Excellence in Education: Living our Guiding Principles Award

Each month, we will add teachers from each region who have won the award.

March 2023

Northeast Region: Elizabeth Polvere

Elizabeth was nominated by her colleagues, who praised Elizabeth for her excellence in the Guiding Principle of Culture and Purpose:

“Elizabeth helps the students to develop their creative side by allowing them to express themselves in a safe and non-judgmental environment.” “Elizabeth creates opportunities for students to show their artistic abilities in a meaningful way.” “Elizabeth always cultivates a joyful classroom environment. She encourages all her students to be their most authentic selves and express their creativity. She is also always flexible and willing to work with other teachers. She is truly an example of the guiding principle of culture and purpose, and she brings so much to the Northeast team. We are so thankful to have her!” “Elizabeth goes above and beyond to create a classroom that exemplifies all aspects of this guiding principle. The students are given opportunities to create in ways that are not part of the core content classes. Many of our students have found their hidden talents in her classroom. She is willing to listen to the students and adjust projects as needed. She is patient and she is kind. And sometimes, when the students do not perform as expected, she allows them to move on and begin again. Elizabeth most definitely deserves this award.”

Metro Region: Luke Bolton, Metro Instructional Coach

Luke is the recipient of the Excellence in Education: Living our Guiding Principles Award for the Metro Region for the month of March. His nomination highlighted his contributions and excellence in Social Justice & Equity. Please see what some of Luke’s colleagues had to say about him:

“Luke is a continual source of inspiration for teachers. He is skilled at seeing the big picture while also helping teachers prioritize the most effective plans for the day. He cares about students and colleagues and it shows.” “Luke is so helpful with everything from content to administrative tasks to just life advice. I know I can always count on him and that he will help me solve my issues, without passing any judgment. He is someone I can always count on and I’m so grateful to have him!” “An endless support system. Luke is not only involved in helping with curriculum, he truly cares about students and teachers. We are so lucky to have him here in Metro.”

Central Region: Andrea Anderson, Butler Center SEIS Teacher

Nominations highlighted Andrea’s contributions & excellence in Culture and Purpose. See what Andrea’s colleagues & student had to say about her:

“Andrea uses her creativity and content knowledge to make engaging daily lessons. She has a unique way of making students feel supported and able to do anything they put their minds to. As a team player, Andrea successfully works with the other teachers and staff in the program to keep the students motivated!” “Andrea goes above and beyond to support all students within the classroom and a team player helping other teachers to make Butler a positive work environment. She is thoughtful when reflecting on student needs, completing paperwork for IEPs and student progress reports, and modifying assignments to be aimed at the students’ needs. She is an amazing co-teacher that helps to enhance the lessons and brings engaging ideas to the lessons. Andrea is always patient and kind to the student population, holds the students to high expectations, and continuously encourages students to do their best work. Andrea is a pleasure to work with.”

Western Region: Tim Grimaldi, ELA and History teacher at RISE Treatment

Tim was nominated by his fellow teachers for his work around Culture and Purpose in the program. Tim’s colleagues talked about his “engaging lessons and investing in seeing his students’ success. Tim is encouraging and supportive with students and fellow coworkers”. They also said of him that “Tim has fit in well at RISE and been a contributing team member. He has shown flexibility and has already formed good relationships with the students in a short period of time.

February 2023

Central: Drew Goatz, Butler Center Teaching Coordinator

Nominations highlighted his contributions & excellence in Culture and Purpose.  See what Drew’s colleagues & DYS program staff had to say about him:

“Drew fosters a genuine sense of community in the education program. He is focused on how each student can be included and have their individuality recognized. He also encourages collaboration among the educators. It’s a pleasure to work with him.” “Drew’s curriculum is very organized and focused, and his presentation style is highly positive.  Drew maintains his positive energy during difficult moments and always gives his students a clear and rational response to the questions they have.  As a direct example of acknowledging students’ personal narratives, Drews students created presentations about their own individual cultural heritage to  present at a multicultural lunch celebration.  Drew’s communication and his understanding of the various educator roles including regional specialists is excellent.” “Drew does an incredible job of working with residents who have a tough time going to school and have limited schooling history. He has a knack of getting them motivated and with his encouragement he makes them feel at ease about not knowing all the answers. Drew does run a “tight ship” while in school and this helps “protect” students from the would be embarrassing moments that can occur in the classroom.”  “Drew continues to be creative and deals with residents who have graduated by keeping them engaged in many other options. Many residents that have been challenged in his classroom have grown to appreciate that he is there for them and because he did challenge them they have grown more confident in their work. Residents voluntarily stay after school to work on various projects, this happens regularly. Drew does a nice job of working with residents on both ends of the learning spectrum and juggles the classwork professionally.”

Northeast: Frank O’Neil

Frank was nominated by his colleagues, who praised Frank for his excellence in the Guiding Principle of Culture and Purpose:

“Frank comes into our classrooms and becomes the teacher, not a substitute, but the teacher. He has a breadth of knowledge spanning multiple content areas. Perhaps his most outstanding attribute is his ability to connect with our kids.  He has a way of getting the most out of the students we serve everyday.  COntent, yes; but he is able to elicit amazing conversation about important topics without them realizing the brain work they are really doing. He connects with program staff and leadership in positive, collegial ways. Our program people are as happy to see him as we are.” “Frank has been a consistent and loyal contributor to the NERP program who can be counted on to help out anywhere whenever needed, for any class ranging from science to reading His demeanor is friendly and professional and amicable.  He brings consistency to our classrooms and is a great presence to have in the teachers room.” “Frank  has a great connection to the students!  He’s able to engage each and everyone of them in any topic in history.  I have never ever heard any student say anything negative about Frank.  He displays a great deal of compassion and humor with this population and the students are always happy to see him, especially here at BFT.”

Western Region: Christine Cohee

Christine was nominated by her peers for her outstanding work around Culture and Purpose as well as Career and Civic Readiness. 

One colleague wrote of Christine “Christine consistently brings interactive and engaging lessons to her students. She is patient and modifies her instruction to best meet the needs of everyone in the classroom. She is reflective and introspective. Additionally, she works very well with her colleagues to co-plan and share in collective student successes. It is evident in her enthusiasm that she truly wants each student to succeed in their own way.”  Another said of her, “Christine is dedicated to bringing culturally relevant and engaging learning opportunities to her students. She is invested in her work and in collaborating with her colleagues to best develop complex yet accessible lessons. She is always ready to celebrate a victory for her colleagues and students and her positive attitude is contagious.”

Metro: Zach Heinrich, Teacher

A teacher at Commonwealth Secure School, Zach teaches History and ELA.  He joined the team in September after spending the summer in the Central Region,and Metro is so very happy to have him here. On any given day, Zach can be found holding students to high standards, while maintaining his great sense of humor and a welcoming classroom. Zach’s nomination highlighted his contributions and excellence in Culture and Purpose. 

Please see below for what some of Zach’s colleagues had to say about him:  “Zach’s calm demeanor, sense of humor, and thoughtful lessons are gold for our classrooms. He engages the kids with grace, holding them to high standards and enabling the most reluctant students to make progress.” “Zach has done an incredible job explicitly teaching students close reading skills in ELA and developing their capacity to write with evidence in History. He has been systematic in his approach, building up these complex skills by starting with simple steps and getting more complicated over time. Students are responding well and have started to develop new academic habits that are helpful and support the growth of all the different learners in his class.”

Southeast: Elizabeth DaCosta

Elizabeth joined our team in the fall as an Itinerant Teacher. Elizabeth supports programs in a variety of ways.  Most recently she has been providing instruction at Southeast Secure Detention.  Although with us for just a few months, Elizabeth has been nominated by several colleagues including Matthew Hicks and Rochelle Victor.  

