Congratulations to Tyler Clark from St. Stanislaus School! He is our February winner of an AMEX $100 Gift Card!

Thank you for our February nominees!

Nominee’s Name: Patrick Rosendale
School Name: St. John the Evangelist
Nominated By: Marcelle Peterson

From Allie, student: Mr Rosendale is the best teacher!
From Mom, Marcelle: Mr Rosendale connected immediately with our kids. He has made history class a favorite for his students! He educates while making subject matter interesting and memorable! He is a great asset to SJE! Here is a picture of a history project!

Nominee’s Name: Jose da Costa
School Name: St. Joseph
Nominated By: Katie Donovan

When thinking about who to nominate, I started to write names of people I come in contact with daily. Half way through my list my five year old daughter asked what I was doing. I explain and started to go through my list. When I was done with my names, my daughter looked at my list, then me, and said “you forgot the most important person.” Who, I questioned, as my list was not big but I thought I had most people I knew. My daughter replied “ Mr. Costa!”. It was right there that I realized how important it was to include her in the process of such an important nomination. So from here I will write why my daughter has nominated Mr. da Costa as an important person in her school life.
When my daughter started her new school Mr. da Costa was one of the first facility members that at lunch that would help her get her lunch ready. Every day we write her notes and place it her lunch. Every day she said he would help her read the note. This helped her settle into not only a new school but a school with Covid restrictions.
When situations have arisen where cleaning or fixing has needed to be done, Mr. Da Costa does it with ease and will always answer any question each kid is asking when doing it. Our daughter is a talkative and a very curious kid. He has also taken the time to answer her questions while completing the task at hand.
He may have a position within St. Joseph School that he spends a majority of the time with the kids but when he is around, he shows kindness and a caring attitude to each kid he comes across, even if it’s for a short period of time.

Nominee’s Name: Deborah Cronan
School Name: St. Joseph
Nominated By: Tahnea Perry

This was my first time putting my daughter in any type of child care and Mrs. Cronan has made me feel at ease these past few months. Her communication with me & interaction with my child is amazing! So happy she is my daughter’s first school teacher.

Nominee’s Name: Mike White
School Name: All Saints Catholic School
Nominated By: Ava Ferreira

He cleans our school, and is very nice and thoughtful to everyone.

Nominee’s Name: Amy Hurteau
School Name: All Saints Catholic School
Nominated By: Erica Caron-Afonso

I am nominating Mrs. Hurteau for her service and love for All Saints for a variety of reasons. Mrs. Hurteau is a nurturing and compassionate educator who is committed and dedicated to all of her students. She goes above and beyond to meet students needs. My daughter has some learning and coordination challenges and Mrs. Hurteau has helped her to feel accepted and included at school while providing as much academic support as possible. Mrs. Hurteau also tutors my daughter after school on her own time to help improve her skills. My daughter is so grateful to be in her class and feels like she can go to Mrs. Hurteau with any questions or concerns. We, as a family are grateful as well, for all she has done.

Nominee’s Name: Patricia Ferreira
School Name: All Saints Catholic School
Nominated By: Kathy Souza

I would like to nominate Mrs. Ferreira from All Saints, she so deserves this nomination. She is not only the 5th grade homeroom teacher, but also, the school music and Portuguese teacher. On a daily basis she sees so many students, virtually. My 5th grade student loves her, she makes learning fun and has maintained a great attitude during both distance and in-person learning. I was wondering what music class would be like this year and was thinking I would need to invest in some good ear plugs, however, she has taught the students about notes, instruments, and categories of music. I have been so impressed with what I hear both in her music class and Portuguese class with my youngest child. I personally have no idea what is being said or taught in Portuguese however, my children are learning and retaining that knowledge even though they may only hear once a week in class. Mrs Ferreira is a great teacher and role model for all of the students at ASCS, we all appreciate everything she has done for the students and the school.

