June 2009 - Amityville Teachers Association

Vol.9 Issue 4
June 2009
The union that cares
Scribe
the
The Award Winning Newsletter of the Amityville Teachers Association • Local 2466 • NYSUT • AFT • AFL-CIO
Inside
The Alphabet in Action
By Carolyn Dodd
Grievance
Report
Retiree’s
Year in
Review:
ATA
members
support
activities
Dignity For
All Students
Act
Mark the
Date
Upcoming
Calendar of
events
As a Pre-K teacher my lessons are focused
around the alphabet. I introduce each
letter and present an array of activities in
different modalities to immerse my class
of inquisitive four year olds in the excitement of language.
Naturally I turned to these twenty six letters when I needed
to reflect on this past year.
A is for attention. What Peggy Gonser has mastered in her
e-mail reminders for the End of The Year Party.
B is for being present at our Back to School Bash, kick off
Bar-B- Que and the bevy of acivities the LAP team presents.
C is for The Curriculum Committee a conception of Asst
Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Gulbin. The committee
brought together administrators and teachers in the effort
to expand and rethink professional development.
D is for the recent New York State Appellate Court decision
upholding the arbitrator’s decision in the 2003 Sixth Grade
teachers’ grievance.
E is for the energy that all of us seem to muster at the end
of a long teaching day to continue serving our educational
community in our roles as union representatives, coaches,
mentors, teacher/student buddies, tutors, advisors,
committee members, APTC reps, and graduate students.
F is for flash back to a prior administration when every
educational initative was stonewalled and fourteen
grievances were filed in violation of our Collective
Bargaining Agreement.
G is for gratitude to the Legislative Council for all the time
and effort in effectively representing our membership.
With thanks and appreciation to Ted Tsirigotis, Marc
Engler, George Alexander , Robert Claps, Colleen Kretz,
Carol Seehof, John Kennedy, Donna Sohm, Kelli Geilman,
Olimpia Karounos, Shannon Reilly, Patti Dieck, Beth
Cunningham, Janine Katsigiorgis, Jennifer Trotman, Mark
Marchino, Carl Spatola, Robert Western, Nancy Finizio,
Heather Persan, Peggy Gonser, Kathleen Thorn, Jolene
Maccarone, Linda Pfaffe, Lynda Mussen, and Irene Winter.
H is for Health & Safety- the committee chaired by Lynda
Mussen and meets monthly with the district to attend
to members concerns regarding a safe and healthy work
environment.
I is for integrity of those ATA sisters and brothers who
tirelessly continue to provide the best educational
experience for our students.
J is for joy, satisfaction, and reward of knowing that we have
accomplished great things in our classrooms.
K is for kindness and generosity of our memberships
financial support of BULA, the African start up school
in Kenya, the Special Olympics, the ATA Outreach,
scholarships donations, VOTE/COPE and least not forget
the out of pocket expenses we incur to add that something
extra for our classrooms.
L is for LAP, the Local Action Project, chaired by Peggy
Gonser and Kathleen Thorn, is designed to help build a
better union through membership involvement, media and
public relations, community outreach, coalition building
and political action.
M is for mentoring. Reestablished this year under the
guidance of Marc Engler, the mentoring program provide
support for new teachers and helped ease the transition
from teacher preparation to practice. This year the mentors
received compensation as well as PD credit for attending
monthly seminars.
N is for the Ninth Grade Academy. The reconfiguration
plan will place the 9th grade at EWMMS and the 6th grade
at Park Ave. Memorial Elementary School. Planning began
in November as the Feasibility Committee, made up of
teachers, administrators, parents and students studied the
realignment and its impact of our educational community.
O is for organizing the ATA Bar-B- Que-Colleen Kretz,
the Breast Cancer Walk-Carl Spatola, the Sick Bank-Linda
Pfaffe, the Holiday Party-Peggy Gonser, the ATA Awards
Night-Marc Engler and Leonora Colletti, Political ActionTed Tsirigotis, Heritage Fair-Carol Seehof, North Amityville
Day Parade-Bob Claps, and End of the Year invitations and
Floral Design- Laurie Hawthorne.
