EHEA WAVELENGTHS May 2018 Editor: Beth Sklar
Jeff Leake, left, won the contested election for Connecticut Education Association President and Tom Nicholas, right, won the contested election for CEA vice president. Jeff and Tom will begin their three year terms on July 15, 2018.
Thanks to Steve Archibald, Jon Baine, Kristen Keska and Kathy Conklin for attending the CEA Representative Assembly last weekend. It was the 170th CEA Representative Assembly. Go here to read information about our new CEA leaders: CEA Elections
Please attend the East Hampton Education Association General Membership meeting on Thursday, June 7, 2018. The location will be posted on the website: EHEA Website
The following teachers are being honored at the EHEA Teacher Appreciation Program on May 24, 2018:
Judy Foberg
Memorial School Special Education Teacher
I would like to nominate Judy Foberg for the TAP
award this year from Memorial School. My name is Stacey Gibson. I am the Smart
Start Pre-k teacher. Judy Foberg is a special education teacher across the hallway
from me. She teaches small groups of children every day and often our children
engage in activities together to support each other. We play. We sing. We learn and
grow together daily.
It is not uncommon to see her stretching in yoga, dancing to go noodle, dressing
up like a Dalmatian for the 101st day, geared up in her snow clothes building forts or
snowmen, or sporting her cheetah gear at school. Judy has a heart of gold and always
shows it each day at school. She is full of school spirit and has clear daily goals for her
children to meet.
Judy works with a small group of children daily but goes over and above for each
of the. She carefully plans out individual plans for each child, knowing what is best for
each of them. She works extensively with interventionists, therapists, and other
teachers on a daily basis. You can definitely say Judy works well with others.
When I first transitioned over to pre-k this year, Judy was the first to welcome
me, help me, taker her time to help me unload daily car loads full of stuff, and offer
guidance. Just the other day, I was expressing this to a colleague and they said the
same thing, when first hired at Memorial Judy was one of the first smiling faces she
saw and was there to to welcome help.
Judy extends this kindness throughout the school. She is the go to Thanksgiving
planning/cooking woman each year for the staff. She goes over and above each year
to create an awesome feast!
For these reasons and many more, I know Judy Foberg deserves a TAP award.
It is said, “If you can be anything be kind”. Whoever was quoted saying this must have
been talking about Judy. She will support you, help you, teach you and always will
choose kind.
Lisa Forcellina
Memorial School Kindergarten Teacher
It is with great enthusiasm that I nominate Lisa Forcellina to be
recognized at the East Hampton Education Associations’ Teacher Appreciation
banquet. Lisa has been teaching at Memorial School for going on three years and has
proven herself a stellar teacher and supportive colleague in that time.
Lisa shows best practices, enthusiasm and innovation in her teaching techniques
and is willing to share these techniques with her colleagues. Whether it is sharing out
a parent communication template, a student reflection piece that she has had success
with, or discussing one on one classroom management strategies, Lisa is a true team
player. Working with our youngest learners, Lisa has the ability to remain energized
while keeping her students focused.
Lisa demonstrates leadership at the building level by being an active member of
the PBIS committee, regularly attending BOE and PTO meetings, helping to plan and
organize school wide reading events, and participating in various school events and
initiatives. In addition, Lisa seeks out ways to bring school and community members
into the classroom to foster new learning experiences for her students. She invests a
great deal of time and energy into grade level fundraisers and community projects and
models genuine community spirit for her students. I believe that Lisa is an exemplary
example of what a teacher should be!
Ian Lynch-Passarelli Memorial School Special Education Teacher
I would like to nominate Mr. Ian Lynch-
Passarelli for a TAP award this year. Mr. Lynch-
Passarelli dedicates an amazing amount of time and effort in order to promote student
learning and success. He is often one of the last people to leave the building on any
given day.
Ian works tirelessly to collaborate with teachers and is flexible with changing his
schedule to meet the needs of others. He shares his new learning and takes time to
explain lessons, successes and new technologies being used in his classroom.
Ian communicates with families on a regular basis and shares communication
with others. He demonstrates professionalism and wisdom when speaking with
parents and others about his student’s needs.
When observing Ian working with students his patience and insight is evident.
He inspires and empowers his students to try new math and reading strategies that
help his students to succeed. He shares new cutting edge technology that helps
students write with more stamina and understanding.
Mr. Lynch-Passarelli works tirelessly to track and share date that will help direct
lesson planning and promote greater student understanding.
Ian is an example to other teachers and colleagues and we are so fortunate to
have him here in East Hampton.
Lois Sprague
Center School Music Teacher
It is with great pleasure and excitement that I nominate Lois Sprague for a 2018
East Hampton Education Associations’ Teacher Appreciation Award. Lois is the
Center School music teacher, instrument teacher, and the leader of the fourth, fifth,
and combined fourth and fifth grade bands.