Nominee’s Name: Sheena Carrier
School Name: Espirito Santo
Nominated By: Mario DeSousa

Mrs. Carrier deserves to be nominated for this because she is always there for my son, Ashton, everyday whenever he needed someone she knew how to attend to his needs. She would call me to make sure I was in the loop of what my child was going through after he lost his grandfather unexpectedly. I have never felt more comfortable with my child having someone like Mrs. Carrier to be there for him in such a difficult and unpredicted time. She went above and beyond just being a a school nurse, she is an outstanding role model for my son and all the other children that she has the opportunity to take care of.

Nominee’s Name: Kristyn Johnson
School Name: Holy Trinity
Nominated By: Deb Vaillancourt

Mrs. Johnson has taught both my son’s for a total of 7 years (middle school & 5th grade). Her love of teaching especially in the subject of social studies has to this day influenced my oldest son’s love of the subject. He still now, as a high school senior, will still recite facts that he learned with Mrs. Johnson and let me know the tricks that she used to help him retain the information. I also had the pleasure of spending time with her outside of the classroom as her sons’ played basketball with my boys. She is an amazing role model to her students and also to their parents. My boys and myself are better for having known her. She is a treasure at Holy Trinity.

Nominee’s Name: Mark Tanguay
School Name: St. John Paul II High School
Nominated By: Keith Powell

Mr. Tanguay works tirelessly to guide the students at St John Paul II high school to ensure they are as well prepared for whatever path they may follow post high school. His dedication to his work and his students is exceptional. The high school guidance program at SJPII is one of, if not the best, around. I have personally attended many of his weekly guidance information sessions which he provides outside of his work hours. He makes himself available to students and parents both in and outside of work. Even now during this past year, his guidance department has not missed a beat in continuing to communicate with students and families and providing all the resources necessary to their success. He embodies servant leadership and I am proud to be able to nominate Mark Tanguay.

Nominee’s Name: Mary Offiler
School Name: St. Francis Xavier – Hyannis
Nominated By: Larry McGrath

Mary Offiler is more than kind and helpful. In many ways, she is the face of Saint Francis Xavier Prep. She helps parents and students navigate the sometimes changing circumstances within the school in these unusual times. She is a problem solver, counselor and friend to every student and parent who needs information about the school. The answers are always given with a smile.

Nominee’s Name: Jennifer Linehan
School Name: Bishop Connolly High School
Nominated By: Alexis Heidt

Ms. Linehan is always working her hardest for all of her students. She will take time, no matter how long it takes to make sure that we have everything we need, and if anyone is having trouble, she will work her very hardest to make sure that she can help them. She makes sure that all of her students are doing okay not just in school, but in life in general. She will always ask you how your day has been and make sure your doing okay, and if not she will try to help. Everytime I walk into her classroom, I always feel relived because I know that when I walk into her classroom, it’ll be a good day if she is there. She makes her classes fun and engaging and always keeps us on our toes. In the beginning of the year she made sure that we got to know each other and helped us grow closer as a class. She is always working not just for her class, but the school. She puts together so many events, and you can truly see the dedication and love she has for the school and her students. She makes learning about religion enjoyable because that is the way she lives her life. She is a great role model.

Nominee’s Name: Claudette Cardey
School Name: St. John Paul II High School
Nominated By: Ryan Monast

I am nominating Mrs. Cardey, she has gone out of her way for me this year. This year has been a struggle for me but Mrs. Cardey has been extra supportive and I really want her to know how much I appreciate it.

Nominee’s Name: Sr. Muriel Lebeau
School Name: Holy Family-Holy Name
Nominated By: Corinne Lebeau

She is my sister and has taught at Holy Family for many years and is a witness to all the children in the school with her beautiful prayers services.

Nominee’s Name: Brenda Berard
School Name: Bishop Connolly High School
Nominated By: Pam Poli

I just would like to let you know that choosing just one staff member was very difficult to do. They have all been so wonderful and I am grateful to be able to have my daughter attend school at Bishop Connolly. But I chose Brenda Berard because she has really helped my daughter so much in Algebra this year and really made her more comfortable in school and in her ability to do her school work. This year has been a challenge for a number of reasons and the things she has said to my daughter have really helped her get over some of the rough times. Thank you Brenda for all you do!