P is for Phone Bank the political action initiative to help
pass the School District Budget. Forty ATA brothers and
sisters manned the phones from our ATA office rather than
utilize the phone bank at NYSUT Regional office. This
convenience allowed for more ATA members to get involved
and meet colleagues from within the district. The cost was
considerably lower than expected and was paid for by our
VOTE/COPE refund.
Q is for quality of life and a social justice agenda that the
ATA has supported through our efforts with sponsoring
Fair Trade products. Fair Trade guarantees a living wage,
humane working conditions, no child labor, environmental
sustainability, and community development. In taking a
stand for social justice we help to empower marginalized
workers around the world.
R is for rallies that we attended in solidarity with other Long
Island NYSUT locals supporting Fair Share for Long Island
and Tax Cap campaigns.
S is for the stimulus package and the fact that it is
irrefutable. President Obama and Congress acknowledged
education’s critical role when they decided to provide
historic education funding levels through the stimulus
package.
T is for teachers in transition. As many as fifty teachers
will be experiencing new surroundings and educational
challenges as the 2009-2010 school year begins.
U is for unity. Although incomprehensible now, up to the
late 1950’s, the Superintendent, administrators, and teachers
were all members of the same organization. 1967 was a
banner year for teachers in Amityville and New York State.
With the passage of the Taylor Law labor relations would
never be the same. As a labor relation statute The Taylor
Law granted public employees the right to organize and be
represented by employee organizations of their own choice.
In unity there was strength.
V is for vacation-the long awaited holiday that will be
enjoyed by this year’s retirees, Shelly Caplan and Donna
Ferguson.
W is for winning. This year the ATA has won seven awards
in NYSUT’s Journalism Competition.
General Excellence First Award - THE SCRIBE, General
Excellence Community First Award-TEACHER
CONNECTION, First Award-Best News Story-THE
SCRIBE, Award of Merit-Best Feature Story -THE SCRIBE,
First Award-Best Editorial- THE SCRIBE, Best Front PageHonorable Mention- THE SCRIBE and First Award- Best
Web Site Amityville Teachers’ Association
X is for the extraordinary job that, retiree, Linda Deasy does
as our “office manager”.
Y is for year-the end of yet another!
We recite the alphabet of this past year and end with Z and
in author Eric Carl’s words, “And spreading his wings in the
splendid act of flight, he zigged and he zagged and he ziggety
zagged, and soon was lost from sight.
2 Scribe
EMBRACE SOCIAL JUSTICE: THINK FAIR TRADE!
By Carol Sehoff
By now most members realize that NYSUT
has started a campaign embracing social
justice issues. One issue which NYSUT
holds very close is Fair Trade. Fair Trade is a
people powered solution to global economic
injustice. The Fair Trade system ensures
that people along every step of the supply
chain receive fair wages, that workers and
communities are treated with dignity, and that
artisans and producers take steps to preserve
the environment. Fair trade builds real and
lasting relationships between producers in
developing countries and businesses and
consumer in more developed areas all around
the world.
Empowerment and self-sufficiency
Fair trade offers an alternative to small
farmers who are at a disadvantage in the
“free market” system. Transparency and
accountability are basic principles of the
Fair Trade model, and farmers have a voice
in how their profits are used to benefit their
communities.
By directing your dollars towards businesses
operating with a Fair Trade model, you
are recognizing the human connections
embedded in any trading relationship. Here’s
what you’re supporting when you buy Fair
Trade:
Environmental sustainability
Fair Trade’s focus on what’s good for
communities means that Fair Trade producers
are encourage to use environmentally friendly
practices that preserve the health of the soil,
air, water, and workers in the field.
A fair price for products
For commodities, like coffee and cocoa, Fair
Trade certifying organizations establish a fair
price that guarantees farmers will be able to
meet their living needs, with enough left over
for them to improve their communities.