Matthew nominated Elizabeth in the Principles of Culture & Purpose and Social Justice & Equity.  He shared the following: “Elizabeth…has quickly jumped in to help guide our students’ learning. I had the pleasure of working with her for a whole week before Christmas break. Elizabeth collaborated with me, bringing in many great and useful ideas. Elizabeth quickly built lesson plans based on social justice and equity regarding working conditions and labor unions in the 1900s to today, truly engaging our students on SSR. She pushed our students towards success and always kept a positive outlook – I am very happy to have spent the time working with her as she has a warm and contagious devotion to teaching!” 

Rochelle shared the following about her new colleague: “Elizabeth (Liz) DaCosta, has hit the ground running since her arrival to Southeast Secure Detention.  Liz comes to us with a plethora of classroom experience and always has new and creative ideas!  During the month of January, Liz, was instrumental in supporting our students during the Breakfree:  Unearthed project.  It was Liz’s idea to create a “wedge cut out”  to give our project the 3-D effect.  Our students then added to this idea by creating the multiple layers of Earth and used unique objects to describe our atmosphere. Because of  Liz’s input, our students were given honorable mention on their project and now rank as one of the top ten in the country!” 

January 2023

Central Region: Stacy Broadbent, Butler Center Teacher

Stacey is the recipient of the Excellence in Education: Living our Guiding Principles Award for the Central Region for the month of January.  Stacy’s multiple nominations highlighted her contributions and excellence in culture and purpose and college, career and civic readiness! Please see some things Stacy’s colleagues had to say about her:

“Stacy is an outstanding teacher!  She demonstrates such passion for teaching.  She is a very caring, warm, enthusiastic, and approachable teacher.  Stacy strives to make the students feel good about themselves and develops positive relationships with them by creating a classroom environment that is centered around mutual respect and trust.  She takes the time to get to know her students (and knows them well)!  As a result they inherently feel that their voices are both heard and valued.  This is evident in the effort she has made working with the students on the BreakFree Challenges.  Not only have her students excelled at these challenges, they have won (and won multiple times)!  Stacy exemplifies what it takes to be an outstanding teacher and she definitely deserves this recognition.” “Stacy has been a huge support to student CT during his time at Butler and his transition onwards. She has acted with kindness and compassion towards all students. She engages them in well structured learning activities that activate their personal experiences and tie them to the world at large. She has worked on a number of Breakfree initiatives (and) become a Breakfree fellow….” “When Stacy creates her lesson plans for the week she takes into consideration all of her students’ needs and creates multiple ways for student engagement. Stacy truly goes above and beyond expectations  when putting together her units.  Her students are active learners and there is a great sense of accomplishment that is apparent when watching her students. The Breakfree Initiatives are a welcomed component of her classes with encouragement from Stacy. Her students have been extremely successful with this initiative under her guidance.  It is a pleasure witnessing Stacy’s enthusiasm for teaching!”

Northeast: Jake Garrels, Teacher at STRIVE 

Jake was nominated by his colleagues, who praised Jake for his excellence in the Guiding Principle of Culture and Purpose: 

“Jake has been with the collaborative for almost two decades and his dedication to his students is inspiring.  Jake demonstrates his care for students in his daily civics lessons, which highlight significant issues of the day.   He has a massive collegiate vocabulary which he imparts to his students in ELA and Reading. He is passionate about improving the literacy skills of his students at STRIVE. He is always ready to assist teachers at other programs whenever there is a need for support. He has done this time and again, whenever he has been asked for support, and he is always happy and ready to help other teachers. Finally, he is an integral part of our education team, helping to prepare our students to take the most significant step of their future lives: passing their High School equivalency tests.” A student wrote:  ” He comes to school everyday with a smile.  He helped push me to do my best to prepare for HiSet.  He is the reason I passed the writing HiSet.  Jake told me that nobody knows everything: Students learn from their teachers as teachers learn from their students.”

Metro: Julia Kennedy, Special Education Teacher

You will find Julia in three of our region’s schools – CSD, DSD, and MTU.  As a special education teacher, Julia can be found teaching alongside general education teachers in ELA and Math. When not in the classroom, Julia is busy in IEP meetings, writing progress reports, working with individual students, or preparing for an upcoming IEP Reconvene – to name a few.  Most recently, Julia has jumped at the opportunity to pilot co teaching in the region, and her excitement to take on this task is inspiring. Julia’s passion to engage and teach our students is evident the moment you walk in her classroom. Metro is lucky to have her as a member of our teaching team.  Julia’s nomination highlighted her contributions and excellence in Culture & Purpose. Please see below for what some of Julia’s colleagues had to say about her:

“Julia is a team player and she finds ways to reach the students to get them to complete their work in class.” “Julia is an amazing member of our education team.  She is always willing to step in and teach classes when needed. But not only that, Julia has a passion for teaching and can be seen pushing students to try their best.  Her classrooms have happiness, compassion, and a belief that all can achieve.” “Besides being an excellent teacher, she always looks out for the students’ well being.”

Western Region: Elizabeth Razcka 

Liz was nominated by several of her peers for her unheralded work around student support and IEPS. As one person wrote that Liz “collects, organizes, and disseminates considerable amounts of students’ paperwork and casework so seamlessly that teachers often don’t realize how much effort goes into it”.  Another teacher wrote that  “Liz is always happy to assist educators in a timely, thorough manner, and is always a pleasure to work and interact with”.

December 2022

Central: Jill Morse, Substitute Teacher

Jillreceived multiple nominations which highlighted her contributions and excellence in culture and purpose!  Some of the things Jill’s colleagues had to say about her include:

“Jill has demonstrated over the years her amazing ability to connect with students when she first meets them. She is extremely knowledgeable in all content areas including EYF and can jump in to teach any subject matter with confidence. If a teacher is out unexpectedly, Jill is willing to create meaningful lessons for the students on the spot and acclimates to any given situation. It is amazing to see how students immediately respect her and are willing to do work for her. I attribute this to her joy, compassion and creativity! She truly LISTENS to what the students are saying to her and gets to know them. She has a gift of making students feel “heard”.” “Jill has gone above and beyond while covering Health and PE through the region this fall. Students are engaged in her personalized lessons and she brings a level of calmness and professionalism to every class. Students are always eager to spend time learning in her classes.” “Jill has been dedicated to providing our students with engaging and up-to-date information while she has covered the health classes. She creates a classroom environment that is safe for the students to participate in class discussions and share their thoughts and opinions.”

Northeast: John Strouse

John was nominated by his colleagues for his skills in College, Career, and Civic Readiness.  Some comments shared were:

“John instills in students a sense of purpose that translates into a positive goal setting mindset.” “John takes time with all the students he services to guide them in a positive direction.” “John Strouse has been by far the kindest, helpful & caring individual that I have met at CES. John  was the interim AREC when I first started at CES & when he transitioned back to his previous role as an assessment coordinator; he still provided me with help whenever he could. John is swift with the replies & always lending a helping hand even though it wasn’t his obligation or duty.. John – you are so appreciated!”

Metro: Jason Scully 

Suffolk Detention’s Teacher Coordinator, Jason has spent several years working for CES/DYS in the Metro Region.  Jason began working as a teacher on Spectrum Girls and MPTU.  He quickly became the Teacher Coordinator for Suffolk, where he has been since 2017.  In addition to nominations by his colleagues, this month several of Jason’s students felt he deserved to be recognized. Jason’s nomination highlighted his contributions and excellence in College, Career, & Civic Readiness. Please see below for what some of Jason’s students and colleagues had to say about him:

“He always goes above and beyond and helps me” “He’s a good teacher” “Jason just finished teaching a unit on Fake News where he helped students learn about the different ways that media try and grab our attention, make money from our emotions and spread misinformation. In the end, students were very engaged writing their own fake new articles. Students were very interested and this is a topic that is so important in the age of digital misinformation.” 

Western Region: Robert Lawler, TC at Westfield Revocation

Robert was nominated by his peers for his outstanding work around both Culture and Purpose as well as College, Career and Civic Readiness.