Nominee’s Name: Beth Mahoney
School Name: St. Stanislaus
Nominated By: Ann Marie Melanson

I would like to nominate Beth Mahoney, Principal of St. Stanislaus School. Beth goes above and beyond to ensure that all of the teachers have everything they need to provide the best education for the students. Moving effortlessly between remote and in person learning, she is able to make the transition seamless. She always has the wellbeing of the students, parents and teachers in the forefront. She is able to move quickly through the multitude of State Covid 19 protocols necessary for the day to day operation of the school. She is always doing little things to encourage both the students and teachers to do their best each and every day and to live each day at school and at home in their Catholic faith. She encourages kindness to one another always.

Nominee’s Name: Brenda Berard
School Name: Bishop Connolly High School
Nominated By: Isaiah Poydras

Mrs. Berard is nice to her students and explains material well enough to gain understanding of the subject. She keeps things intersting and make students feel she cares about them. For example, she gives free homework passes if it’s your birthday. I feel she deserves some recognition.

Nominee’s Name: Kelly Raulino
School Name: Holy Family-Holy Name
Nominated By: Melanie Boswell

Ms. Kelly has taught both of my children in the preschool 3 program at Holy Family Holy Name School. It is so hard as a parent to leave your child in a school setting for the first time. Ms. Kelly has really helped my children to learn not only their basic letters and numbers but taught them how to be great kind children. I feel blessed to have been able to have my children in her class and I look forward to my youngest to be in that class!

Nominee’s Name: Maurice Ouellette
School Name: Bishop Stang High School
Nominated By: Francisco Manon

He is a big influence in our school community, if you don’t have him as a teacher you still know a lot about him. He is very involved in our school theatre and is a great role model to many kids in the school. He is someone who is always open to helping whoever comes knocking at his door.

Nominee’s Name: Krystie Medeiros
School Name: St. Joseph
Nominated By: Nellie Oliveira

Mrs. Medeiros is such an amazing teacher/vice principal. My son had her for his 3rd great last year (she is now the vice principal). She would go above and beyond everyday and truly cares. She deserves to be a acknowledged for all her hard work!

Nominee’s Name: Mrs. Adelle Monticello
School Name: St. Joseph
Nominated By: Darlene Goll

Mrs. Monticello goes above and beyond for all of her students every day. She stays after school every week if a student needs extra help. She is so kind and generous. She is a very special lady! Saint Joseph School is lucky to have her!

Nominee’s Name: Kathryn Paul
School Name: Holy Trinity
Nominated By: Tammy Jo Borden

Mrs. Paul always teaches above and beyond the scope of duty. She has worked diligently with all children to help each student reach their full potential. She has worked one on one with my daughter in 2020 to ensure she understood all the material.

She spends her off time creating things at home for her students and helping other staff. She is honest and sincere when teaching about God’s love and she never gives up on anything. It is apparent how much she loves teaching and my daughter thrived even through the pandemic. No matter what life brings Mrs. Paul, she digs in and faces every challenge as an opportunity to grow and to teach compassion, empathy and faith. She deserves to be acknowledged for her hard work and dedication.

Nominee’s Name: Lisa Manning
School Name: Holy Trinity
Nominated By: Erica Borden

Because if I need to talk to her, she is there for me and she is kind and nice and amazing, sweet. She wants to help everybody.

Nominee’s Name: Patrick Rosedale
School Name: St. John the Evangelist
Nominated By: Emily Thomas

Nominee’s Name: Joann DaRosa
School Name: Holy Trinity
Nominated By: Alberta DaRosa

Mrs. DaRosa always has her student’s best interests on her mind. She is always learning and looking for ways to instill faith, love and learning into their daily activities. Being a second grade teacher, she has to prepare her students for their First Holy Communion and she does so with sincere love and honor. She will go somewhere and see something and say, that might be a great learning project for my “children.”