As NYSUT members we should continue to
learn more about Fair Trade and organize
our efforts. As we know, there’s strength in
numbers, so let’s advocate for Fair Trade and
take the next steps together. The ATA is about
to launch it’s own Fair Trade campaign and
will continue to provide information allowing
you to make green choices and purchases that
make a real difference in the lives of people
who grow your food and make beautiful items
for your home.
Conventional Stores
and Fair Trade
Supporting local stores or stores that stock
nothing but Fair Traide products is always
your greenest choice. Conventional companies
have begun to sell some Fair Traide coffee and
occationally other Fair Trade products.
If your local retailer does not sell any Fair Trade
products, approach the manager or write the
company requesting that they start. Her are some
way to get started.
Large-Scale Coffee Roasters
- Green Mountain: call 1-888-879-4627 to
find supermarkets in your area selling Green
Mountain Fair Trade Coffee.
-Peet’s: their Fair Trade blend is available in
supermarkets and at www.peets.com.
- Procter and Gamble’s Millstone line of coffee
offers three Fair Trade roasts that are also
organic. Available in supermarkets.
- Seatle’s Best: owned by Starbucks, their Fair
Trade Certified blend, “Organic French Roast,”
is available in supermarkets, on many university
campuses, and from www.cooking.com.
The
Scribe
Women’s participation
Fair Trade ensures that women are paid
equally for their work. Additionally,
premiums from Fair Trade production are
invested back into the community and can
mean improvements in women’s live.
Large Coffee Retailers
- Caribou Coffee: Their Fair Trade line,
“Rainforest Blend”is available upon request.
- Dunkin Donuts: All espresso and cappuccino
products are made with Fair Trade Certified
Coffee.
- Starbucks: Ask for “Cafe Estima.” This is a
Starbucks’ only Fair Trade blend. The barista
should french-press a cup for any customer who
asks, even if it’s not the blend on tap.
Tully’s: Their Fair Trade line, “Compadre Blend,”
isn’t labeled as such. Ask them to brew their Fair
Trade Certified coffee.
Supermarkets
-Stop & Shop: coffee in some stores
-Target/Greatlands: coffee in some stores
-Tops: coffee in some stores
-Trader Joe’s: coffe and tea in most stores
-Whole Foods: coffee, tea,and chocolate available
in most stores. Sugar, rice,and vanilla available
in some stores.
Shop Fair Trade
is published four times a year by the Amityville Teachers Association
74 Merrick Rd.
Amityville, NY 11701
(631) 691-0021
www.amityville teachers.org
Articles, photos or letters to the editor are welcome
and may be addressed to:
The Scribe
Amityville Teachers Association
74 Merrick Rd.
Amityville, NY 11701
or e-mail - [email protected]
June 2009
Grievance Report
Grievance # 2003-09-24 Issue:
Six teaching periods for 6th grade
teachers.
• Being arbitrated- interim
decision: positive
• 2nd arbitration meeting
delayed until March 21st
• May 8th, 2006 Arbitration
continues
• Arbitration continues July 24th,
2006
• Final argument presented July
2006
• Submit summations by
September 15th, 2006
• Decision by October 15th, 2006
• Arbitrator awards ATA over one
half million dollar settlement
• Award must be paid by
December 20th, 2006
• January 2007 BOE files for stay
of arbitration to try to overturn
decision
• Hearing on October 12th, 2007
• Switched to October 26th, 2007
• Judges rule in favor of ATA
• Judgment signed on
December 17th, 2007
• Telephone Conference with
6th grade teachers and NYSUT
attorney-June 11
• Meeting with NYSUT June 30th.
Offer was made to district.
• District rejects offer.
• Met with 6th grade teachers to
discuss further action.
• 9/24/2008 File request for legal
expenses.
• Oral arguments heard
2/5/2009. Response within 60
days.
• The court has sustained the
grievance, ruling in our favor.
The court has remanded the
arbitrator to clarify the award.