One colleague wrote that “Rob is always willing to help out and support his fellow teachers no matter what we need help with”. Another teacher said of Rob “He is always going out of his way to give his students authentic learning experiences and get their hands dirty with learning”. 

Southeast: Nicholas Maddron 

Nicholas is new to the teaching profession and has jumped right in.  He has  volunteered to be the pilot site for the new DYS Rethinking History Civics pilot, working hand-in-hand with the Southeast Instructional Coach to use various modules of the curriculum.  He has also provided students many hands-on learning opportunities through the consistent use of BreakFree Education’s monthly initiatives. Nicholas was nominated by his Teaching Coordinator Nathan Henner in the Principles of College and Career Readiness as well as the Culture and Purpose.  Nathan had the following to say about Nicholas: 

“Nicholas has been brainstorming new and creative ways to increase student engagement in his classes at Teamworks. As a new teacher, Nicholas has taken on the responsibility of teaching a new civics curriculum here at Teamworks. In addition to this, Nicholas has been working diligently to get the students engaged in the Breakfree projects. The latest project, Unconstruct, has students working on designing more pedestrian-friendly walkways. Nicholas used his own time to shop for supplies for the projects and now has students constructing 3D models in addition to the assignments included in the project. This is a great way to engage our more kinesthetic learners and the projects look great (see photos).  Nicholas’ passion for teaching is evident in his approach to each of his classes here at Teamwork”.  

November 2022

Central: Karen Wade, SEIS Teacher at Central’s  Leahy Detention and Sharp Transition

Karen’s multiple nominations highlighted her contributions and excellence in social justice and equity as well as culture and purpose! Karen is a valued team member that contributes  to the ELA and Math classroom at Sharp and Leahy by engaging with students and teachers to create excellent learning experiences for students. She often brings insights to better address student needs and create personalized learning for students in the two programs. Karen is always willing to help the students in the classroom.  She brings a sense of joy and calm that all students appreciate.  She is incredibly helpful in all subject areas, especially in math class where the students always go to her for help.  Karen is a wonderful addition to the Leahy team and always looks out for the students needs and accommodations. Karen is the epitome of compassion in the classroom. She has always had the student in the forefront of her focus and always makes sure that every student she works with feels heard and understood. It is refreshing to see a professional such as Karen be part of our Central team. She has added tremendously to positive culture at both the Leahy and Sharp programs. She is more than deserving of the Excellence in Education recognition and it has been an honor to be able to teach alongside her. 

Northeast: BIll Laforme, Kennedy ELA & History teacher

Bill’s nomination highlighted his contributions and excellence in Culture and Purpose and College as well as Career, and Civic Readiness. Please see what BIll’s colleagues had to say about him:

“Bill has been a strong supporter of the education assessment process. He is always willing to take time to discuss student effort, relations and helpful instruction strategies. BIll is also very responsive in providing timely input to a students Individual Learning Plan through thoughtful completion of the assessment student – teacher observation google form.” “Our Bill is the real “Bill the Science Guy!” In a quiet and unassuming way Mr. Laforme blends high intelligence, humility and creativity in the classroom to engage and inspire our students. He’s always brewing some creative way to make students connect with learning. It may be exposing students to food from around the world, a science expedition to view and study the night sky, or an experiment with magnetic fields. The result of these kinds of illuminating learning adventures is “engaged and enthusiastic students!” Students who have not attended school for years commend Bill for turning them on to learning. This kind of gem is what we have at CES! It is so good to celebrate dedicated professionals who are yielding wonderful results like this.            

Southeast: Mark Daly, Southeast Education Assessment Coordinator

Mark was nominated by Literacy Specialist Melanie Attardo in the principle of Culture and Purpose.  Melanie had this to say about her colleague:

Mark has played a pivotal role across all programs who have assessment students.  Mark has also stepped up to help assist TC’s and our region with the rollout of MAP within the guidelines/timeframe.  He  consistently seeks to assist teachers, TC’s, and all Specialists where needed, including building rapport with assessment students in order to assist with helping their personal educational goals (and beyond) while in treatment within DYS.  Most recently, a newer TC had a specific student who was losing some motivation.  This TC went to Mark, knowing Mark had a strong rapport with this student.  Mark continually validates and acknowledges the students educational needs, while helping the students strive for goals that may be unimagined previously. Mark is always professional and personal with the students, helping them to see their long-term goals.  Mark continually supports all teachers, like the quiet assistant, wherever needed.  I have worked side-by-side with Mark for 18 years now and his calm, cool, and collected approach all these years and his strong rapport with all components of programming – clinical, staff, and education, has never waivered.  

Western Region: Hannah Brackley

 Hannah is the Math and Science Teacher at RFK Girls in South Hadley, and was  nominated by several of her co-workers for her outstanding work with the Guiding Principle of College, Career and Civic Readiness. One co-worker wrote that Hannah “goes above and beyond to help her students with all their individual needs and goals” and “that her classroom is an environment that encourages students to strive for their highest potential“! Another peer wrote of Hannah that ” Hannah does an exemplary job teaching students critical thinking skills, that they then apply to problem solving and transfer those skills to real life situations.” To that end, Hannah led this month’s BreakFree initiative- Unconstruct at RFK, where the students finished in 3rd place in the country! 

Metro: Jacob Augenstern 

Working on Dorchester Secure Detention, Jacob joined the education team in September.  We are thrilled to have him teaching our students. Jacob’s nomination highlighted his contributions and excellence in Social Justice and Equity. Please see below for what some of Jacob’s colleagues had to say about him:

“He has been a very thoughtful and reflective teacher during his first months at DYS. He has worked incredibly hard to learn about his students and respond to their interests and feedback. He has also spent a lot of time developing a very interesting unit on the Haitian Revolution which hits all of his students’ needs while also being grounded in good historical research and a strong sense of justice.” “Since his arrival, Jacob has worked to cultivate strong relationships with his students. These relationships have helped him encourage participation and in depth conversations about the history they are studying and how it reverberates in the present.”

October 2022

Metro: Samia Taste-Peterson

Samia began working for CES/DYS in the summer of 2021. Samia has created an environment that promotes learning and student voice. An expert with blended learning, her students can be found on any given day engaged in activities in Google Classroom and beyond, that embrace their personal, social, and cultural identities. She is a leader in the EYF curriculum, working hard to have her students feel included and validated.  

Samia was nominated for the award by her DYS colleagues on MTU, who shared that  “Samia is extremely patient, compassionate, creative, and approachable in her work with our youth. She makes a consistent effort to plan fun classes that engage our residents.Samia is also very involved in the program as a whole, ensuring  communication with residential, clinical, and medical teams. She is an asset to MTU and appreciated more than she knows! Thank you, Samia!”

Western Region: Melanie Kornacki and Kim Mook 

SEIS Instructional Coach Melanie Kornacki was nominated by her fellow educators for her work around Culture and Purpose. Educators noted that  “Melanie’s visits in programs bring joy to the teachers, staff, and students.” Also, “She reaches out to all youth to get to know them and checks in on how they are. She exudes compassion and is focused on setting high standards for all”.

Visual Arts teacher Kim Mook. Kim was nominated by her fellow educators as well. The teachers said this about Kim: “Kim is able to build a strong rapport with students, and “Kim encourages them to explore their sense of creativity and creates an environment where students are safe to take risks.” Also said was from a student that “Kim makes me want to do Art for the first time ever!”.

Central: Natalie Grondin, Art Teacher 

Natalie’s nomination highlighted her contributions and excellence in culture and purpose – youth learn in classrooms where joy, creativity, and compassion are evident; their voices are valued and identities are affirmed; and dignity, safety, and respect is fostered by all. — Youth experience programming that acknowledges and validates their personal narratives while bringing possible and previously unimagined futures (personal, professional, and social) into their view. Natalie has a passion for teaching! She accepts feedback and ideas from her peers and doesn’t hesitate to incorporate them into her lessons. She understands her students and uses PYD to meet their learning needs. As an ELA teacher, she was able to successfully help students become stronger writers and readers. The students were very proud of their accomplishments! As an Art teacher, she enthusiastically brings out the creative talent in our youth and they look forward to her classes! Natalie knows how to effectively engage her students and personalize their learning to enhance their learning.

