2021 Board of Education Award for Excellence

Julika Von Stackelberg, Family & Community Resilience Educator

Submitted by Paul Saladino, Katherine O’Sullivan & Erin Milteer

Julika Von Stackelberg, MA is a credentialed parenting educator and certified parenting coach who focuses on building resilience for families and the community at Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange. Julika teaches a variety of parenting and family life topics, including workshops for professionals who are working with families and children. She co-chairs the Orange County Parenting Coalition and currently spearheads the Orange County ResilienceProject. Julika also serves on a number of committees that address structural racism and implicit biases and that strive to create anti-racist services in the community. Julika has an international background, which includes working towards ending gender-based violence and community building.

Julika is an invaluable community partner who over the past few years has provided the Washingtonville Central District with numerous essential parenting workshops and vital mental health resource information. She has facilitated the following WCSD workshops at no cost: Building Resilient Families, Discipline is Not a Dirty Worker (four session series), Strengthening Families (seven-week series with both parents and students participants), and Let’s Talk Racism parent workshop. During the past academic year Julika was kind enough to create a pre-recorded virtual parenting workshop entitled RAISING RESILIENCE that provided our district parents with practical and effective coping strategies for dealing with unique parenting challenges and student trauma fostered by the global pandemic. In November, Julika also provided a very informative virtual Google Meet professional development workshop for all district staff on Fostering Resilience through the Washingtonville Teacher Center. Julika has donated much personal time and effort in the creation and delivery of these powerful learning opportunities.

Based on Julika’s many valued past contributions to the WCSD and her infectious dedicated authentic spirit, Julika receives our highest recommendation for this award.

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Kenneth Myers, Head Custodian @ High School

Submitted by Miranda Frisbee and the Frisbee Family

Mother Teresa is credited with saying “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples”.  This quote fits one person in particular who has made many ripples in assisting with students, staff and the community in his quiet unassuming manner.  This person is Mr. Ken Myers, Head Custodian at the High School.

Mr. Kenny has been an influential person throughout my whole life.  I met Mr. Kenny when I was younger, and he has been a helping hand through my whole school experience.  “Living” at the high school, I often would have to ask for help to reach my father’s room or locate him after school hours.  Mr. Kenny would be the first to come to mind.  He always had my back and would help my family and I with anything we need.

Not only did he help me, but he also helped my Dad.  My Dad, Mr. Frisbee, so many times talked about nominating Mr. Kenny but unfortunately passed away before he was able to do this.  Mr. Kenny was always helpful through all of the school events my Dad hosted:  dance recitals, babysitting nights, honor inductions and any other school function that my family happened to help run.  He would work tirelessly to support us in our endeavors.  He would help set things up, move tables and chairs, and always see how the event turned out at the end of the night.

Last year in particular, Ken was a comfort to our family when we needed to clean out my father’s belongings.  It was already a surreal situation not being school.  Now to return to the eerie quiet hallways to pack up my Dad’s life was difficult.  He allowed us as much time as we needed and also helped us move almost twenty-five years of belongings out to our car.

He made sure to say comforting words to my sister at graduation last June and tell her how proud he was.  This is by no means something he does just for my family, he follows through with all faculty, staff and students in his quiet, gentle way.  The High School PTSO credits Mr. Kenny often anticipating their needs before they even voice them.

This year I had to return to the high school without the support not only of my Dad but also my siblings who have all graduated.  It was tough to walk into the building but Mr. Kenny would make sure I was okay, say hi to me in the halls and allowed me to enter his “office” and say hi and a small 5 minute chat whenever I needed those moments.

For these reasons and many more Mr. Kenny deserves the Award for Accomplishment.

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Robyn Luedke, Teaching Assistant @ Middle School

Submitted by WMS Team Journey:  Fred Bachman, Selena Marquez, Krystal Perrello, Heather Seitz

Robyn is determined to ensure all students feel welcome and cared for.  This enables her to reach our students and ensure their emotional and academic success.  She is able to take the pulse of the students and is flexible in delivery.  She is able and willing to do what it takes to promote the success of our students, despite any circumstance.  As a result of Robyn’s presence and service with our students, the atmosphere is not only warm, but one where students want to learn and reach their potential because they feel valued.  Robyn believes in our students; therefore, they rise to levels they didn’t believe they could reach.  She instills confidence in our students, where they learn to also believe in themselves.  Thank you Robyn!