Grievance # 2009 - 1 Issue: Special
education, Ms. Laurel Garofolo
reprimanded a teacher in writing and
placed reprimand in teacher’s file
without teacher’s knowledge.
- Filed Step 1 on January 16, 2009
- Filed Step 2 on February 13, 2009
- Filed Step 3 on March 17, 2009
- Board hearing held on April 17,2009
- Filed for arbitration.
Grievance #2009-2 Issue: The denial
of maternity leave extensions for
Joyce Patsos, Francine John, Michelle
Rudden and all similar situated
employees.
- Filed step 2 on March 2, 2009
- Filed step 3 on April 27, 2009
- Filed for arbitration.
The Scribe is the voice of your local union. The contents are intended for
its membership and are not allowed to be reprinted without permission of
the editor. Editorials appearing in The Scribe reflect the opinion of its
leadership. Articles about members and their concerns are welcome and
should contribute positively to the welfare of this union and its members. We
welcome Letters to the Editor, however they must be signed. We will withhold
names upon request. We reserve the right to edit any submission and reply
to those that seem to reflect a misunderstanding of the union and its politics.
The Scribe may include reprints of articles from other educational publications.
June 2009
Scribe
3
Dignity For All Students Act Would Prohibit Harassment
NYSUT demands law to curb bullying
Bullying is being blamed in at least two of
the four recent suicides that have rocked
Schenectady High School. The latest victim was
awaiting a home tutor so she wouldn’t have to
face the cruel taunting by a group of girls on the
way home from school and during lunch.
Last month an 11-year-old boy in Springfield,
Mass., hanged himself with an extension cord
at home after the teasing turned to torment.
His mother, who has taken her anti-bullying
crusade all the way to the Oprah Winfrey Show,
said he was constantly harassed by classmates.
Cyberbullying has added a whole new
dimension to the epidemic. “Sexting,”
“flaming” and “outing” are new terms for
online harassment. A 13-year-old Missouri girl
killed herself after being bullied through the
networking Web site MySpace.
“These are only the heartbreaking headlines
that have caught our attention,” said NYSUT
President Dick Iannuzzi. “We know that there
are many more students whose stories don’t
make the headlines.”
Calling for state lawmakers to stop delaying
action, NYSUT is urgently pushing for
enactment of the Dignity for All Students Act.
It would require schools to develop clear antiharassment policies, report incidents, provide
staff training and promote respect for diversity.
NYSUT, which is planning an anti-bullying
conference in the upcoming school year,
considers the issue front and center in the
union’s social justice agenda.
“We view bullying as a civil and human rights
issue,” said NYSUT Secretary-Treasurer Lee
Cutler. “It impacts all our students and their
ability to learn.”
Cutler, who coordinates the union’s social
justice work, said he was proud that NYSUT’s
recent annual convention featured a riveting
presentation by Kevin Jennings, founder
of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education
Network, who sounded the alarm for educators
everywhere to work together to create a school
climate of respect for all.
Jennings showed statistics demonstrating
rampant bullying and harassment of students,
which in turn can lead to academic problems,
absenteeism, drug use and suicide.
New York Teacher - May 20, 2009 “This is at its heart an academic issue,” Jennings
said. “If bullying happens, we can’t do our job ...
and students don’t get the education they deserve.”
Looks, sexual orientation and gender expression
are the top reasons students are bullied, called
names or harassed in New York’s schools, Jennings
said.
National polls show at least 6 percent of all high
school students define themselves as gay, Jennings
noted. That’s a conservative number, since many
students would be hesitant to disclose that
information to a pollster.
“You may not know who they are,” Jennings said.
“But that means at least one out of 16 kids, or at
least one gay student in every classroom.”
Jennings said schools can create a safer and more
inclusive climate by having clear disciplinary
policies, providing training and support, and
allowing clubs that foster diversity.
“They need supportive teachers,” Jennings said.
“Teachers really can make a difference.”
