001Good evening everyone. I'd like to call the meeting, this is official, the beginning is official. I'd like to call the meeting of the Grant Board of Education to order. This is a committee of the whole meeting being held on June 9th, 2025 at Grant Middle School. In attendance for the board is Ian Thomas. He's online. Jay Whitloff is online. Matt Schulman, Dean Antipas, and myself, Bev Washington. I'd like to just start off by welcoming everyone here tonight. Thank you all for coming out. This is one of my favorite meetings and two of the reasons is because I don't have to talk about budget. I don't have to talk about transportation. I don't have to talk about curriculum. I don't have to talk about any of those things. The main thing is here to celebrate the
002people in our school district that have made a positive difference to our students and the school community at large. So, I'd like to thank all the awardees and all the people that came out to support them. Thank you all for coming out. This is a celebration. I love celebrations. That's reason number two. This is one of my favorite meetings cuz celebrations are always good. We tend not to have too many celebrations in life. So, this is a positive celebration. So, um and we're celebrating all the awardees. I'd like to give them a big round of applause. And I love to see those smiling faces out there. And I know we're going to have a nice time tonight. So, I'll turn it over to Susan Austin, the superintendent of schools. She stole my thunder. I was
003going to say this is my favorite meeting of the year for all the same reasons. But it really is a pleasure. It's so great to you filled the house and there's rain out there. I really appreciate everybody in attendance. We always say what do we give our kids in school these days? We give them their teachers, their par educators, the friends to education. We give them their substitutes and the custodians and maintenance and all the people that help support our schools and our children. So, thank you for being here. Um I want to tell you that the way the evening's going is each principal and assistant principal will come up to give awards in the middle school, high school and one of the elementary school. We have student poet laurates, Connecticut student writer contest, the
004young playwrights festival winners and cave student leadership in the middle school and high school. So we do have several students being honored and then each school will have a friend of education, a support personnel, a substitute teacher. We have an outstanding PAR educator. We actually have the first one for all of Graten this year that we're really celebrating too. The state has now recognized that and will be taking going to Hartford and with the teacher of the year and um we have recognized teachers and para educators from every building and then a graten para educator and a graten teacher of the year. So should be a good night. I'm going to invite um Katherine Colonowski, Chris Dolphin, and Dan Vaness up to get us started. [Applause] All right, good evening. We are going to start
005with the Katherryn Colosski Friend of Graten Education Award. Jill Martin is Katherryn Kolk's Friends of Education Award recipient. Come on up, Jill. She's our award recipient for her outstanding commitment to our school community. Over the past two years, she's been a dedicated and caring mentor, offering consistent support and encouragement to her student mentee. Jill's warm, positive presence and kindness, genuine kindness, uplift everyone at CK, making her a valued and inspiring member of our school community. Thank you, Jill. [Applause] like to call up Ebie Abbott. Ebie Abbott is this year's recipient of the Support Personnel Award for Kathern Konowski. Ebie shows unwavering dedication to CKMS students and staff through her consistently helpful and joyful attitude. She fosters a welcoming and respectful environment in the food service area, encouraging students to be kind and open to trying
006new foods. Her thoughtful presentation of healthy options makes nutritious choices appealing and accessible to all of our students. Thank you so much, Abby. Abby, thank you. Next we have Laura Hughes. Laura Hughes is Katherine Kolnaskk's substitute of the year award recipient. Laura exemplifies the best qualities of an educator through her kindness, adaptability, and deep commitment to student success. She steps into any role with professionalism and grace, creating a calm and welcoming environment for students and staff alike. Her ability to build meaningful connections and prioritize student needs makes her an invaluable member of the CK community. Congratulations, [Applause] Laura. Thank you. Sophie Liot, come on up. We feel the same way. Sophie Liot is Katherryn Kowsk's Anmarie Murphy Pared Educator Award recipient. Sophie is a dedicated and compassionate PAR educator who excels at building strong relationships