Her instructional technique is noteworthy as are her enthusiasm for learning,
teaching, and student success. Lois’ enthusiasm and love for the profession is most
evident when one of the bands is performing in public. During every number her joy
and love of teaching is evident by her vibrant smile. She truly relishes in the success
of each and every one of her students and beams after each performance.
Lois is a skilled communicator with all stakeholders in East Hampton’s education
system. Expectations of practice and commitment to “learning” an instrument are clear
and shared with families of students at Center. An event that involves students from
several buildings is the instrument petting zoo that she helps coordinate. It is wildly
successful and fosters interest in furthering music education among students entering
fourth grade. Lois played an integral role in the recent “Step-Up Concert” which
involved the entire district’s schools performing together. This was an incredibly
successful event.
It’s fitting to end on a positive note, or should I say, a PBIS note! Lois is a
member of Center School’s Positive Behavior program. She always has a lot of
innovative and fun ideas during meetings when the team is tasked with creating new
and exciting initiatives at Center.
Lois is a great candidate for this award because of all of the reasons shared in
this letter. It is important to point out that all of her contributions to the learning
community of Center School can’t be outlined in one page. Lois is a consummate
professional and East Hampton is a better place because she is a part of it.
Mindy Wilkie
Center School Reading Specialist
Although a recent addition to our Center School
family, our reading specialist’s commitment and
dedication to both the students and staff or our school
community make Mindy Wilkie worthy of being nominated for this year’s TAP award.
From the moment you walk into her classroom, her love for all things literacy is
obvious. She has created an inviting oasis where even the most reluctant readers feel
welcome. Her efforts to “build” a collection of high interest books at differentiated
levels to support all learners in just a short amount of time is commendable. Her door
is open to all students despite their reading level, and she willingly shares favorite titles
hoping to instill a love of learning in every student. Walking by her room, you are apt to
see her making book recommendations or assisting readers with their “shopping” as
they fill their book buckets with their selections for the week.
Likewise, Mindy works hard to be a supportive peer colleague to all staff. She
often meets on a daily basis to help plan a scope and sequence of lessons, offer her
fresh perspective to written curriculum, and provide feedback to enhance lessons. As
a support staff member often assigned to work in our classrooms, her collaboration
skills are seamless. She is able to enter the classroom, often mid-lesson, assess the
needs of the learners, and immediately begin co-teaching or conferring. Her
knowledge of current trends in both reading and writing is impressive however she
continually challenges herself to grow professionally by seeking out new learning which
she enthusiastically shares with her ELA teachers.
As part of her responsibilities as Center School’s reading specialist, Mindy takes
a leadership role to coordinate and facilitate bi-monthly ELA meetings as well as
monthly coffee talks across the district. She is a member of the district’s report card
committee and Center School’s PBIS team. This year she also volunteered as a co-
advisor to the Center School Press, our school newspaper, and was instrumental in
coordinating our Read Across America festivities including her very own photo booth!
Without a doubt, Mindy is a valuable and important member of Center School.
We feel fortunate to have her as part of our literacy team and look forward to our
continued collaboration with her in the future.
Keri Parsons East Hampton Middle School Social Studies Teacher
Greetings from East Hampton Middle School! My name
is Jody Dumeer and i would like to nominate Keri Parsons as
a TAP honoree. She and I have worked together for a number of years. She is a
professional staff member who could be used as a role model for novice teachers.
Keri develops exciting lessons for the students who are lucky enough to have her
for social studies. When I am walking by her class I can hear students talking about
Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Greece and South America. The kids have haptic “labs”
from time to time in her classes, and these activities add a great deal of fun to the
learning process.
Keri is so interested in reaching her students and meeting their needs that she
has set up an early morning tutorial session from 7:15-7:45 five days a week. This
innovative practice allows time outside of the school day for one-on-one sessions
wherein Keri can create a tailor-made lesson in an area of need for the children who
attend the A.M. workshop.
Keri is also on top of her game when it comes to communicating with parents. In
team meetings, when we discuss a child who is not doing well, Keri will volunteer to
email or call the parent(s) that need a meeting or a current readout of how their
youngster is doing in school. She also sets up meetings with parents and takes
minutes during those meetings.
One of Keri’s faults is that she does not know how to say “No”; so at this time she
is an original member of the PDEC committee, Team 6/7/team leader, a member of the
negotiating committee, and is earning her 092! She is one busy lady, but she actually
appears to thrive when she has work to do and people to see and events or activities
to plan.
I am proud to endorse Keri parsons as a TAP honoree for the 2017-2018 school
year.
Angela Caldara
East Hampton Middle School Language Arts
Teacher
I would like to nominate East Hampton Middle
School English & Language Arts Teacher Angela Caldara as a recipient of the 2017-
2018 East Hampton Education Association Teacher Appreciation Program.
Ms. Caldara has the gift of creating a deep enjoyment of reading in all students.