Sixty percent of gay students said they never
reported harassment. “They tell us if they know
we’ll do something,” Jennings said. “That’s why
this legislation and backing of administration are
crucial.”
As the new Democratic majority in the state
Senate takes up initiatives that have never made it
to the floor before, Cutler said the time is ripe to
push for the Dignity for All Students Act.
During NYSUT’s recent Committee of 100, union
activists from around the state urged lawmakers
not to leave town this session without passing the
dignity bill. “We have troubled children and need
to be there for them,” said Rochester TA’s Sharon
Silvio.
Neighboring Massachusetts, Connecticut,
Vermont and New Jersey have passed similar laws.
Jennings said the Dignity for All Students Act
would help create a healthier school climate that
breeds respect for all, not just gay students.
“There are lots of closets in our schools, for all the
kids who feel marginalized,” Jennings said. “The
girls who are throwing up their lunches and the
kids who think they’re stupid ... We need to create
a school where every kid can come out of the
closet. Once you do, you’ll see how much more
energy they have for history, French and even
the math lesson.”
Tell the Senate: Pass the act now
For the seventh time, the state Assembly has
overwhelmingly approved the union-backed
Dignity for All Students Act, a bipartisan
measure aimed at providing all public school
students a learning environment free of
discrimination and harassment.
Now it’s time to move the bill to the floor of the
state Senate.
1.Take action: Tell you state representatives to
support the Dignity for All Students Act
Provisions of the legislation prohibit harassment
and discrimination based on actual or perceived
race, color, weight, national origin, religion,
disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex.
“All students have a right to a safe and supportive
school environment, so they can concentrate
on their academic and personal growth. The
Dignity for All Students Act attempts to stop the
bullying and menacing,” said Assembly Speaker
Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan.
The bill (A3661-B/S1987-A) directs school
districts to develop procedures which create
discrimination-free and harassment-free schools,
as well as guidelines for training personnel to
respond to discrimination and harassment.
The commissioner of education would be
required to provide advice, model policies and
direct services, where possible, to help districts
establish policies to prevent discrimination and
harassment.
Incidents on school grounds or at school
functions would have to be reported annually to
the State Education Department.
We’re counting on the new Democratic majority
in the Senate to move quickly on this bill,” said
NYSUT Executive Vice President Alan Lubin.
“This will be one of our priority bills for the end
of the legislative session.”
Lubin urged members and their friends and
family to use NYSUT’s Web site to send letters to
their local senators demanding speedy approval
of the Dignity for All Students Act. Go to the
legislative action center at www.nysut.org.
Petty Jealousy
By John Katsigiorgis
There it is! If you pay close enough attention and look for it you might catch it. I’m not talking about a cold or a baseball. What
I am talking about is catching a sight of the politics in education. When I first began my Odyssey in the education field I never
envisioned or could fathom how deeply ingrained or connected politics were to Education. Nearly ten years later, and I am still
amazed at this link. I don’t know why I am, but I still am. This probably stems from my outdated belief that educators pursue this
field out of a passion and love of learning and helping others. The love, joy, and happiness they bring to others and especially those
that they teach is the driving force behind every decision they make. However, over time, I have come to realize that this isn’t true.
It is in fact far from it. Petty jealousies, insecurities, and human emotions cloud our judgment and prevent us form doing what we
were meant to do; help our students grow and become better human beings. This reminds me of a question I always pose to my
students: Do you believe that every human being possesses the capacity to do harm or good? It is not an easy question to answer.
Nonetheless it is a question that should be asked of us as educators. Are we willing to put aside our egos and focus on the greater
good of our students? There are no easy answers. There are only difficult questions with even harder answers to come up with.
4 Scribe
June 2009
Retirement - the door to an exciting new world
They look back and remember fond moments, but excitedly they embrace the new world they are about to enter. It is the excitement of the unknown,
without a schedule to keep or a clock to mind that is most inviting. While there is much they will miss, the future is more than appealing. We wish them well and
thank them for their caring and dedication.