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Vanessa Sanchez, Central Registrar

Submitted by Colleen Davy

Someone that I believe needs to be recognized in our district is Vanessa Sanchez.  Vanessa is invaluable to this district with her willingness and ability to translate with our Spanish speaking population.  I call on Vanessa several times a week, heck sometimes several times a day when I need to communicate with Spanish speaking parents about their children.  It can be in an emergency when a child is sick or it may be because I need an up to date physical or immunizations on a student.  Vanessa is always willing to help and is so good at communicating with the parents and myself.  Her job as the Central Registrar in the district keeps her very busy but she is always willing to help when called upon, with a smile you can hear!

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Jessica Edwards, Dispatcher

Ralph Perez, Assistant Supervisor of Transportation

Submitted by Lynn Imperato and Paul Nienstadt

Driving a school bus can be a very rewarding experience and Washingtonville is very fortunate to have a great staff.  Transportation for a school district is a challenging operation in a “normal” year.  During the past 13 months with COVID, transportation has become almost an impossible venture.  There are 2 people that keep the operation running on a daily basis, Jessica Edwards the Dispatcher and Ralph Perez the Assistant Supervisor of Transportation.  Whether its driver shortages, student behavior, changes in route needs or just the daily operational pressures, the daily pressures on the department are constant.  This year Jess and Ralph had to create routes with one student per seat using a split alphabet while still keeping the runs as efficient and safe as possible.  They also had to adjust to ever changing instructional models which impacted which students would be in-person on any given day (i.e. 4 days a week students, CTEC students, elementary shift to 5 days).

On top of all of this, there was the tragic accident involving one of our beloved drivers.  Jess and Ralph handled this situation with professionalism and compassion.  They were able to keep the team focused and able to continue to do their routes safely, while offering the necessary emotional support.

There are days when we are short 10-15 drivers.  Whether it be from illness, personal issues, or quarantining.  Jess and Ralph are able to, at a moment’s notice, adjust routes, makes the changes and communicate those changes with everyone that needs to know.  This includes getting behind the wheel themselves when needed.  To the outside community and parents, it would not appear there is a driver shortage or that there are as many daily challenges in the Washingtonville Transportation Department as there are and that is in large part because of the hard-work and dedication of Jess and Ralph.  Although other school transportation departments are facing similar issues, they do not have Jess and Ralph who make the impossible look easy.

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Sherri Frasher, School Nurse @ Little Britain

Submitted by Patty Brooks

During this crazy year, few people in our school is as important as our nurse.  Sherri is a vital link with both the Districts’ Administration and Chief Health Officer keeping both students and staff safe during the pandemic.  Sherri has been a steady and reliable provider of information when rules seem to change or be updated on a daily basis.  Sherri has also had to deal with a reduction in staffing of the health office.  Despite an increase in phone calls and required paperwork, Sherri keeps her cool.  Justin having her as a reliable presence in our health office brings a needed sense of calm to both our students, staff and parents.  In all my years in this school, Sherri is rarely out.  Her lunch break is rarely without interruptions but she never complains.

Nurses are celebrated one day during the school year, yet they are heroes in our schools.  I can think of no one more deserving of the BOE Award for Accomplishment.

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Maryke Troast, Nurse Practitioner

Submitted by Lindsey Krauss

Maryke has always been a diligent worker and nurse, not only in the Middle School but traveling to do physicals and part-time assignments at other schools as well.  However, since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Maryke has stepped up her game in every way asked, requested, and possible.  As far as I know she is now responsible for all tracing, line listing, and business regarding all COVID cases affecting every school student and every staff member.  As a mother of four, and an active member of our community she has also managed to maintain complete confidentiality.  She truly doesn’t complain but instead has performed thoroughly and thoughtfully above and beyond what is required of her.  I’ve witnessed her on her own time attending to school business, off-hours.  I can imagine the demands on her and her job have been momentous over the last year and she continues to take them on like a champion.  Not only has she attempted the demanding challenges of school-related and COVID-19 challenges, I am sure she has risen to the occasion and exceeded expectations.  She has surpassed the bar with medical excellence and kept it there for well over a year now.

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Susan McVey, LCSW-R, PLLC

Submitted by Erin Milteer, Katherine O’Sullivan, and Paul Saladino

Susan McVey is a licensed clinical social working with more than 20 years of experience.  She is currently the Senior Associate and Director of Education at Dr. Michele Winchester-Vega and Associates where she practices outpatient mental health and oversees the graduate intern program.  Susan is also the mother of three children in the Washingtonville Central School District.  In 2019, Susan reached out to our District Social Work Staff to volunteer her time and expertise to support our students’ mental health.  On October 29, 2019, Susan presented a workshop she developed titled “What is Normal?  Understanding Anxiety and Depression in Teens,” which attracted 75 parent attendees and extremely positive reviews.  For the 2020-21 school year, Susan rose to the challenge of presenting with COVID restrictions by creating two pre-recorded online workshops “Parenting Yourself During COVID-19:  Strategies for Parents in Practicing Self Care” and “Parenting in Uncertain Times:  Coping Strategies for Kids During COVID-19.”  These workshops have garnered over 300 views.