Southeast: Rochelle Victor 

Teaching Coordinator John Cady believes Rochelle excels in the Principle of Culture and Purpose: “I wish to nominate Rochelle Victor for this honor. While I have only worked with her a short time, I have witnessed her bring an energy and commitment to building rapport with our students that is sure to impact the culture of our program (specifically our school) in a truly positive way. It’s clear how determined she is to get her students invested and excited about learning and bettering themselves. She has asked me to order owl pellets for a science lesson (which is something our students probably would only be exposed to on field trips to nature reserves and such). To assist them in their Unsung Break Free project, she has brought in an assortment of her string instruments (including an acoustic guitar, a violin, and a ukulele). Her students had fun and learned at the same time. This is the level of energy and investment I love seeing in both a teacher and her students. This is the culture I strive for. Her work is definitely purpose-driven. I admire it.” 

Cassi Menard had previously nominated Rochelle in the Principle of College, Career, and Civic Readiness and shared that, “Rochelle brings energy, enthusiasm, and compassion into a very difficult teaching environment. She integrates real-world, hands-on experiences to her classroom to keep students engaged. She enforces high expectations for all students and pushes each to persevere through challenging material and gain confidence in themselves as learners.”

Northeast: Annie Vlack and Bart Walker 

Annie Vlack is the Teaching Coordinator at N.F.I. Lakeside Detention and was nominated by her colleagues, who praised Annie for her excellence in the Guiding Principle of Culture and Purpose: “Annie has shown me the ropes of the Lakeside culture. Her compassion and calm towards our students is genuine and her presence in and of itself sets a calm learning atmosphere.” 

Bart Walker is the History and ELA teacher at Northeast Reception Program (NERP) and was nominated by his colleagues, who praised Bart for his accomplishments in all three pillars of our Guiding Principles: “Bart exemplifies all of the Guiding Principles and it is doing a disservice to his exemplary teaching to limit it only to one. Bart’s focus is on the student and bringing out the student’s highest and greatest self… a lesson I believe that every educator can learn from. If every educator could emulate the perspectives that Bart brings to his classroom every day, our system would begin anew and serve our students in a much more purposeful and critical way – to ensure that our students leave our care and likewise, begin anew. ”

May 2022

Western Region: Teacher, Kristin Loiko

I am pleased to announce that our May winner of the Excellence in Education: Living our Guiding Principles Award is teacher Kristin Loiko Tetrault from the RISE program! Kristin was nominated by both co-workers and students. The nomination comes from her work in the areas of Social Justice and Equity as well as Culture and Purpose. As one student wrote: “Ms. Kristin always makes me feel like I matter in the class and makes me work hard.” A colleague wrote, “Kristin is dedicated to her students and her practice and works every day to make sure students see themselves in what they are learning and why it is important.”  Congratulations Kristin!

Metro Region: Alex Lombard

Congratulations to our May Excellence in Education: Living our Guiding Principles award winner –  Alex Lombard!  Some of the things Alex’s peers highlighted in their nominations included:

• “Alex works hard in his math and financial literacy classes to ensure students feel a personal connection to the material and understand its importance within a larger context.”
• “He has an excellent relationship with all students which allows him to have frank discussions and give meaningful advice.”
• “I know the students appreciate his efforts and many have said that his classes are their favorites.”
• “He has an excellent relationship with all students which allows him to have frank discussions and give meaningful advice.”
• “He takes the time to not only teach the specifics of how a student can use credit cards responsibly to grow credit, but also to talk about delayed gratification and personal responsibility.”

Alex exemplifies our Guiding Principle of Culture and Purpose and we are proud to have him as a colleague in Metro. Congratulations to Alex!

Northeast Region: Teaching Coordinator, Dawn Perron

Please join me in congratulating Dawn Perron, Teaching Coordinator at STRIVE, for being recognized by her peers for her Excellence in Education: Living our Guiding Principles.  Her peers share that Dawn supported all of CES’s Guiding Principles in her work: College and Career Readiness – Students apply critical thinking and problem solving skills, exploring and transferring knowledge with the Science Fair held every year.  This is an excellent hallmark of students’ STEM learning in the school. Dawn raises the bar in student content learning.  Work is never dumbed down. Social Justice and Equity – Dawn reminds students of their goals and elicits progress towards them everyday with self directed learning experiences and individualized lessons.  Carefully, she nudges them along, even on days they do not want to work. Culture and Purpose – Diverse groups of students are easily managed by Dawn, who is always smiling.  Even when suggesting appropriate school language and behaviors.  Student voices are always heard and respected, and her suggestions are well received.

Congratulations, Dawn, for this well earned recognition!

Southeast Region: Rebecca Gifford

Please join us in congratulating Rebecca Gifford as May’s recipient of the Excellence in Education: Living our Guiding Principles Award.  Rebecca was nominated by Danielle Nasuti for her work in the principle of College, Career and Civic Readiness.  Danielle had this to say about Rebecca: “I would like to recognize Rebecca Gifford for working to ensure educational services are available to all students at Douglass Academy, in spite of some staffing challenges faced this year.  Rebecca manages to plan for multiple classes per day to meet the educational needs of all of her students while continuing to do her TC duties, co-planning two classes and staying up to date on learning teams.  Besides all of this, Rebecca has a mixed population of Track 1 and 2 students as well as high school and post-graduate students.”

“She is able to keep her high school students engaged in work and assist the post-graduates with their college classes.  When one of our post-grad students was waiting for a class to start, Rebecca brought in STEM kits from home.  The student worked with staff for hours to build electronic spiders and arms.  Recently, a Track 2 graduate student asked if he could work on his OSHA certification after getting out of work.  Rebecca sacrificed what little time she had for planning to help him finish the requirement for his current employer.  She is willing to go above and beyond for all students in the program.  Another example of this is when a student had an OSHA test to pass, Rebecca became a certified OSHA proctor, so she could administer the test for her student.  Rebecca’s attendance is also worth noting, it is impeccable! She is never absent as she knows her students and program rely on her.  Students know that every  morning they are going to be greeted with Rebecca saying, “Good morning sunshine.” I believe Rebecca should be recognized for all she is doing this year. Congratulations Rebecca!

Central Region: Teacher, Kathy O’Neil

Kathy has received multiple nominations from her colleagues as well as one of her students highlighting her contributions to Social Justice and Equity. “Kathy regularly goes above and beyond in creating a culturally responsive classroom. As a recent example Kathy created a learning activity where the Spectrum Girls students celebrated the culture of a student whose family comes from Ghana with Ghanaian food and stories as part of an EYF project The Ghanaian food that the students, teachers and staff were able to sample included Jollof rice, Red-red, Fufu and goat light soup. All who participated enjoyed the lunch and it was an excellent opportunity to experience other cultures. Students also learned about the climate, language and clothing that is native to Ghanaian history/ELA curriculum that really engages our students at Spectrum Girls.” “Kathy’s classroom practices and routines serve as an exemplar of using the Social Justice and Equity guiding principles. Kathy’s students have regular opportunities to contribute to student -centered learning activities and she often integrates art-based hand learning into her lessons. Kathy’s lessons help her students engage in lessons by the use of design validating, individualized, differentiated, and personalized educational experiences. – Examples of her recent lessons have explored women activists, women’s use of music to create social change focusing on Billie Holiday’s Strange Fruit, and the Women’s March to end Apartheid in South Africa. She also has presented differing perspectives in history in regards to the indigenous people of North America from the view of Pocahontas and colonization from the black point of view using Ibram Kendi’s book Stamped.”