Congratulations to our 2009 Retiree’s
Donna Ferguson and Rachel Caplan
TRS: Working in retirement: Do you know the rules?
New York Teacher - June 10, 2009
Are you planning to work for a public employer after
you retire? If you are 65 or older, there is no limit on
how much you can earn in New York state public
employment. If you’re younger, you need to know
about the earnings limit, which is set by the state
Legislature and governor.
The 2009 earnings limit for retirees under age 65 who
are working is $30,000. If you expect to earn more
than $30,000 in 2009, you may either suspend your
retirement benefit or work under Section 211 if your
employer receives prior approval from the state entity
with jurisdiction over your employment.
If your membership date is on or after May 31, 1973, you
are subject to earnings limits. Failure to get TRS approval
may eventually result in a substantial loss of your pension
benefits.
A third-party agent may inform you that your earnings in
retirement are unlimited as long as your pay does not come
directly from the school district. This is not correct.
If you joined the system after May 31, 1973, you must
report your earnings to TRS on an annual basis.
You can find more information about post-retirement
earnings, including the rules governing work as a
The State Education Department is the approving
authority for school district employment. Your
employer must request a waiver.
available online at www.nystrs.org.
If you return to work for the same employer from
which you retired, SED requires that six months elapse
before resuming employment. (The exception is if you
return to your same district and do per diem subbing
and earn less than $30,000.)
1.private or federal employment;
The six-month waiting period does not apply if you
work for a different school district, if you are employed
by the State University of New York or if you earn less
than the statutory limit for that calendar year.
If you are considering working for a school district as
a “consultant,” you must have the agreement reviewed
and approved by the New York State Teachers’
Retirement System. As a consultant, you cannot be
an employee of the district or perform a function
that normally would be performed by a teacher or
administrator.
If your consultant agreement is approved and your date
of membership is prior to May 31, 1973, your earnings
are unlimited.
consultant, in the TRS pamphlet “Working in Retirement,”
You may have unlimited earnings (without affecting your
TRS retirement benefit) in the following cases:
1.public employment outside New York state;
1.New York state public employment beginning in the
calendar year you turn age 65; and
1.New York state public employment as an elected
official, inspector of elections, poll or ballot clerk,
commissioner of deeds, juror or notary public.
Note: If you are receiving a disability retirement benefit,
the rules for working in retirement differ. Tiers 3 and
4 members must be permanently disabled from all
employment to qualify for a benefit. Employment of any
form may jeopardize your disability benefit.
June 2009
Scribe
ATA
The Year in Review
Whine and Cheese
Welcome Back Bash
Welco
me
To Am
ityvil
l
e Dr.
Amityville Fire Department
Willia
ms
ATA A
w ard C
e re mo
ny
ATA Award Ceremony
ATA BB
Q
Homecoming
Leade
rship C
onfere
nce
New Teacher Breakfast
Kiwanis Club
yv
Amit
il
ment
t
r
a
p
e De
le Fir
Political Action
Whine
and Ch
ee
se
5
6
Scribe
June 2009
Welcome to the newest members of the Amityville family
Chris and Janine Sarlo are proud to announce the birth of Olivia
Frances Sarlo!
Kelly and Steven Darling gave birth to Colin James, Februaru 10, 2009. Colin was 8 lbs 2 1/2 oz. and 21 inches long. Congratulations to Jerry
and Linda Pollock who are the proud grandparents.
On Sunday, May 3, 2009 21 athletes and
students from Amityville Memorial High
School and EW Mile Middle School braved
Teresa Gandarillasis is expecting the birth of her second child on
August 13, 2009.
the rain to attend the Special Olympics in
Janine Esposito, our permanent sub at Park Ave. and her husband
Eddie had a baby boy Tuesday June 2nd. His name is Salvatore
Vincent Esposito.