In today’s data driven Lexile level SRBI SBAC testing culture, Ms. Caldara conveys a
superb ability to instill reading comprehension, confidence and success in all learners.
Ms. Caldara also has real love for East Hampton Middle School. Whether it’s
discussing strategies to improve reading skills, asking a question at a faculty meeting,
talking about jazz music, or even reminiscing about a recent golf outing, her bright
personality lights up a room with her enthusiasm.
I hope East Hampton Education Association recognizes Angie as a recipient for this
award.
Carl Pastor
East Hampton Middle School Art Teacher
I would like to nominate East Hampton Middle
School Art Teacher Carl Pastor as a recipient of the
2017-2018 East Hampton Education Association
Teacher Appreciation Program.
Mr. Pastor is a very talented art teacher and artist and he brings out the best
from all students in his art classes. Simply walk into Mr. Pastor’s classroom; student
artwork on the walls, desks, and tables rivals work seen in an art museum! In addition,
students in Mr. Pastor’s classroom create and save their beautiful artwork on a variety
of Chromebook apps that can then be presented as a portfolio to their friends and
families and at their Student Centered Conferences.
Mr. Pastor also contributes many hours to the East Hampton community outside
of his teaching schedule. He is the assistant EHMS Cross Country Coach, and
currently is Specials Team Leader. In addition, Mr. Pastor has created special art
projects for the East Hampton 250th birthday celebration, and created a special new
EHMS East Hampton 2025 District Vision of Education Panther logo.
EHMS and the East Hampton community is a great place to be because of
EHMS art teacher Mr. Pastor.
Steve Archibald East Hampton High School Spanish
Teacher
Steve Archibald is a champion for all
students and teachers, and he is very
deserving of this award. Steve is often seen chatting with students and he has created
a great rapport with them. He is a teacher who always put his students’ well-being first;
he teaches the core values of our school community by living our values.
Steve’s compassion is demonstrated daily with everyone who comes into contact
with him. Steve will listen and immediately act to help. If a teacher needs him to
remedy an issue, Steve is on it.
Archy, as he is affectionately called, will go to bat for his students too! He
contributes to our school community in ways some people may not ever notice. Steve
organizes Tennis Club in Glastonbury for a team that he no longer coaches, but is
committed to the team and its success. He also makes great efforts to bring diversity
to East Hampton High by bringing our students to Youth Forums around the state. Oh,
and let’s not forget that he (are there kids in the room?) shh… is Santa every year for
many kids… he has even been known to go to colleagues’ homes as Santa.
Steve is an EHPS must-have. He is an advocate for over 160 peers and untold
numbers of students. He is logical and sound when he helps colleagues with issues.
He has also been on a number of negotiation teams to help obtain a fair and
reasonable contract.
It is indeed a privilege to nominate Steve Archibald as a TAP honoree!
Kristen Keska East Hampton High School Social Studies Teacher
No one knows what EHHS would do without Kristen
Keska. She is a passionate teacher, a motivated
advocate, and an amazingly productive person.
Kristen doesn’t just “demonstrate” an enthusiasm for learning and teaching; she
exudes it! Her interest in all things social studies is avid and evident; she’s always
looking for new information and angles to present to her students, whether in modern
US history or AP government. She was one of the first teachers at the high school to
pilot Google Classroom as an instructional tool. She quickly became an expert not
only at using its many features to enhance instruction and assessment for her
students, but also offered to train other teachers. Now, thanks largely to her, it’s a
widely utilized web tool at our school. Kristen doggedly pursues excellence and
inspires her students to do the same. For example, research papers are something
many people might consider dull or dry, but not in Mrs. Keska’s class. I once heard her
tell a class that their introductions should be “soul-hurtingly good”. If students’ work is
not up to par or if they are behind on work, they can be assured that she will call them
in during X block and help them achieve what they are capable of. No one falls
through the cracks in her class.
Kristen is actively and enthusiastically involved in the community of the high
school and of East Hampton. She advises the Interact club, which involves organizing
and overseeing dozens of high school students participating in myriad community
service projects. In this capacity, she also makes lasting connections to community
organizations both within and beyond East Hampton’s borders, such as the ABC
Women’s Shelter. Though she lives far away, she’s the first one to volunteer to help
out at or attend school events such as Cabaret Night or chaperoning field trips. In
these ways, she gets to know students outside of the classroom setting and also
shows her colleagues that she admires and supports their efforts.
As the EHEA’s membership chair, Kristen keeps us all up to date about options
and opportunities afforded us as CEA members, including discounts, freebies, and
social activities. Furthermore, she’s always happy to lead professional development
workshops and informally share tips and tricks. She also is constantly interested in
learning new strategies and ideas herself. She even came in over the summer to
participate in a training session on our school’s new Makerbot 3D printer.