“As a girls detention program Kathy’s lessons often include the exploration of historic events from a female empowerment perspective. Her classroom walls are a gallery of female role models art pieces created by students. Kathy and her students, past and present, have made her classroom a warm and inviting learning experience for her students.” “Kathy has made a real impact on her female students’ lives by teaching them that they are valuable and powerful, and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve their own dreams. Kathy’s students really enjoy the many student -centered learning activities that integrates art-based hands-on learning into her history lessons. One her outstanding lessons this year was having her student’s explore women activists that used music to create social change. Her class learned that Billie Holiday’s song Strange Fruit was used in the Women’s March to end Apartheid in South Africa. Kathy’s classroom walls has a gallery of student work on display that highlights female role models. Her class is warm and inviting learning space for her students.” “Kathy is one of the best teachers I know that have to deal with us , she tries her best even when we don’t want to do the work she gives us more than one option. She helps us if we need it , she doesn’t force us to do work we don’t/can’t do. She tries to do the funnest lessons/most understanding lessons. I’ve been here many times.” 

Congratulations Kathy! Thank you for embracing and embodying our guiding principle of Social Justice and Equity.  

April 2022

Southeast Region: Melanie Attardo

Please join us in congratulating April’s recipient of the Excellence in Education: Living Our Guiding Principles Award Melanie Attardo!  Melanie was nominated by Marianne Pina of Southeast Secure Treatment for her work throughout the Southeast Region in the Guiding Principles of College, Career, and Civic Readiness, Culture and Purpose, Social Justice and Equity.  Marianne has this to say about her colleague: “I have worked with Melanie for many years. I have personally observed her as she works with students to prepare them for college, career, and civic readiness. I have seen her students’ progress as much as several grades in reading and comprehension within the space of an academic year. She had shown sensitivity toward individual culture in her choice of reading materials, discussion of those materials, and purposeful vocabulary. Whenever possible, Melanie has integrated social justice and equity observations and allowed students to explain and discuss their viewpoints.

“I believe Melanie exemplifies the Guiding Principles in all that she does. She makes a real effort to know her students, to put them at ease, to engage them, and to encourage them to do their best to progress. She would be a fine example of the embodiment of our Guiding Principles.” Congratulations, Melanie!

Central Region: Vocational Teaching Coordinator, Cindy Carvill

We are thrilled to announce that Cindy Carvill, Vocational Teaching Coordinator for the Central Region is the recipient of the Excellence in Education: Living our Guiding Principles Award for the Central Region for the month of April. Cindy has received multiple nominations highlighting her contributions to College, Career, and Civic Readiness as well as Culture and Purpose.  Submitted comments include. “Cindy is an incredible resource at WST and Butler. She organizes projects, speakers, and different monthly events. She works with post-grad and career minded students to find meaningful ways to enhance their education.” “In the short time that I have worked with Cindy, I have seen first-hand her dedication to creating and implementing real-world experiences that benefit her students in myriad ways. The relevancy of her horticulture work in terms of 21st century knowledge and skills is unparalleled. Students are learning about the importance of the natural world and the effects of climate change through hands-on experiences that most of our students would never have otherwise. She also integrates artistic opportunities within the tech and science realm that make the learning creative and fun for her students.” “Cindy’s work in Horticulture and Vocational Technology is authentically hands-on and promotes readiness for our students’ lives beyond DYS. However, it is her living out the guiding principle of Culture and Purpose that truly makes me see her as a great nominee for this award.” “Cindy is an amazingly compassionate teacher (and co-worker.) In the short time I have been working in the Central Region it has become obvious that her work in the lab and greenhouse is tailored to her students. Joy and creativity are visible in the variety of projects she plans for her students and the ideas going forward to integrate art with vocational programming. Her love of teaching real-world skills that will benefit her student population is contagious and the results are amazing!” 

“I recently spoke with Cindy about the youth at the program. Throughout that conversation I noticed that Cindy’s knowledge of each student as a learner was extensive and positive. It was clear that Cindy holds each student to high expectations based on their individual and group needs.” Congratulations Cindy! Thank you for embracing and embodying our guiding principles where Youth benefit from inquiry-based, authentic, hands-on, and relevant learning experiences that enable them to develop and apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills, propelling them to explore and transfer knowledge to real-world contexts.

Western Region: Horticulture Teacher, Sosten Lungu

Congratulations to Sosten Lungu, April recipient of the Excellence in Education: Living our Guiding Principles award who was nominated by his Western Region co-workers for all of the hard work and dedication he shows towards his students and colleagues. Sosten was specifically nominated for his work to promote College and Career Readiness as well as creating Culture and Purpose in our programs. One fellow teacher said of Sosten, “Sosten always provides students hands-on opportunities to learn and how this can help them in their own lives or in a job in the future. There is always a connection to the future and a positive future for our students”. Another teacher wrote ” Sosten is a great colleague who is always willing to help a student or fellow teacher out and always makes you feel good when being with him. The students all tell me they love his class because he is laid back, teaches them cool things and cares about them as both students and as people”. 

Congratulations, Sosten!

Northeast Region: Bill Travers

Northeast’s Excellence in Education – Living Our Guiding Principles April award winner is Bill “Mr. T” Travers. Mr. T teaches Vocational Studies at the Northeast Youth Service Center and was nominated by their colleagues, who praised Mr. T for his work with youth in the Vocational Workshop: “Mr. T works tirelessly and patiently to bring hands on vocational experiences to our youth, many of whom have never had such experiences.” and “The students in Mr. T’s class are benefitting from inquiry-based, authentic, hands-on, and relevant learning experiences that enable them to develop and apply critical thinking skills, propelling them to explore and transfer knowledge to real-world contexts. His work and patience with the students in building Adirondack chairs will allow the students to transfer this ability in the real-world by developing their life skills needed to succeed such as: creativity, collaboration and communication as well as patience! It is a pleasure working side by side with Mr. T.”
Congratulations, Mr. T, for living our Guiding Principle of College, Career, and Civic Readiness!

Metro Region: Susan Vinovrski

Metro’s Excellence in Education – Living Our Guiding Principles April award winner is Susan Vinovrski. Susan teaches ELA and History at the Commonwealth Secure Detention and was nominated by her colleagues, who praised her for her work with youth at CSD: “There are many reasons that I nominate Susan. She’s compassionate, motivated and a team player. Susan always looks out for the best interest of her students. She’s their number one cheerleader. Susan finds time in her busy day for one-on-one help when needed. She never says no. Susan is also CSD’s own IT guru. I’m so thankful for the
opportunity to work with her.” and “Susan is smart, caring and always lends a helping hand.”
Congratulations, Susan, for living our Guiding Principle of College, Career, and Civic Readiness!

March 2022

Southeast Region: John Cady

John was nominated by several of his colleagues including SSD Teacher Cassandra (Cassi) Menard and ECC Brian Mitchell.   

Brian states, “I would like to nominate John Cady for the March Guiding Principles award for the Southeast.  Over the past year John has been a great advocate in helping 3 of my students earn their credentials (2 high school diplomas and 1 HiSET) and starting college programming through the CES contracted courses.  John has always done a great job in communicating the needs of his students while working in a constantly transitioning detention classroom.  He is always patient and positive and a great colleague to work with.”  

Cassi nominated John in the principles of College, Career, and Civic Readiness Culture and Purpose and had this to say about her colleague: “John Cady brings humor and energy to his classroom and helps students draw connections between the past and today by examining the roots of modern issues, showing what life in the past may have been like and engaging classroom discussion. John skillfully facilitates classroom discussions in which not all parties agree but they do all feel validated and heard.

John also helps post-graduate students navigate online college classes and almost-graduates with Edgenuity courses and Hi-SET prep materials in an effort to help them succeed beyond the DYS classroom.