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Lauren Chacon, Secretary to the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction
Denise Palermo, Secretary to Athletic Director 

Submitted by the Technology Department

Ms. Chacon helped distribute and track over 3,000 Chromebooks and countless mobile hotspots handed out to our students since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Ms. Chacon has served as the main point of contact for our families when they have damaged Chromebooks.  A liaison between families, the insurance company, and the Technology Department, Lauren has been invaluable to our families and the Technology Department throughout the pandemic.

This Fall, Ms. Palermo was very helpful in providing first-line phone support to families experiencing issues with using their Chromebooks.  Many issues were able to be resolved by the help Denise provided to families. 

There is absolutely no way we as a district could have supported our students and families without the critical help of Lauren Chacon and Denise Palermo.

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WHS Student Awards 

• Julia Cestari
• Isabella Croce
• Jack Donlon
• Julia Malkin
• Angelica Tripodianos
• Steven Tripodianos

Submitted by National English Honor Society (Nadia Bac)

On behalf of the National English Honor Society, I just wanted to thank you for helping and encouraging our upperclassmen on their community service endeavors. Julia Cestari, Angelica Tripodianos, Julia Malkin, Steven Tripodianos, Jack Donlon and the rest of the NEHS are working on three projects that wouldn't have occurred had it not been for the support of the administrators in Washingtonville.  

Currently we have over a dozen elementary families paired up with a high school buddy for tutoring. Led by senior Julia Cestari, these senior and junior NEHS students have been meeting with your elementary students on a weekly basis reviewing for spelling tests and reading stories. At our NEHS meetings, the students share how the virtual meetings are going and exude gratitude at being given the opportunity to participate in literacy based community service. I can see that not only do the little ones enjoy the pairing, but our older kids find it refreshing to have something to do during this pandemic. The high school students feel like an esteemed role model when providing this altruistic service. This connection that has been made wouldn't have happened without administrative support, so NEHS would like to thank the Washingtonville Principals.

Additionally, our second project --- that is running simultaneously--- The Mystery Reader Program is a hit, too! Created by senior Angelica Tripodianos and currently led by junior Julia Malkin, students are the virtual "Mystery Reader." Mrs. Rudecindo O'Neil has provided the older students monthly themes like our current Women's History Month and our upcoming Music Appreciation Month. Next, Mrs. Rudecindo-O'Neil sends over the books for our NEHS club members, which upon delivery, our members record themselves reading during their free periods, including lunch. Students have mentioned that doing this has brought back fond memories of being read to when they were littles ones, not too long ago. Due to the pandemic, kids haven't had many visitors pop in on a Friday to read to their classes, so this is a nice alternative in the meantime and we are so happy to be able to do it. Once again. thank you Mrs. Rudecindo-O'Neil and Mr. Connolly for connecting these two buildings together. Without your willingness, guidance and genuine love of reading, none of this would have been possible. 

Lastly, our third project is the current book drive for the HONOR Organization, an organization that provides housing to homeless individuals. Juniors Steven Tripodianos and Jack Donlon have been leading the project over the past few weeks. We have four large bins so far and expect to double that before Spring Break. Once again, Mr. Connolly has supported such activism within our student body. His openness to hear the students' ideas, then giving them words of encouragement along the way, has been priceless. The students in this district are so fortunate to have role models who promote community service activities and motivate many more to bring ideas to the table. Being approachable and invested in the whole students' high school experience, beyond the classroom walls, is a priority to him. So thank you Mr. Connolly for being that bridge to all buildings and giving these students an opportunity to be leaders and obtain selfless attributes that build character. 

The world is a better place because of all of you. Thanks again.

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Kelly Boylan, ENL Teacher @ Middle School

Submitted by Alexander Brown

I have worked with Kelly Boylan for three years and her dedication to her students is unparalleled.   Kelly strives to help her students make the maximum progression with their language skills and she also pushes them to verbally participate in class at all opportunities.  Kelly is her students’ biggest cheerleader.  She celebrates the child’s accomplishments and progress with them, and she goes above and beyond to ensure that their needs are being met in school and at home.  Kelly has helped advocate for her students’ families and is truly concerned about their whole life, not just their education.  It is because of her outreach, kindness and dedication that I proudly nominate Kelly Boylan for the Board of Education Award for Accomplishment.