007with students and creating a calm, supportive environment. She is flexible and thoughtful in her approach, adapting to new behavior plans, and consistently advocating for student needs. Sophie's kindness and commitment make her an invaluable part of our school community. Congratulations. And Katherine Kolski is proud to have Maggie Lions as our school's teacher of the year. Maggie is an exceptional educator whose dedication, expertise, and collaborative spirit shine in all she does. She fosters a positive learning environment by engaging students with dynamic lessons that make complex concepts both accessible and fun. Maggie is a valued team member who supports colleagues through resource sharing and encouragement. strengthening the overall school community. Her exceptional time management allows her to meet student needs while contributing meaningfully to the broader school initiatives. In addition to her professional strengths, Maggie's warmth and empathy
008make her a trusted and respected friend to students and staff alike. Congratulations, Maggie. Thank you. Seth Danner and Christy Post, you want to come up for Charles Barnum? Good evening. All right. First up for us, I'd like to call Wayne Burns up here, please. [Applause] Wayne Burns is our graten friend of education recipient and has easily earned this title as an active member of our PTO. To say that Wayne goes above and beyond his role as vice president does not complete does complete injustice to the amount of time and effort he puts into every event and it is evident when you hear students call him the bookf fair guy. He is present at all school events, always finding ways to help the staff and students by picking up pizzas and hauling his Blackstone to school,
009which can come back at any time. All because he loves our school community and we love him back. Congratulations. I walk in the school and all the kids like the books are going up. Next is Danielle Banko. [Applause] Danielle Banko is being recognized as our non-certified staff member and has been serving us as a parah educator first and more recently as a math tutor for a total of eight years at Barnum. Danielle is an integral part of our community proving proving math support I think that's supposed to say providing Mr. Danner typed this. Providing providing math support, doing running clubs before and after school, and most recently, she saved the day by carving a rogue a rogue clothesless child as Mr. Dana was completing a walkthrough with the superintendent. I didn't even know. That's good
010that she didn't notice. Danielle enjoys her work and comes to school with a smile and a positive attitude every day. And we are very proud to recognize the dedication and love that she brings to our building. Congratulations, Danielle. Thank you. I would call Mac Bentley up here next, but I don't believe he's here. So, you can give him a round of applause and then I'll read. Anyway, maybe he's watching. Matt Bentley is being recognized as our Charles Barnum substitute teacher for this year in his third year at our school. M consistently demonstrates professionalism, reliability, and composure when working in all grade levels as it shows through the positive and respectful engagements engagement he creates for students. Quotes from students such as, "He's so nice, he's awesome, we have a secret handshake, and he makes me
011feel really special because he always checks in on me." are just a handful of the reasons MAC makes Barnum a better school. So, congratulations to [Applause] M. Can I have Tasha Roberts, please? Tasha Roberts is being recognized for the Ann Marie Murphy Parah Educator Award for not the for not the first time in her 18 years. I think it's the second is that correct? Second time. Her ability to display empathy, gentle compassion, and patience while seamlessly providing academic and behavioral supports to students is nothing short of perfection. Tasha's ability to have a calm presence in the middle of any situation, her proactive demeanor, and her genuine care for all of our students is one of the reasons she's being recognized and why we are all so proud to have Tasha as part of our team.