John not only develops great activities that engage his students in meaningful ways but he is a great colleague and team leader. He consistently encourages his team to supplement their curriculums with hands-on activities and incorporate critical discussions of current events in their classes. He offers invaluable professional support and advice to help these types of activities run smoothly in the classroom.”

Metro Region: Debra “Debbie” Gorsky, Teaching Coordinator  at CSD

Debbie has been the Teaching Coordinator  at CSD for three years – she has been teaching with DYS for sixteen years! Debbie has been nominated for this award by her colleagues, who shared that, “She has relationships with students that have been built over multiple years and she also has relationships with students who have been there for a few weeks. Not only is Debbie a warm and comforting person to be around for her students, but they are independently motivated to make progress in math. Students who struggled to multiply two numbers together are multiplying binomials within months. Young people are motivated to learn and pass the Hi-Set but also motivated to get a little purple check on their paper from Debbie. We should all aspire to follow her example of a well- established classroom full of motivated and active young people,” and “I’ve never seen a place where students like math as much as they do in Debbie’s classroom. It’s so refreshing! She’s truly created a culture where students walk into her classroom eager to learn, and focused on the purpose of attaining either their HiSET or a diploma.  Congratulations, Debbie, for living our Guiding Principle of Culture and Purpose!

Central Region: Dan Robichaud, Teaching Coordinator at Spectrum Girls

Dan received multiple nominations highlighting his contributions to College, Career, and Civic Readiness including a strong and supportive nomination from one of his students.

From student EB: “I would like to nominate my teacher Dan R. from Spectrum Girls. He’s an awesome listener when it comes to us struggling at times, he is very good at adapting while still being flexible to the DYS community and rules DYS school is a very different set up from public schools in a complex way and he has adapted very well. I would also like to applaud Dan for his empathy and critical thinking. Me and my peers can be very difficult at times and he is always there to compromise while still helping us work our way up to where we need to pass. Dan’s communication skills are very efficient when it comes to working with us females. He is very patient but still willing to push us hard to our best potential that he knows and sees. He is very invested in us female’s education and future such as allowing us to do research on what we want to be when we grow up but still making sure we present our findings and telling why. Dan is also good at getting us girls to work together and teamwork is a very good skill to have when working in a classroom.”  

From a colleague: Dan R. has displayed all the qualities related to this award. In school, he creates assignments that engage his students and offers them opportunities to do hands-on projects. Dan’s personalized approach to student learning makes each of his students challenged but not overwhelmed. Dan has also been successful with maintaining a positive work environment for other staff members which supports the overall culture of the program. In turn, the students feel safe and secure in their environment. 

Western Region: Michael Roblinski, SEIS teacher at Terri Thomas and SRT

Michael was nominated by his co-workers for his outstanding work around both the Culture and Purpose Principle as well as the College, Career and Civic Readiness Principle. As one teacher wrote, “Mike has been instrumental in helping provide college, career, and civic readiness by working with me on implementing student accommodations during planning and instruction.” Another teacher wrote ” Mike’s activities have enriched our classroom culture and boosted student achievement.” Yet another teacher said that “Mike is always willing to lend a hand, help out however he can, and overall makes this a great place to work with his energy and commitment to his students and his co-workers.” 

Northeast Region: Sharyn Chamberlain, Teaching Coordinator at Kennedy School

This year Sharyn became the Teaching Coordinator at Kennedy School, and before that she taught for twelve years in DYS
schools in the Northeast. Her colleagues shared that, “Sharyn’s consistent insistence on high standards at Kennedy School is exemplary. She has been able to create an atmosphere where high standards is the norm,” , “Sharyn is the epitome of a caring and compassionate intellectual. She embodies the qualities of an individual who is devoted to her students and her colleagues. She always goes above and beyond to support everyone in her path,” , “Sharyn has created a culture of purpose for these students,” and “ She is eternally optimistic and has brought that optimism to the building.”
Congratulations, Sharyn, for living our Guiding Principle of Culture and Purpose!

February 2022

Southeast Region: Danielle Nasuti

Danielle was nominated by Mark Johnson of Brockton Boys Detention for her work in the Principle of College, Career, Civic Readiness.  Mark had this to say about Danielle:

“I have had the pleasure of working with Danielle for the past five years. In that time I have learned a lot about who she is as a person, and as a teacher. Hard working, dedicated, caring, flexible, and team player are just a few of the adjectives that come to mind when describing Danielle. Over the past few years I have watched as Danielle constantly adjusts her schedule to fit the needs of her students, the programs she serves, and or to help cover for colleagues. Without fail she is offering assistance to someone with each and every MCAS administration. In the past couple of months her schedule has been adjusted multiple times, and she has cheerfully accepted each change knowing it was for the good of her students. 
She develops a good rapport with all her students, and manages to get the best out of them. Danielle is particularly good with students when it comes to preparing them for meetings and tests. Whether it is an IEP evaluation or an MCAS exam, she spends time preparing them for what they can expect and helping them to feel more at ease. Our students are lucky to have her, as are Pedro and I.” 

Western Region: Erin White, Western Region Instructional Coach

Erin was nominated by the teachers she works with on a daily basis around her work on the guiding principle of Culture and Purpose. As one teacher quotes “Erin helps me to create a learning environment for my students that is inclusive, caring, and focused on the students’ needs and who they are as people as well as learners”. Another teacher wrote “Despite being asked to bear an incredibly heavy load, she is always quick to respond to an inquiry or a request for help, find time to help a colleague, and do so in a consistently professional and friendly manner. She is a great asset to the organization”. Another said “ Erin is always cheerful and positive. She can put a sunny spin on just about anything and seems to do it with ease. Erin is receptive to questions and ideas and is just a pure joy to be around, plus she is a bottomless well of information and experience.” 

Central Region: Gopesh Pandey, Teacher at Leahy Detention

Gopesh creates a classroom environment where the students feel safe to ask for help and take risks. He is dedicated to his
students’ growth and embraces their individual needs.
 ‘Gopesh always brings an enormous amount of joy and passion in his teaching. He cares so much about the students and their learning. He allows students to work at their own pace and at their own level. He is willing to go above and beyond in all aspects of teaching, including preparing students for the math MCAS. Gopesh comes to work with a smile on his face and is a positive force on the unit.”
“Gopesh has always given his students the space and time within his classroom. He always makes sure that each student is heard and has individualized plans for each student. He always takes his time to make sure each student is completing their work with confidence and if they need help, it is always given. He is and has always been a joy to teach alongside with. We are all better educators by trying to reach his standards of teaching.”
“Gopesh is a real role model for the students here at the Leahy program. The students know the high standards expected of them. The students really enjoyed working on a very creative cell poster project a few weeks ago..”
Congratulations Gopesh! Thank you for embracing and embodying our guiding principles where “Youth learn in classrooms where joy, creativity, and compassion are evident; their voices are valued and identities are affirmed; and dignity, safety, and respect is fostered by all.”

Metro Region: Thomas “Tommy” Cosgrove, Teacher at MTU and EBDU

Tommy teaches ELA at MTU and EBDU and was nominated by his colleagues, who noted, “Tommy works hard to build meaningful relationships with all his students and foster a culture of mutual respect. The students are made to feel like they have an equal voice in the classroom, in building classroom expectations, choosing learning materials, and in how they represent their learning. 
Tommy works to include their personal interests and life stories in his curriculum, while also encouraging them to strive for more. He has been seen working with post-grads on college work, helping students with resumes and business plans, researching and printing resources for students outside of class time, and sharing personal copies of classic literature with interested students.” and “Tommy has found unique ways to include culture and purpose in our ELA class. Students are gaining engagement and new skills.” Congratulations, Tommy, for living our Guiding Principle of Culture and Purpose!