Kristen’s energy and efficiency are remarkable. Everyone at EHHS know that if
you want to get something done, she is the person to call. We’re very lucky to have
her as our colleague.
Lia Straub
East Hampton High School Math Teacher
Lia Straub is one of the most dedicated
teachers you could meet. She is constantly striving
to better herself both personally and professionally
and is not happy unless she is putting in 200%. Lis
has developed many cooperative learning activities
with her colleagues. The students love these
activities as they help them apply math to real world situations. Some of these
activities are breakouts, coding activities, a battle drones activity, balancing chemical
equations, a slope name art mini project and ordered pairs project to name just a few.
With the high school going one-to-one this year with chromebooks, Lia has been
a leader in
the math department with implementing different technologies. She is always willing to
share what she is doing with her department and has taken suggestions from her
colleagues to further increase her technology use with the students.
Lia has a wonderful relationship with her students. Many of her former students
visit her, confide in her, and bring her small tokens of their appreciation. Students are
always happy to see her, have a positive relationship with her, and respect her.
Students who may not come across as caring about their school work are eager to
work for Lia and want to do their best in her class, she brings out the best in many
students!
Lia’s sense of humor is another great quality, maybe one of her best. She is able
to find the humor in any situation and always makes her colleagues and students
laugh. We know in this profession that laughter is very important! Lia makes EHHS a
better place and we are lucky to have her!
THINGS TO KNOW….● July 1, 2018 there will be some changes to our health
insurance. Find out what they are. Also, make sure you know what the HEP requirements are.
●Please let Kristen Keska, EHEA Membership Chair know if your contact information has changed. This includes your phone number(s), address and home email account.
● NEA has some super discounts and great deals:NEA cash rewards card, travel savings, loans, ideas on how to manage stress, insurance, travel tips, reduced rates at parks, museums and more!
●Check your teaching certificate to see when it expires. Be sure to put your paperwork in early if it is time to renew! CT SDE Educator Search
●If you are retiring, check out the CEA Retired membership brochure. Membership does have some fabulous benefits!
●In the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee, you can email your state legislator and thank him/her for supporting our issues!
●Teachers in your building are serving on the team negotiating our next contract. Thank them for the time they’ll be spending on the contract this summer!
●Please speak with your building representative and go to cea.org to find out about Summer Leadership. There's still time to register: CEA Summer Leadership 2018
And now a few words from Kristen Keska, EHEA Membership ChairHello and Good Morning!
Your friendly neighborhood membership chair here trying to encourage activism in our profession and union causes and here to save you money and to make the most out of your EHEA/CEA/NEA membership. Please check our website often. https://eheateachers.wordpress.com/. Not only does it celebrate the awesomeness of our colleagues in EHEA and nationally, but it has valuable insurance information.
Question/Straw Poll- If I was able to get group tickets to Marvel Universe Live! Age of Heroes at the XL Center, would you be interested? I would aim for the Saturday, November 3, 2018 3 o’clock performance. If I get responses totaling over 15 seats, I can investigate ticket prices. Please only respond if interested (send me at text at 860-944-0522 or email me at [email protected]). Here is a link to the performance: http://www.xlcenter.com/events/detail/marvel-universe-live-age-of-heroes
Here are May’s highlighted discounts:
CEA:1. Yard Goats! I am planning on Friday, July 27 but there is a game on Friday August 24. A night game,
fireworks, 100s of my closest union buddies, what could be better? Please consider joining me and other EHEA members at the game: http://www.cea.org/memberbenefits/
2. Not CEA/NEA related, but I love this program: Free Fun Friday’s, Massachusetts: “Our Free Fun Fridays offer visitors no-cost admission to many of the most treasured cultural venues in Massachusetts. This program was created to increase access and enrichment opportunities for children and families throughout Massachusetts during the summer months. Every Friday, from the end of June through the end of August, multiple sites are open for free. We reach out to schools, veterans groups, libraries, seniors centers, and many other community organizations to ensure that everyone knows that they are also welcome.” http://www.highlandstreet.org/programs/free-fun-fridays
3. Mohegan Sun Women’s Basketball: Save up to 27% and get tickets as low as $20. http://www.cea.org/memberbenefits/attractions/sports-entertainment/
NEA:1. Who wants $500??? “https://secure.neamb.com/sweepstakes3-entry.htm
“NEA Member BenefitsMember Appreciation Giveaway
Prize: Win a $500 Visa® Reward Card! (5 winners)
NEA Member Benefits celebrates you throughout Member Appreciation month with this special giveaway! It’s our way of saying “thank you” for your dedication to education.
You can enter daily to increase your chances of winning a $500 Visa Reward Card. This sweepstakes is only available to registered NEA members, so be sure to login each time you visit neamb.com.”