012Congratulations. Congratulations. I'll give you All right. Next up, I'd like to call Laura [Applause] Nolton. Laura Nolton is being recognized as Charles Barnham's teacher of the year and is in her seventh year working at Barnham. and her 12th overall for the district as a special education teacher. Laura is known as a team player, not only at work for her own students, but also going out of the way to make positive connections with younger and older students as well, while also finding time to mentor any new teachers in room 9 with her plethora of knowledge and experience. It's been noted that the parents Laura works with are as equally lucky as the children due to her ability to deliver the special education process with ease while gently explaining various disabilities and educational plans and leaving the
013parents feeling confident in her ability to move their children forward. Laura also spends a great deal of time reflecting on her own process, learning herself, seeking out opportunities for professional development, and collaborating with colleagues. Not only with her ability to make learning fun for students that struggle, she is a master at celebrating any and all small victories throughout the course of the day, which ends for her most nights around 8:00. True. We are very proud to call Laura our teacher of the year and know she will continue to support all students and their families. Very good. All right. Now for Mystic River Magnet School, Steve Wheeler and the team. Listen, this is a celebration. So, if you want to hoot and holler, that's fine with me. I won't send you to the principal's office. Welcome
014everyone. We would like to start with Melissa Kofka. She is our friend of education award recipient. All right. We are honored to celebrate Melissa Kofka as Mystic River's friend of education. Melissa jumped in feet first as our community coordinator this year and wore many hats. She quickly organizes everything from field trips to mentors and volunteers with her most recent endeavor single-handedly organizing everyone and everything for field day. Uh she serves as a PTO liaison and even fills in at the front desk. Melissa is a wonderful asset and teammate at Mystic River. Thank you. Next, we'd like to uh have Nicole Eichelberg come up, please. She is our support personnel award recipient. Congratulations. Hi everyone. Uh Nicole has eight years of experience in Norwich as a par profofessional and she spent the past few years at
015Mystic River as a parah a specialed tutor and this year as an tutor. Nicole has a bachelor's degree in childhood psychology from southern New Hampshire. It was during her time in Norwich that Nicole first realized that her passion was in assisting students who truly needed her the most. Nicole is an integral part of our mental health team at Mystic River and she helps our struggling students succeed daily. She wanted to thank her husband Kyle and her beautiful young daughters Callie and Sailor for their support at home. We are very fortunate to have Nicole at Mystic River and this acknowledgement is greatly deserved. Congratulations, Nicole. Next is Vivian McKillip. If you could come up, please as our substitute teacher. Vivian has worked for Graten Public Schools for seven years as a paraprofessional special ed tutor and
016this year is our building substitute of the year. She has the unique ability to succeed in any role she is assigned to, including preschool, ABA, and even our fifth grade. Viven was chosen by Graten Public Schools to receive the Grow Our Own grant, enabling her to pursue her master's degree in special education from Yukon. She is married with three children, a dog, and two cats. We are extremely lucky to have Vivian, and this honor is greatly deserved. Congratulations. [Applause] Okay, next is our outstanding parrot educator, and I'd like to ask Heather Davis to come up, please. [Applause] All right. Heather Davis has worked as a parent educator at Mystic River in the autism program for two years now. She's also a parent in the building. Her dedication to the students, infectious smile, and calm demeanor
017make her an invaluable team player and asset to our school. Thank you, Heather, for all that you do for the Mystic River community. [Applause] Okay. Uh, last but not least, uh, Laura Rasico, our outstanding educator of the year. get you nervous. Laura is a second grade teacher at Mystic River. She meticulously crafts daily lessons that are not only reflect the needs of her students, but are engaging, rigorous, and fun. She depends she spends a lot of time uh building very strong relationships with her students and families that lead to a successful academic and social experience. She does this without any effort and with a level of such care that her students always feel seen, heard, respected and cared for. The moment she that anyone who walks into her room, it is evident immediately the kind
018of learning environment that she creates. She fosters student discourse, differentiation is above all student centered. Her students thrive in the safe, nurturing environment that she has built around them. Laura is also one of our true playmakers. She approaches each day with a positive outlook and looks for ways to have fun while bringing joy to her classroom and the space around her. She is a team player that will always help her colleagues or assist in helping with building committees or activities. We are truly fortunate to have Laura Rasico with us at Mystic River. She is truly one of a kind. Congratulations Amazing. And now for our other river school, Fames River Magnet School, we have Jamie Giri and her team. [Applause] Well, I am thrilled because we have a student award recipient. Well, Arya Patel, come