Northeast Region: Emmanouella Vendouri, Teacher at Northeast Detention

Her colleagues had some great things to say, “Emmanouella constantly effuses her lessons with lessons in critical thinking and analysis. She motivates her students to see beyond their limitations and weaknesses and to explore possibilities in their life choices, especially in their career choices.She breaks down complicated ideas effectively for students to access, participate and grow. It’s a joy to watch her engage the students in topics that range from riddles, to literary analysis to writing strategies. The student work shows that she not only teaches but coaches her students to produce excellent and creative work using their own talents and interests.” and “Emmanouella is dedicated to making sure her students are seen and feel welcome each day in class. She has consistently high expectations and is a great listener.” Congratulations,Emmanouella, for living our Guiding Principle of College, Career, and Civic Readiness!

January 2022

Northeast Region:  Northeast Detention Teaching Coordinator, Bethany Boulanger

Northeast’s Excellence in Education – Living Our Guiding Principles award winner is Bethany Boulanger. Bethany recently transitioned into the Teaching Coordinator position at Northeast Detention – before that she was the English Language Learner Specialist in both the Metro and Northeast regions. Bethany’s colleague had this to say in their nomination, “Bethany has worked tirelessly to facilitate a smooth transition from NERP to NED by completing vast amounts of digital paperwork, while also cleaning, organizing and decorating the classrooms and hallways of their new unit. The students have been assured by Bethany that their academic programming will continue as it has been. Recently, as part of her students EYF playlist, the students created resumes that they are all proud of. I am in awe of the energy and enthusiasm that she brings to the students in her care. As a new content teacher and now a new TC, Bethany has excelled in creating Culture and Purpose for her unit, not just for the students, but for the teachers as well..”

Congratulations, Bethany, for living our Guiding Principle of Culture and Purpose!

Metro Region: Teaching Coordinator, Erin Silverman

Erin has been the Teaching Coordinator at Judge Connolly Youth Center for three years – before that she was the Teaching Coordinator at Metro Pre Trial Unit and at Casa Isla. Erin has been nominated for this award by four of her colleagues, who shared that, “Erin is the most supportive TC I have ever worked with…. Erin is always helpful. She is caring and a great leader…helps students learn to appropriately ask for their aspirations, attain some of their hopes, encourages them to reach for their dreams without giving up.”

Congratulations, Erin, for living our Guiding Principle of College, Career and Civic Readiness!

Central Region: Jane Chick

Jane received multiple nominations highlighting her contributions to College, Career and Civic Readiness. Please see what Jane’s colleagues had to say about her below.

“Jane is one of the best teachers I have ever seen. She always puts the needs of her students first and foremost. She always makes sure that they are in an environment where their opinions are recognized and listened to. She does an excellent job allowing the student to self-advocate for themselves. She is always willing to provide the most resources that her students need without question. It had been an honor to be able to teach alongside her and learn from her excellent example.”

“Jane does many things to connect with and inspire her students to learn. She spends time to individualize lessons and to make connections to the real world. She always tries to get the most from her students even when they are struggling.”

“The staff at the Fitchburg District Office would like to nominate Jane. Jane always goes above and beyond to create meaningful learning opportunities for the youth at Spectrum REACH. Jane works hard to connect the students’ interests to engaging, hands-on activities in the classroom. Jane’s enthusiasm is contagious and empowering for the youth and staff alike. Jane always sees the best in students and advocates for their best interests in all areas of treatment. Our office has had the opportunity to see youth who have struggled in previous educational programming in community settings thrive and engage when working with Jane. Thank you Jane for all you do!

Southeast: Kris Souza

Education and Career Counselor Kris Souza was selected as the recipient of January’s Living Our Guiding Principles Award! Kris was nominated by ECCs Beth Martin and Brian Mitchell for his ongoing HiSET work in the community. They had this to say about Kris: 
“We wanted to acknowledge and thank Kris Souza for providing our youth an opportunity to take the HiSET test at the Taunton District Office. We can’t emphasize enough what an amazing asset this is for our Southeast students. Kris saw the need for youth friendly testing sites, particularly during COVID, and has done an incredible job researching, coordinating and creating this opportunity. One student passed his HiSET on 12/21/2021 two days before he was discharged from Teamworks and 10 days before he aged out of DYS. Kris coordinated with his casework team to schedule five individual test dates to provide the optimal testing environment.This was not an easy task given both staffing and Covid challenges . I know, without a doubt, that we would have lost this student when he returned to the community if this option had not been available. He now signed a YES and is taking an online college class. A student from the Randolph DO was tested and passed his HiSET exam and is now applying to the Building Pathways Program. Without a high school credential, this meaningful career opportunity would not have been possible. Kris has facilitated district office exams for 8 students since the start of the HiSET test at home initiative.
Thanks Kris!
Coaches

Western Region: Tracy Lyon

For January, our winner of the Excellence in Education- Living our Guiding Principles award is Tracy Lyon, Health and Wellness Teacher in the West. Tracy exemplified the principle of Social Justice and Equity throughout January and was nominated by her peers as well as her students. Tracy helps to guide both students and peers forward while giving voice to all students and their backgrounds.

December 2021

Western Region:  Teaching Coordinator, Gandara Alternative Options, Ronald Perrott

The December winner of the Excellence in Education- Living our Guiding Principles award is Ronald Perrott, Teaching Coordinator for the Gandara Alternative Options program. Ron was nominated by both fellow teachers and his students. Ron exemplified the principle of Culture and Purpose through his work to create a program where students are heard, their opinions matter and they are given a voice while being respected at all times.

Southeast:  Southeast Secure Detention, Teacher, Nathan Henner

Please join us in congratulating December’s recipient of the Living Our Guiding Principles Award Nathan Henner! Nate was nominated by his Teaching Coordinator John Cady for his work in the Principle of College, Career, Civic Readiness. John had this to say about Nate:
“Nathan has been effectively delivering the Empower Your Future pilot curriculum for the past two years. He and the Southeast Secure Detention clinical department have graduated to the point in their delivery of the instruction and/or curriculum that other programs have sought out their advice. Nathan was able to offer his colleague the necessary advice, suggestions, and an invitation with any future concerns that may arise. The curriculum designed for this course has helped Nathan to prepare his students for their future including, but not limited to their career choice and their postsecondary education

Central Region:  Butler Center School, Roger Solomon

Roger’s nominations highlighted his contributions to College, Career and Civic Readiness. Please see what Butler Center Program Director Robert Wilson had to say below.
“Roger is fantastic in getting DYS students excited about learning. This is not an easy task to accomplish. Roger makes learning intrinsic for our youth by creating fun, educational related hands-on projects. The students have always thrived in Roger’s classroom. He has the innate ability to teach them real life, hands-on research such as utilizing Science and Math skills in a fun and engaging way. Recently he has collaborated with a direct care staff at utilizing statistics in math class to punch in data for the residents fantasy football league. His science experiments over the years with students have not only helped them engage in the classroom but strengthen their sometimes fragile confidence and self esteem issues. Through the
years we have held events to showcase these science projects that the kids have been very proud of. We are very fortunate to have somebody of Roger’s skill level and overall passion for helping others work at the Butler Center School/CES.”

Metro Region:  Terry Branch

Metro’s Excellence in Education – Living Our Guiding Principles December award winner is Terry Branch. Terry is the Health and Wellness Educator for Metro and was nominated by four of his colleagues, who noted, “Terry’s knowledge and personal participation as player, coach, and instructor, has made him a valuable asset to these kids. Sports can teach leadership… fair play… rules of participation… and sportsmanship- all part of Terry’s commitment to our kids… You can always count on Terry. He’s great with the boys and always willing to lend a hand…Terry manages to build relationships where students feel valued in each Metro unit. This is not only something I’ve witnessed in gym and health class, but even in an ELA class recently where he fostered discussion with students based on their personal experiences of being on teams and his experience as a coach.”

Congratulations, Terry, for living our Guiding Principle of Culture and Purpose!