Rebecca DePaolo and Charles Martine. Peggy and John Gonser are the proud grandparents of son JT’s 2
boys, Jack who will be 3 in July and Benjamin who was 1 in May. Also,
daugther Caitlin is getting married on June 27th here in New York and
then on July 3rd in Croatia.
to purchase team uniforms for all athletes and
East Hampton. The student athletes trained
very hard leading up to this date with coaches
Through the extreme generosity of many
Amityville Teachers, the ATA, APTC and Dr.
Andrews (high school principal) we were able
Cogratulations to Tiffany Coscia who had a baby girl on 9/4/08 Juliet
McKinnon Coscia 7lbs 7ozs 20 inches.
Twins! Delaney Hope and Madelyn Grace were born to Shannon and
Sean Griffin on 1/20/2009.
Cara Boehringer is the proud mother of Caitlin Alexandra born
9/14/2008.
shirts for our volunteers. Even though the
event was called early due to rain, all of our
athletes were able to bring home a medal. We
are still waiting to see if anyone has qualified
for the state games in June!
Teacher Volunteers:
Alyssa Delgiorno
Sarah Sammis
Kevin McDonaugh (Student Teacher)
Ms. Pfaffe (and her children!)
Mackenzie and Frank Reddin announce the birth of their daughter
Marley Rai on 4/1/2009, 8lbs 3 oz. 20 inches.
Heidi and Vincent Fredericks are pleased to announce the birth of
their son Luke Vincent on 12/15/2008 at 7lbs 2 oz. 19 1/2 inches.
Joseph Puglisi announces the birth of his son Jason Rosario on
1/13/2009 at 6lbs 14oz.
Around The District
Three Amityville teachers and three Amityville students will be
travelling to Italy, France and England for 19 days this summer.
Teachers Jodi Roisman, Claudia McCready and Jen Pentangelo will
be leading a delegation of 45 People to People Student Ambassadors.
Among the group is AMHS Junior Yonnique Wilson, Sophomore Siraj
Cadet and Freshman Rajah Goodrich. Last summer Jodi Roisman
also led a delegation of People to People student ambassadors to
Australia.
Amy Stein, Jaclyn Sabbatino, Lori D’Iorio, and JudyAnn Hurst (all
from NW) and Andrew Hurst (14 years old) ran the Long Beach
10 Miler and are doing a private fund raiser for St. Jude’s Hospital. This hospital treats children regardless of cost, insurance, or amount
of expenses above and beyond. This hopsital and research center
desperately depend on donations from people and corporations. .....
Andrew won 1st place in his age group and got a trophy! Lori, Amy,
Jaclyn andJudy-Ann finished and were all happy with their respective
times. The money donated will be put in one envelope and sent to
St. Jude’s for treatment and research for children with life threatening
illnesses.
continued on page 8
Special Thanks
The Kraljic family wishes to
thank the A.T.A. for the Long
Island Teachers Benevolent Fund
Scholorship awarded to Alexander
Kraljic, senior at Sayville High
School.
Alexander will be attending
MaCauley Honors College at
Hunter in September 2009.
June 2009
Scribe
7
North Amityville Day Parade
Friends:
I want to thank you all for coming to the North
Amityville Day Parade. I really think that the students,
parents and other members of the community love it
when they see us at these type of events. I personally
enjoyed your company when we marched! As an avid
camper my philosophy is always “Half The Fun Is Getting
There!”.
It is especially heartwarming for me because when I look
at the list of who was there, it was all people who I work
closely with or have worked closely with over the years
and that means a lot to me. To watch The Lisa’s, Pauline’s
and Tina’s kids handing out stuff with us told volumes
about your parenting skills too. As you plan for these
things, you never know for sure who will show up and I
am glad it was all of you! I really appreciate your support
and hope you enjoyed the day, I know I did!
Until next year,
Robert M. Claps
Captree Cove Restaurant
Head
down to Sue
Rutigliano’s Captree
Cove restaurant, Ocean Parkway
Babylon. They have reopened for the
season and have a new chef. See their
website or Newsday for promotions www.
captreecoverestaurant.com . If you look up
restaurants it is located in Babylon 11702.