019on up. Y Arya. Okay, so over 1500 students submit their work each year to the Connecticut Writing Project. Themes River artist Arya Patel submitted a colorfully beautiful painting titled Cozy Fall Raccoon and given a silver award for it. Outstanding. Arya's creativity shines through in this painting as the colors and composition really bring her painting to life. I asked Arya what inspired her to paint it and she said that raccoons are smart and reminded her of fall. Congratulations, Arya. You are such a positive leader at our school. Well done. You're welcome. Nice job. so proud. Um, I'd like to call up Jessica Simpson. She is our Friends of Rotten Award recipient. Come on up, Jessica. We are thrilled that you are our friends of award um, education award recipient. Jessica has been an incredible volunteer and
020one of the driving forces behind launching our PTO, serving as co-president and basically the go-to person for everything. She's always ready to brainstorm no matter the hour and help make staff appreciation week staff appreciation week a blast for all. From book fairs to bake sales, popcorn days, Jessica is there full of energy and ideas. Jessica, your dedication, creativity, and big heart make Fames River a better place. Grant Middle School is quite lucky to have her next year. Congratulations and thank you. All right, dropped all my papers. Give me one sec. Okay, our next would be I'm thrilled to have Denise James head on up as our support personnel of the year. Dames River Magnet School is proud to recognize Denise James as the 202425 non-certified personnel award recipient. Since joining our front office staff, Denise
021has become a dependable and positive presence supporting students, staff, and families with professionalism and care. From training noon team members to caring for our school turtles, Denise's dedication goes far beyond her role and truly makes her a cornerstone of our school community. Congratulations. All right, I'm proud to have Chassity Batty come on up. She is our PAR educator of the year. Outstanding. All right. So, we are proud to recognize Chassity Batty as the river's Magnus School's PAR educator of the year. With 18 years of dedication, dedicated service to Graten Public Schools, Chassity goes above and beyond in supporting both students and staff. She builds strong connections, foster student independence, and consistently promotes a positive, inclusive classroom environment. Known for her calming presence and commitment to student success, Chassity is also a mentor to new PAR
022educators, leading by example and always offering support. Her impact is felt daily, making her a valued and inspiring member of the school community. Congratulations, [Applause] Chassity. Next, I would like to call up Manisha Monahar, who is our substitute teacher of the year. So, Fames River Magnus School is proud to honor Miss Manisha Monahar as our substitute teacher of the year. As a dedicated building substitute for the past two years, Manisha has consistently demonstrated patience, reliability, and a strong commitment to student success. Her ability to connect with students across all grade levels, create a positive learning environment, and ensure continuity in education makes her an invaluable part of our school community. We celebrate her heartfelt heartfelt dedication and the meaningful impact she brings each day. Congratulations, Minish. I'd like to call up Jill Dardi. We are
023thrilled and honored and excited that she is our teacher of the year for Themes River Magnet School. Jill's positivity shines in every situation. Whether it's rain, snow, or heat, she's willing, always willing, with a smile to help. A leader on the special education team, she is known for her creative hands-on lessons and for mentoring new teachers through challenging things such as team and CT sets. Her strong relationships with students to support their academic, social, and emotional growth is par to none. Jill's collaborates seamlessly with staff and students, families, celebrating every success and ensuring that those students thrive at school and at home. On top of it all, she's an incredible mom, making her a truly inspiring presence in our school community. Congratulations, Thel. We are so proud of you. And now, Principal Bass, come on
024down for Graten Middle School. We have a few awards. I'll assist you. Good evening. All right, we're going to start with our 2025 Young Playrights Festival honores. Uh like to start with Rebecca Sai. Rebecca, are you here? Rebecca, give her a round of applause. Come on up, Rebecca. Rebecca Rebecca was a semi- finalist and she wrote a play called To the Top. The United States is at war with Canada, and the only beings on Earth who can stop it are a 12-year-old girl from the USA, Reena, and a magical talking wolf, Fern. These two unlikely allies join together to free the fabled spiracles, mythical creatures that you can only see if you truly believe in them and who spread happiness, kindness, and peace wherever they go. To the Top is a play about perseverance, friendship,
025and holding true to your beliefs. Well done. Way to go, Rebecca. [Applause] Next, Allar Coravo. Allar, are you here? Come on up, [Applause] Allar. All was a guest playwright. Wow. The Magical Monday was the name of her play. It's one of those days for Laya, a sassy girl with a huge personality. First, she wakes up late, then she forgets her homework that's worth 50% of her grade. As if that's not bad enough, she gets sent to the principal's office for talking back to her teacher and for cheating and ends up with three days of detention. Not a personal experience, that's for sure. No, not autobiographical. Okay. All right. It's one of those days she wishes she could just do over. As it turns out, she can because this is no ordinary day. This is a