November 2021

Central Region:  Lead Education and Career Counselor, Jennifer Graves

We are thrilled to announce that Jennifer Graves, an Education and Career Counselor in the Department of Youth Service, is the recipient of the Central Region’s Excellence in Education: Living our Guiding Principles Award for the month of November 2021. Jenn’s nominations highlighted her contributions to College, Career, and Civic Readiness.  Please see the nominating excerpt below from the Fitchburg District Manager.
“Jenn is a crucial component to the success of DYS youth in the Central Region.  She is continually focusing on their self-identified education and vocational goals and excels in creating plans for them to achieve these goals.  She has helped numerous young people successfully graduate from High School, enroll in college courses and achieve vocational certificates.  In doing so, she has enabled the young people of the Central Region to be able to achieve their goals and provide them the opportunity for career advancement.  Without Jenn, the young people of the Central Region surely would not be achieving the success that they have to date.

Western Region:  Teaching Coordinator, RISE Program, Jessica Brueshaber

We are excited to announce our next winner of the Western Region Excellence in Education-Living our Guiding Principles award for the month of November. November’s winner is Jessica Brueshaber, TC at Gandara RISE Treatment in Springfield. Jessica was nominated by both fellow teachers and her students for her work around the principle of Culture and Purpose as well as the Social Justice and Equity principle.
As a fellow teacher said “Periodically providing coverage at Jessica’s program, I consistently found the youth having opportunities to contribute and develop their whole selves with myself and other educators. This is evident due to Jessica’s authenticity and her ability to lead with humility connecting with others in a genuine way. Seeing the youth at her program with the willingness to engage in dialogue, in itself, validates Jessica and her team’s compassion for the youth to seek, expand, and embrace their growth mindset. Jessica’s leadership and instruction connects students to a wider classroom learning community allowing the youth to knowingly reflect on their personal, social, and cultural identities.”
One of her students also shared the following: “Jess is always honest with me, has fun lessons and makes me feel learning is important.”

Metro Region:  Judge Connelly Youth Center, Diana Klimas, Teacher

Metro’s Excellence in Education – Living Our Guiding Principles award winner is Diana Klimas, Science and Horticulture teacher at Judge Connelly Youth Center. Diana, who is in her second year of teaching at JCYC, has been nominated for this award by three of her peers, who shared that, “Diana is not only an excellent teacher, but a natural leader… She has students work on wonderful hands-on experiences and has helped organize our first school pet.” and, “She does a great job with kinesthetic activities, engaging the students, and developing strong relationships with the students. Furthermore, she always is willing to help out her colleagues and the TC’s when asked,” and “Every time I join Diana’s class …I leave energized and more excited about the different possibilities for engaging students in the classroom. 

Northeast Region:  Kennedy School Teacher, Rhonda Fears

We are thrilled to announce that Rhonda Fears, Teacher at Kennedy School, is the recipient of the Excellence in Education: Living our Guiding Principles Award for the Northeast for the month of November.  Rhonda’s nomination by colleague, Carolann Tebbetts, highlighted her contributions to College, Career and Civic Readiness as well as Culture and Purpose.  Please see the excerpt below.  
This month Rhonda has taken full advantage of the current Break Free Ed. Challenge.  Her students in RFK are creating architectural models that demonstrate truly amazing planning and creative construction techniques.  The students are fully engaged and learning a host of transferable 21st-century skills as well as improving fine motor and creative skills.  
In addition to this Rhonda is outstanding in her sense of Culture and Purpose.  She is unfailingly compassionate and positive.  Her willingness to get involved in cross-curricular programming with peers and her ability to tailor instruction to her students’ learning styles is exceptional.  I feel strongly that her contributions to the NE RFK classrooms deserve recognition.
Congratulations Rhonda!  Thank you for embracing and embodying our guiding principles where “youth benefit from inquiry-based, authentic, hands-on, and relevant learning experiences that enable them to develop and apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills, propelling them to explore and transfer knowledge to real-world contexts.”

Southeast:  Special Education Teacher, Marianne Pina

We are pleased to announce Southeast Secure Treatment’s Marianne Pina as the November recipient of the Living our Guiding Principles Awards. Marianne was nominated by both her Teaching Coordinator Dana Buckner as well as Teacher Robert McKnight. Dana had this to say about Marianne in the principle of Culture & Purpose.
“When working with Marianne, she is always conscious of reaching our diverse group of students. For example, for high-interest reading and lessons to promote diversity, she suggested the book: The Greatest: Muhammad Ali. The students were really engaged and appreciated learning about a sports figure who was of their own ethnicity. Marianne not only strives to challenge students to achieve their best, she also helps teachers to consider bettering their teaching methodology by using strategies such as vocabulary building activities and word walls. Marianne is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to incentivizing our daily classes so that students will buy into their learning. She generates educational games i.e. Concentration, using terms and vocabulary from our readings, students must match each one from 30 of them on the board. For every holiday, Marianne goes out of her way to decorate the unit with her own unique crafts i.e. There is always an outline of a large tree on the walls whose leaves literally change with the seasons and holidays!”

October 2021

Western Region: Teaching Coordinator for RFK Girls Treatment in South Hadley, MA Danielle Maco

Danielle was nominated by her students and program staff for her work with the Culture and Purpose principle. Her students commented, “Ms. Danielle makes me feel I can do anything, even when I don’t believe it myself,” and “she makes me enjoy and want to come to school, and is my light in this dark time I am in.”

Central Region: Teaching Coordinator at the Paul T. Leahy Center in Worcester, MA, Katie Vadenais 

Katie’s nomination highlighted her contributions to Culture and Purpose as well as College, Career and Civic Readiness.  In nominating Katie, colleagues shared: “Working in a detention setting can be very challenging. For many students, this is their first experience in DYS. Katie offers a safe learning environment for all students, many who come in with a variety of social, emotional and educational issues; which includes a consistent routine for class procedures while still offering choices and differentiating approaches. She is not afraid to tackle difficult issues, often creating lessons that address those issues specifically and include historic and contemporary connections. Katie manages the discussion well, treating students with respect so that their voices may be heard..Katie also integrates art into many of her lessons, creating a safe, joyful space where students may express themselves creatively.”

Northeast Region: Teaching Coordinator at Carbone Hall in Framingham, MA, Mindy Nguyen

Mindy received the award for her contributions to Culture and Purpose as well as College, Career and Civic Readiness. Colleagues said about Mindy: “Mindy has developed relationships with students and staff that have had a very positive effect on the climate and perception of education at her program. She developed classroom norms with student input which supported behavior and engagement, and has provided excellent support to her students to help them make progress with their coursework.”

Metro Region: ELA and History teacher at EBDU, Samia Peterson

Samia was selected for exemplifying the Guiding Principle of Culture and Purpose. Her colleagues shared that Samia “has led the way with starting the EYF curriculum on the unit and has demonstrated creative ways to engage each youth in career and life skill readiness,” and that she “creates a safe place for students to take academic risks and builds scaffolding to support students in reaching for and succeeding in higher rigor materials that they are used to trying. Her students feel heard and valued.” 

Southeast Region: Math and Science Teacher at Brockton Detention in Brockton, MA, Pedro Elias

Pedro was nominated under the guiding principle of culture and purpose. A Teaching Coordinator had this to say about his colleague: “As part of the preparation for Hispanic Heritage Month, Pedro spent a couple of weeks having students help him prepare a mural for the hallways with important historical and cultural information about many of the Hispanic countries in the Caribbean. Pedro shared with the students his own personal story of how he immigrated to this country and his experiences in assimilating to American culture. He shared with them the doubts and fears he had about being able to find a job where he would be able to support his family. More than anything he was able to share with students about how he was able to persevere and has been able to adapt to American society and culture while maintaining his connections to his Peruvian culture. The students were engaged, interested, and asked questions… I have a great admiration and respect for the bond he is able to create with his students. On this day I found that admiration and respect rising to new levels.”