Submitted by Morgan Kelly

Kelly has been a consistent example of what it takes to be a truly effective English as a New Language teacher.  She is a caring and thorough teacher who goes above and beyond the call in order to help her students.  Not only does she help her students but she does her best to form strong connections with their families as well.  She is an advocate for those who cannot be for themselves.

As a new ENL teacher, my goal is to emulate these types of practices in my teaching.  Her differentiations, translation, and communication are all vital in teaching ENL effectively and I have been fortunate to work with Kelly, seeing firsthand how this is done. For these reasons, and certainly many unlisted here, I feel that she should be nominated for this award.

Submitted by Caroline Cahn

Kelly has been an example for me as an ENL teacher, as a fairly new ENL teacher to the district, she models excellent dedication and commitment to our ENL students.  The reason I am nominating Kelly Boylan is because of the level of care she has for our students for their social emotional wellbeing, for their academics and for their mental health.  She goes above and beyond for her students individually but also advocates for them on a district level by communicating about curriculum and academics.  She understands the need to evolve curriculum in order to reach our students.  She puts in the hours to develop lessons and curriculum to meet our students where they are.  She is passionate and flexible and easy to work with.  For these reasons, I find her to be a phenomenal educator and I feel that she should be considered for this award.

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Amanda Barone, Treasurer

Submitted by Beth Brandenburg

Amanda came on board in July 2019 as Senior Account Clerk and made such an impression, that when our District Treasurer retired last April, everyone knew that she was the one for the job!  Starting a new position during an extremely dark and unforeseen time, she came in to work every day through the pandemic and worked hard to learn her new duties.  And she has nailed it!!!

Amanda can handle any project that she is asked to do and is willing to help anyone who may need it.  She listens to what is needed and is already formulating it in her head and offers helpful input.  A lot of work has become easier and less stressful for many of her co-workers thanks to her.

Besides her wonderful work ethic, she lightens the office mood.  She’s extremely funny and cheers anyone up that she sees is down.  Amanda is compassionate and checks on her co-workers when they are out to see if they are ok and to offer her assistance if they need anything.

Our district is extremely lucky to have Amanda.  She truly embodies the true meaning of being a Wizard!

Submitted by Judy Postiglione

In my personal experience Amanda has created a supportive work environment.  In my current position, Amanda has shared her work experience with me, making the business office position transition an easier one.

At any point during the day she will make herself available to work with an employee to problem solve, assist or facilitate work.

She is often the first person in the building and is always working on multiple projects to keep our district running.  Amanda worked every day through our COVID pandemic keeping the building open.  She has implemented procedures in several of our offices that create a more efficient workplace.  She has an open door policy and this recognition would be one way of letting her know how much we appreciate her dedication.

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Sharon Perone, Tammy Dorozynski, Marianna Sackmann & Maryke Troast
(Health Office Staff @ Middle School)

Submitted by Donna Abrams

I have seen firsthand what workers in these positions have had to deal with this school year.  Initially, there were just the fears of getting infected with COVID themselves, dealing with sick students as they entered their offices.

As the year progressed, their jobs grew more complicated, time consuming and head spinning with the never-ending revolving door of quarantines, temporary quarantines, requests for switching back and forth between instructional models, coupled with the ever-changing rules from the CDC, NYS Department of Education and the Orange County Department of Health. 

The demands of the paperwork, record keeping, SchoolTool changes, parent contact were all taken in stride…just plug along, doing what they have to do to weather this storm and I NEVER heard anyone gripe or complain about ANY of it.

I don’t know that the schools would have been able to function in hybrid mode without their commitment to making it work.

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Andy Sanchez, Bus Driver **LEGACY AWARD RECIPIENT**

Submitted by Fellow Bus Drivers

Andy was a dedicated driver for our district since March 23, 2010.  During those years Andy was fully committed to his work, the responsibilities it entailed and most of all the students he transported every day.  “Mr. Andy” loved his students.  He cared about their day, their thoughts, their opinions, their joy!  He spoke with them, he sang to them, he joked and laughed with them.  He insisted that they be kind and respectful to each other.  He did this every day without selfish ambition and anything to gain.  He was the kind of driver any parent would want for their children.  Andy’s students and parents loved “Mr. Andy”.  Andy was also a loyal, thoughtful and committed co-worker and friend.  He was trustworthy and funny.  His laughter was contagious.  He served as our union president for 4 years.  He was knowledgeable and he advocated for his members.  He cared about his fellow co-workers.

Andy was a true friend.  You wanted to be around him.  He was friendly and honest, loyal and he genuinely cared about people.  He was very well liked in the workplace and all throughout the community.

The students loved “Mr. Andy” even to the very last day he was with us and in anguish, all he could do was think only about them as he sang to them and let them know he was there for them.