026magical day. A day where Laya gets a chance to do things right. The magical Monday is a light-hearted and witty play about second chances and the willingness to learn from mistakes. Well done, Allar. Is Elsa Ross here? Come on up, Elsa. Elsa was actually a featured playwright at the Eugene O'Neal Young Playrs Festival. What an [Applause] honor. So, as you might not know, all of our our awardees this year are seventh graders. So, I can't wait to see what happens next year. No pressure, guys. Um, but she was invited to attend the Eugene O'Neal Young Play Arts Festival as a feature playwright. Her play, and tell me if I got it right. Oni Noi. All right. Which translated demon forest takes her readers and viewers on a mysterious journey when a seemingly innocent Japanese ghost
027tour hurls the mystic group into an alternative dimension. They have to use their brains if they ever need a chance at escape. Oni Noi is packed to the brim with action, wit, and a little romance. Awesome. And I trust you had a wonderful experience. Congratulations. All right. Next, we have our CABE award winners. The Connecticut Association of Boards of Education honors two students, eighth graders from each school each year. And this year, I'd like to have Shaolin Johnson and Nicholas Yavoli come forward if they are here. Shaolin, come on up. Shaolin is an outstanding student at GMS. She has demonstrated leadership skills in many ways, both in and out of the classroom. She has consistently been a leader in the orchestra classroom. She's a phenomenal cello player. She has rapport with her peers and is
028able to gain their attention for announcements and provide insightful tips to her section and the orchestra as a whole. She has participated in the Eastern Region Festival all three years as has encouraged classmates to come to extra rehearsals to prepare. She had a solo with a choir and independently prepared herself for the music rehearsals and the concert. She's also an accomplished swimmer and balances her musical activities, which also includes an additional orchestra outside of school with maintaining stellar grades and yearround swimming. She accomplishes all of this with poise and prof professionalism while maintaining social interactions that are relatable with peers of all types of personalities and abilities in all of her classes. Shaolin also plays lacrosse and is a junior sailing instructor. One very admiral quality that Shaolin possesses possesses is the ability to stand
029up for peers who need support when they are not being treated as they should. Shaolin is quite deserving of this award. Way to go Sha. Is Nick Yavoli here? All right, we'll get him his word tomorrow. But Nick is an outstanding member of our eighth grade class. He is a leader within the classroom. For example, in Spanish, he's willing to take risks as one of the top participants. He's quick to offer help to a classmate as he encourages his classmates to also take risks. He has earned the respect of all his classmates. Nicholas is an enthusiastic learner who often goes above and beyond. For the food unit, Nicholas organized a group of his friends and they created a cooking video in Spanish. This was not an assignment. It was just something that he wanted to
030do. He was also a member of the GMS soccer team and plays for multiple soccer teams outside of his school. Outside of the school, he is also a member of the AAU baseball team. Nick has taken a leadership role in being part of fundraising events for his outside of school teams. His leadership in and outside the classroom make him well deserving of this award. Congratulations, Nick. Next, I'd like to recognize Leah Sammons. Leah, would you come up, please? Leah is the GMS Friend of Education Award winner this year. [Applause] Stay here, Leah. Don't go anywhere. I want to talk a little bit. Brag about you and how much we love you here. Just get to the right page. Leah. Leah's dedicated Graten resident who continues to support Graten students by volunteering as a mentor at
031Graten Middle School. As a passionate advocate for our youth, she exemplifies the spirit of community involvement and the impact of giving back. Thank you so much. [Applause] Next is Lloyd Gibson here. I had a feeling he might not make it. Lloyd. Well, Lloyd Gibson is our support personnel person of the year. He's pretty humble and I'm not surprised he didn't show tonight, but that's okay. He's a valued member of our GMS school safety team, recognized for his strong connections with staff and students, and his commitment as the assistant coach of the middle school girls basketball team. Known for his reliability and willingness to help, he's a dedicated presence in our school community. Thank you, Lloyd. Colin Fe, are you here? Colin. Yeah. Colin, first of the ladies to be recognized tonight. I don't want to
032steal any thunder from later on, but Colin is our substitute teacher of the year. He is dedicated and highly respected substitute teacher here at GMS who builds strong relationships with students and staff while consistently contributing to the school's positive culture. His involvement in afterchool coaching and his aspirations as an educator reflect his deep passion and commitment to the field, making him a standout choice for for the substitute teacher of the year award. Congratulations, Colin. [Music] Yes, flowers. Absolutely. All right. Nice. All right. When Miss Jen Corbiel come up, our outstanding PAR educator and Murphy PAR educator award winner. Congratulations. Thank you. Jennifer Gorbiel is a compassionate and dedicated PAR professional here at GMS who consistently supports both students and teachers with exceptional care and commitment. actively involved in afterchool programs and summer work with Treehouse.
