, DUCTLESS, OR HEAT PUMP SYSTEM LWA’s 3K and PreK programs are expertly designed to provide a safe, nurturing and engaging experience during which students flourish emotionally, socially, artistically, intellectually and physically.
Character and Wellness Development Foundational Math & Literacy Introduction to World Language Experimental Science Innovative STEM Multi-Dimensional Visual Arts Music: Vocal Instruction Full Day of Learning through Play Family Friendly Extended Day Option Available
CALL NOW! (516) 210-6321 * Discount based on unit capacity
Our integrated hands-on methodologies develop our students’ respective hearts, minds, and bodies, preparing them for a healthy, happy and successful future.
The building blocks for your child’s education Invest In Your Child’s Wellbeing, Education, and Future Today Limited Enrollment Capacity
airdesigninc.com 336 Woodmere Blvd. · Woodmere, NY 11598
(516)374-9000 · admissions@lawrencewoodmere.org · www.lawrencewoodmere.org
1134834
Contact Admissions to schedule a tour
S-14
June 24, 2021 — HEAD of the CLASS - TEACHER'S AWARD - HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
High School
LONG ISLAND TEACHER AWARDS
WINNER
Rebeca Rodriguez East Rockaway Foreign Language
East Rockaway High School foreign language teacher Rebecca Rodriguez doesn’t remember why she got into teaching, but she knows she loves it. “To tell you the truth, it was so long ago, I don’t even remember why,” says Rodriguez.“I think it was back in the 1980s — I’m on my way to retirement now — and it was the perfect job for me as I had a young family.” Teaching foreign language remotely during the pandemic has been hard on Rodriguez, who strives to form strong bonds with her students.“I was actually in tears a lot of times this year that I wasn’t able to be there and to see the kids,” she says.“A lot of the teachers told me it’s just as difficult for us because with the mask on, you can’t even see facial expressions, and most of the things that we do are by noticing kids’ facial expressions. If a kid is confused, if a kid is sad that day, if they’re disturbed about something, you really can’t even see it because of the face mask.” Rodriguez has great empathy and fondness for her students, which comes across in how she describes them.“Over the years, there have been so many experiences that I think about and make me cry,” she says.“I keep in touch with a lot of my students. They text me. I give them my phone number when they graduate, because I teach 10th, 11th and 12th grade. I give them my phone number and I say, ‘Anything that you need, or if you want to get in touch.’” Many of Rodriguez’s students come to an early-morning extra help session, which helps her build relationships with them.“I always come in early, and I open up my classroom. We call it the gossip session,” she says with a laugh.“A whole bunch of kids come in. My class starts at 8 o’clock, but I’m there at about 7:15. I open up my classroom, and the kids just come in and sit there and have breakfast and tell me about their day before. It’s usually maybe 10, 12 different kids, and they’ll say, ‘Oh, I came in through for you to help me with homework, but you know what happened yesterday?’ I hear about their basketball game, or I hear what they were doing last night or what movie they saw. That is my favorite time of the day.” As someone who has been teaching her entire adult life, Rodriguez has seen a shift in focus toward standardized testing that she finds worrying.“It forces teachers to stop being creative and just stick to the test. That’s not fair. We’re trying to say, by testing the kids that they’re like forming this cookie cutter pattern for them, and then every single kid is
an individual, you can’t grade them by a standardized test and say that everyone has to score the same.” Rodriguez sees the potential in students beyond their ability to score well on a test.“Every single child is different, and you need to try and teach them the way that they learn and for the needs that they have. If we’re expecting that everybody’s going to be the same, what a boring world.” Rodriguez has words of wisdom and love for her students:“Just stay curious, always, and learn. There’s always something new to learn, to have fun with, to find out about. Always keep your minds open. It’s such a great world out there. We just get hit with all the ugliness all the time. That’s what we read about in newspapers most of the time, and see on TV. Everybody focuses on the bad. There are so many great things going on out there. Keep growing and keep learning.”
S-15
ROSE FENCE, INC. FREE ESTIMATES
FREEPORT SHOWROOM 345 West Sunrise Highway 516-223-0777 SuFFOlk COuNTy 631-427-7442
1134622
NORTh ShORE 516-759-6425
www.RoseFence.com
Visit our Freeport Showroom & Compare our Quality & Prices
Girl Scouts are making meaningful, sustainable changes in their communities and around the world through the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn. These 79 young women are courageous leaders and visionary changemakers. They are our future, and it looks bright!
BALDWIN Eden Gould-Anderson Leanna Pignataro BAY April Cerami BELLMORE Stamatia Papazis CENTRAL PARK Brianna Rogers Mia Schecter EAST MEADOW Kate Laico ELLM Sara Bahri Christina Franco Sara Lombardi Marisa Welch GARDEN CITY Marisa Fernandez Sarah Fetherston Jacqueline Kelly Maryann Savino Lindsey Stevenson Grace Fong Arianna Isopo
HARDSCRABBLE Brittney Williams
MANHASSET PORT WASHINGTON Isabella Acerra Catherine Collins Brooke Bosse Lindsay Collins HEMPSTEAD Katharine Caputi Jillian de Reyna Anisha Akins Cristina Caputi Yazmeen Deyhimi Samya Suarez Kaitlyn Clarke Ashley O’Neill Gabriella D’Angelo HERRICKS Aphrodite Dimopoulos ROCKVILLE CENTRE Valerie Calandra Isabella Verga Jamie George Mary Fernandez Ava Kulka SEAFORD/WANTAGH Kayla Huang Rebecca Petras Amber Joneleit Courtney Blom Paige Theodosopoulos Jessica Kopping Hanna Carey Barbara Timmerman Jacqueline Manetta Julianne Crawford Katerina Tsongas Briana Ranallo Julia Froese Emily Weigand Charlotte Santosus Margaret Gates MASSAPEQUA Audrey Santosus Madeline Kollar Jennifer Schmidt Celeste Pozderec Alexandra Lachnicht Kristal Soo Juliana Lovett SHORE Emma Theodoropoulos Katie Moran Zoe Varkaris ISLAND BEACH OCEANSIDE THE PLAINS Summer Roberts Sarah Visconti Nicolette Kenney JERICHO/SYOSSET PARK WARM Rachel Borzone Jenna Curran Olivia Christel Jillian Hooey PLAINEDGE Julia Perrino Elizabeth Michaels Jocelyn Bunster Danielle Nodelman WEST HEMPSTEAD/ Katie Cruz FRANKLIN SQUARE Emily McKenna Stefanie Moratti Kathryn Murdoch 1132923
Congratulations to the 2021 Class of Gold Award Girl Scouts
HEAD of the CLASS - TEACHER'S AWARD - HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 24, 2021
Serving Long Island and Queens for 43 Years With Maintenance Free Fencing
June 24, 2021 — HEAD of the CLASS - TEACHER'S AWARD - HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
S-16
Thank you for investing in tomorrow’s leaders Bank of America is proud to congratulate the Head of the Class finalists and awardees for showing our young people that hard work, teamwork and reaching for excellence can lead to a bright tomorrow. You’re an inspiration to our future leaders and to us all. Visit us at bankofamerica.com/local.
©2021 Bank of America Corporation | MAP3424741 | ENT-215-AD