All ATA members receive a free well drink
with their entree.
Our president is a regular!
Congratulations!
Cogratulations to Alisa Zitofsky and her son Andrew who was
married to Rachel on April 26th. The wedding was at Flowerfield
and they are currently lliving in Miami.
Congratulations to Sue Rutigliano and her son Josh who
is now engaged to Stephanie Regan. They both graduated
from Sacred Heart University. Josh has also received a
promotion to Director status with Prudential Securities in
the Web Capabilities department.and has been transferred to
Atlanta Georgia!
8
Scribe
June 2009
Around the District
continued from page 6
Teresa Gandarillas would like to let everyone
know that her son Matthew is doing well postchemotherapy treatments. A big thank you to
everyone who has been so supportive.
April 26th – April 30th, Andrew Akapnitis was
fortunate enough to be selected to participate in a
3 day college bus tour around the upstate Albany
area. The CRUSSH tour included 6 schools,
Skidmore College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
(RPI), Union College , Hamilton College , Colgate
University , and Syracuse University . Each day
the bus load of about 60 guidance counselors from
around the country would visit 2 of the college
campuses. He was led on student admissions tours,
spoke to panels of students, visited the various
programs each school had to offer, and learned of
the unique attributes of each college and university. Another great feature of this tour was meeting and
spending time with the admissions counselors that
will be reading the applications of our Amityville
Memorial High School students. This time allowed
for some insight into the admissions procedures at
each school, and tips that we can now relay to our
students. It was a tremendous experience and I
learned invaluable information. For Sale
Manhattan Club Time Share
West 56th St 7 nights split biannually
sleeps 4, 2 bathrooms,kitchenette.
Call Bernadette Kraljic at M.S.
(631) 624-4410
At the completion of the CRUSSH tour Andrew
stopped off at the SUNY Albany campus and met
with admissions representatives for the day. This
past weekend he continued his college road trips
and visited Loyola College in Maryland , Johns
Hopkins University , and Morgan State University
. Over the summer he plans on attending similar
tours to Siena College , Unity College , and
Colleges and Universities in the Maryland area. House For Sale
Syosset, 3/4 bedrooms, CAC, deck,
full basement, priced to sell
$650,000 neg. Call Bernadette at
(631) 624-4410
Mark The Date
ATA Picnic
September 25,2009
Legislative Council
Carolyn Dodd
ATA President - Northeast
Ted Tsirigotis
Making Strides
Breast Cancer Walk,
Jones Beach
October 18, 2009
Vice President -EWMMS
Marc Engler
Secretary - PAMES
George Alexander
Treasurer - PAMES
Northeast
Bob Claps - BVP
Colleen Kretz - Asst.
Northwest
Carol Seehof - BVP
John Kennedy - Asst.
Park Ave.
Contact your ATA
ATA Office hours - Mon. thru Fri. from 1:00 - 4:00
74 Merrick Rd (above Key Computing )
Please call 691-0021
Carolyn Dodd - president
[email protected]
Donna Sohm- BVP
Kelli Geilman - Asst.
Olimpia Karounos- Asst.
EWMMS
Patti Jean Dieck - BVP
Beth Cunningham - Asst.
Janine Katsigiorgis - Asst.
AMHS
Jen Trotman - BVP
Carl Spatola - Asst.
Mark Marchino - Asst.
Bob Western - Asst.
NYSUT/AFT Rep
Nancy Finizio
Heather Persan
A fifth grader looked downcast, so her teacher asked. “What’s the
problem Carol? I hope it’s not homework again.”
“Well, uh, yes, it is,” replied Carol “I was careless and made my
homework paper into a paper airplane.”
“Carol, you’re right, that wasn’t a very bright thing to do,” said the
teacher, “but just this once, I’ll let you unfold the paper and hand
it in.” “Oh, but that won’t work,” said Carol, looking even sadder.
“You see, the plane was hijacked.”
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