033She exemplifies the qualities honored by the Ian Marie Murphy Par Educator Award. Congratulations, Jen. Welld deserved. Thank you. Finally, our outstanding teacher of the year, Ash Curtis. Ash, come on up. Congratulations. All right, let me brag on Ash for a minute. Ash Curtis is an exceptional educator, colleague, and mentor whose kindness, guidance, and unwavering support have made a lasting impact on the school community. Her professionalism, warmth, and deep commitment to student success exemplify what it means to be a truly outstanding teacher and team player. And she is actually, tell you what, she's a mean basketball and volleyball player. She gets out there with the kids and truly, oh yeah, the competitive edge comes out. We like it. Ash has taken on being not only co-advisor to yearbook club this year, but as well as to
034our student council. Her commitment to STEM education is outstanding. She is so very deserving of this special award. Congratulations, Ash. Thank you. All right. I think I've got Principal Brown in the room, too, from Fitch High School. and Amy McKenna joins him with all the goods. All right, I want to start by thanking Peter Bass for letting me borrow your pen. That helped a lot. I also uh just want to let everybody know that we also have uh a lot going on at Fitch almost every night it seems. Uh so we do have an athletic awards night tonight. So, as a as a team, we're really dividing and conquering today. So, I have Amy with me. Um, and the others are at the that event, and some of our kids are at that event as
035well. First, uh, Helen Miller, if you could come up. Helen is Fitch's 2025 poet laurate. Helen's poetry is smart, honest, fearless, and includes an organizi uh an organic mix of form and free verse. Helen [Applause] Miller. Our next award are for our 2025 Young Playrights Festival. We have four semi-finalists. Luchia Hayes Ferici, Charardai Striggles, Lydia Tiff, and Emily [Applause] Tran. Did you get Hallelujah. All right. And our guest playwrights, Katherine Virtue and Megan [Applause] Lacy. All right. And Tia George, can you come on up? Tia George attended the festival as a play uh featured playwright for her play shadows of pride which depicts the tremendous journey people embark on when they believe in something good and uh fight for what really matters in the end honesty and friendship. Tia is our first featured playwright since
0362022. again, Tia George. All right. Uh, next we have our Cave student leadership. Um, and the first one we're going to uh read off is Bella Baruchi. Uh, Bella was unable to attend tonight, but Bella um is an awesome leader in our school. She serves as our senior class president, extremely involved in almost everything. uh super positive and just brightens the day for everyone. Bella Baruchi and then Melanie Fleming, if you could come on up. I would say Mel is probably the most dependable student at Fitch High School. Um, she can be counted on attending every board of ed meeting that we've asked her to and she has persevered through even some of the long ones. Uh, outstanding. Outstanding. Uh, she exemplifies what it truly means to care more. One of our mottos at Fitch
037High School. Um, and she's always focused on doing things for others and never cares about like what it means for her personally. So, Mel Fleming [Applause] All right. Next, I would like to call up Claudia Henle. Claudia is being awarded our friends of education award. Uh Fitch High School is happy to honor Claudia as our friend of education. For the past two years, Claudia was instrumental in the creation of Fitch's NJOTC program. She has assisted in ordering and organizing uniforms for the cadetses. She's attended every major competition which has included area 1 basic leadership training, drone competitions, wreath across America, the subvets, Thanksgiving dinner, uh Graten's 911 remembrance, and I could go on. Um, and first, and really the biggest thing is you've dealt with Terry Hinkle for all this time. So, thank you so
038much. Congratulations. All right. Next, we have our support personnel. Um, can I have Sandy Walton come up? We are thrilled to honor Sandra Miss Sandy Walton, our dedicated head Knight custodian as Fitch High School's outstanding non-certified staff member. Sandy has faithfully served our school community for 30 years. Working, working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure our building remains clean, safe, and welcoming for students, staff, and families. Her commitment, reliability, and pride in her work make her an invaluable part of our Fitch family. Thank you, Sandy, for your decades of service and unwavering dedication. Congratulations on this welldeserved recognition. You will be missed. back everybody. Our next recipient this evening is Mrs. Nicole Jackal. Nicole, can you please come up? Fitch is so honored to recognize Nicole Jackal as our outstanding substitute teacher. The Fitch family
039values the commitment and energy of Mrs. Jackal, a caring and fun teacher who can walk into any classroom and make it a joyful and productive place to learn. She helps make clothes for the theater department, chaperones, dances, advises, dungeons and dragons. I could just go on and on and on about the impact Nicole has on our Fitch family. She is a go-to building sub to acclimate new PDM substitutes. She could help out with an unexpected teacher leave or assist in the implementation of any building program. She brings positivity to Fitch each day and is absolutely amazing with every kind of learner at Fitch. Thank you and congratulations, Nicole. and would Dale Tedesco please come to the podium. Tonight we're honoring Dale as our par educator. Dale Tedesco has a team approach when working with students
040and teachers. She embodies all the qualities of a great mentor, guide, and teacher to the students she works with on a daily basis. She is also highly flexible and embraces change with optimism and is always contributing to student success with valuable feedback. In addition, she is always willing to take on an additional extracurricular activity to support the students who need it. Truly a team player and valued member of our Fitch family. Congratulations to Dale and thank you so much All right. Now, we have our outstanding educator uh is Mr. Jay Wolfrat. Uh Jay is Go ahead. Jay is a proud father and uh right at the moment he is celebrating his son at his senior awards night right across the river at Stonington. So that's why he's not here. So I think we're going to
041excuse it. Uh it is an honor to announce Mr. J. Wolfrat as Fitch Fitch's 2025 teacher of the year. Mr. Wolfrat is so deserving of this award and we are extremely lucky to have him as co-advisor of student leadership. He is critical inspiring energy and falcon pride throughout the nest. He is responsible for our organization marketing and school spirit that has shined through events including powderpuff, pep rally, spirit weeks, March Madness, and this year's first in a longtime staff versus student basketball game. On top of all this, he is an outstanding PE teacher that blends his lessons with instruction and competition. He is certainly a teacher and coach that I wish I had when I was a student. So, congrats to Mr. Wolfrat and thank you so much for all that you do. Thank you.
042And last but not least, Northeast Academy. Got Mrs. Wheeler and Principal Cheney coming on down. I would like to begin by calling Robin Arnold forward. [Applause] This year's friend of education recipient for Northeast Academy is near and dear to the hearts of many NEA students and parents. Robin Arnold has driven bus 30 for NEA for many years. A bus which is typically packed to the brim front to back. She always has a smile on her face, truly takes the time to get to know each child on her bus, and treats every student seated behind her like her own. Her friendliness is contagious, and her students are always eager to board her bus at the end of the day. Robin, thanks for taking such great care of so many NEA kids over the years. All right.
043Next, I'm going to call forward Gerardo Torres. Come on up, Gerardo. Since joining our school just a few years ago, Gerardo has become a fixture in the hallways of Northeast Academy during the afternoon and evening hours. He is extremely friendly, helpful, and positive with everyone he interacts with. Gerardo is truly like a ball of sunshine when he arrives each day close to dismissal time. He takes his work seriously. I can hear him chuckling. and we appreciate him very much. Gerardo, we are glad you're part of the [Applause] team. All right, I'd like to call Lenor Pluff up. Lenor is our substitute of the year and she's the kind of team member that every school dreams of. She handles every assignment with professionalism and grace, seamlessly stepping into all positions within the building. Lenor knows every
044student and staff member, creating meaningful relationships that reflect her deep care and dedication. She's also PTO president and a future teacher currently pursuing her own education degree and a mother to three wonderful children. And with all of that, she truly embodies the spirit of Wonder Woman. Uh we look forward to the day that she has her own classroom hopefully at NEA. But we're grateful right now that she does call NEA home. [Applause] All right. Um, for our next I'd like to call up Kimberly Fee. And before I even um begin, it's very clear how deep her dedication and passion for not only Northeast but um all the Grunt public schools as I gave her daughter the parah of the year for NEA last year and her son Colin just got building substitute. So it runs
045deep. Um Kimberly Fehee is not only our parah educator of the year at Northeast um she's also the PAR educator of the year for the district. uh she is a cornerstone of the NEA community and a vital part of our school culture. I've had the honor of working with her not only um as an administrator but also as a teacher and I can honestly say that I cannot imagine NEA without her. She puts in so much additional time and energy to advocate for the best for all PAR educators in the district with her leadership role within the union. Her reliability and dedication make her an incredible valuable presence in the district as seen by her chosen by the district-wide committee as well as every classroom that she supports benefiting both students and teachers. With her
046calm, caring demeanor, Kim sets a powerful example for all staff working with students. She's a role model for new PAR educators on our staff as well as a sounding board and a source of experience and expertise for all staff. Her ability to communicate, collaborate, and follow through with special education teachers, classroom teachers, and other service providers easily demonstrates how thorough she is. She knows not only her students so well, but all students, and supports them through moments of productive struggle, always encouraging growth and independence, and she always does it with a smile on her face and a wonderful sense of humor. We are proud to honor someone who represents the very best of what it means to be part of the NEA family. [Applause] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank
047you. Thank you so much. All right, Mrs. Stripes, the time has come. Come on up here, please. Here we go. It is uh truly an honor to stand before you tonight as we recognize Mrs. Anna Maria Stripes as the Northeast Academy and Graten Public Schools Teacher of the Year. I'll keep there is nobody more deserving of this double award than Anna. and I am beyond thrilled for her to receive this outstanding recognition. When you picture an elementary school classroom teacher who you happily send your child to school with each day, you picture her. When you hear stories about the teacher who truly knows each child in their classroom and works tirelessly to help them achieve, you hear the name Mrs. Stripes. And when you see a teacher who pours her heart and soul into every
048child she teaches every year, no matter the challenges, you see Mrs. Stripes. As a parent of a child headed to first grade in the fall, I truly wish I could transplant her to Waterford for just one year to be my son's teacher, but I'm sorry, Anna. I will not let you go. The irony in all of this is that Anna really wasn't set on even being observed for the opportunity to become Graten's teacher of the year. She wanted to, then didn't want to, then changed her mind again and decided to do it. After being observed and debriefing with the committee, unbeknownst to me, she won. The committee showed up at Northeast Academy on a Monday morning and totally surprised our entire school community. What a beautiful organic gift that was. In hindsight, it was fitting
049how it all played out. To my friend and colleague, Mrs. Stripes, congratulations is not enough. The most appropriate words for this occasion are, "Thank you. Thank you for your endless commitment to the students we serve. Thank you for your honesty, your sincerity, and your willingness to go above and beyond for the students you teach, even when that means I have to tell you at 6 p.m. to please go home. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in recognizing this year's NEA and Graten Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Anna Maria Stripes. All right, I am really really honored. I I can't believe that I'm here in front of everyone right now. Um there were so many deserving people just listening to each teacher uh just each principal describe the teachers of the year for their building. Anybody
050could have been chosen for this honor. So I'm I'm really humbled. Um I'd like to thank my um I'd like to thank my colleagues for choosing me and nominating me. I'd like to thank my um the former teachers of the year that came and observed me and interviewed and surprised me with this honor and I just try to do my utmost every day to support students and the staff at our school and I am I'm really thankful. Thank you. Well, now you can see why chair um Beverly has always said this is the best meeting of the year. So, we really thank you for coming out. Um it was just a wonderful evening and learning more about every single one of you who were honored tonight. Really thank you for all that you do. It's
051amazing. And don't forget to have a cookie and a juice on your way out. And Beverly's gonna close out the meeting. I'm going to close it out the way I started it. It was great seeing everyone. Thank you all for coming out. It's been a great celebration and um congratulations to all the awardees and enjoy the cookies and the punch and socialize and do a little dancing if you want to. But have a good night. Okay, Good turn.