Nominee’s Name: Michelle Klein
School Name: St. Michael
Nominated By: Linda Borges

Michelle started at sms as our pre school teacher and after a few years of teaching and doing incredible things to help kids learn their letters and sounds and everything needed to begin pk4 she was then given two weeks to become a kindergarten teacher and step up a class and lesson plans and curriculum for an entire new grade. She stressed but always pushing herself to be the best she can be, even with all the covid restrictions and changes she was given a class of 22 students and made it all work! Some students couldn’t write their names or knew the letter sounds and today they can write sentences and read even those students who where on the lower end of knowing only 4 letters in the entire alphabet now know all their letters and sounds even sight words. She is a loving and caring teacher she goes above and beyond what is asked of her. I would say she challenges herself and her students to reach higher goals and be better students with never giving up and caring for each other. I wish my kids where able to have Mrs Klein as a teacher!!!

Nominee’s Name: Kimberly Terceiro
School Name: Holy Family-Holy Name
Nominated By: Eileen Frasier

Mrs. Tercerio is in her first year teaching at Holy Family Holy Name and has been so wonderful to get to know throughout these past few months. She is the 3rd grade teacher and my son is in her class. He has been having a difficult time adjusting to all the changes this school year and she has been so wonderful. She is reassuring and FLEXIBLE. She has been so supportive of us as we try to help our son continue to learn and stay connected with his classmates as he does the virtual learning. She is such a blessing to us and we are so happy to have her as part of our Holy Family Holy Name School family.

Nominee’s Name: Stacy Gillard
School Name: Holy Family-Holy Name
Nominated By: Eileen Frasier

Ms. Gillard is one of the most enthusiastic and dedicated teachers I have ever met! She brings so much excitement and energy to each and every lesson she teaches. Ms. Gillard is always encouraging her students and rewarding their good behavior with pizza/ice cream parties, pj days, or movie afternoons. When school switched to virtual learning last March she did not miss a beat with complete daily lesson plans and fun activities for the classroom google meetings. My daughter was lucky enough to have her for a teacher last year and again this year. She is a true gem and we are so lucky to have her at Holy Family Holy Name.

Nominee’s Name: Susan Fortin
School Name: St. John the Evangelist
Nominated By: Marcia Correia-Thomas

I am nominating Mrs. Susan Fortin because she goes above and beyond every year for the students of Saint John the Evangelist. She shares her love of music and the arts with the children. She works extremely hard in providing the students with opportunities to develop their music and theater talents. Not only does she teach music she runs the bell choir after school along with the teather. Every year she plans , organizers and runs the Christmas concert, talent show, and school play. She is the reason that my daughter loves music and loves to play piano. She is the reason that many children have found their happy place in saint John school. She is a loving and caring teacher and is dedicated to all her students. Even during the pandemic she did a fabulous job of having the kids do a Christmas concert in a different way to ensure the health and safety of the children. We are blessed to have her as the music teacher at Saint John the Evangelist.

Nominee’s Name: Tyler Clark
School Name: St. Stanislaus
Nominated By: Derek DeSousa

Mr. Clark has been a valuable member of the St. Stanislaus community. The pandemic requires agility and resilience and he continues to exceed my expectations as a parent. He works hard to deliver and engage with students both in-person and virtually. His empathy to the situation families is by far the most I have witnessed. He continues to work to make it easier for families who are juggling many new responsibilities. This often comes as greater work and complication for him. By communicating frequently, he allows parents to help support their children. My daughter continues to share how much she enjoys his approach and delivery even despite being remote. He deserves this recognition for all that he has done for our children.

Nominee’s Name: Mona Lisa Valentino
School Name: St. John Paul II High School & St. Francis Xavier Preparatory
Nominated By: jp Sweezey

Having to fill Mr. Keavey’s shoes would be tough for anyone.!! Ms Val has been given the helm of our ship and steered it through massive icebergs.! She is smart, strict, tolerant, openminded , yet steadfast in her commitment to uphold true Catholic Christian beliefs.! I have spoken to many teachers, guidance people, and principals over my 3 children’s 25yrs. in various schools here and on the South Shore. I’ve been impressed by a few, and disappointed by some. None have shined as brightly as Ms. Valentino.!!! Her leadership has been one of the first points in my recommendation to others if asked why we chose St. John Paul II High School.!!

Nominee’s Name: Dan Dias
School Name: Bishop Stang High School
Nominated By: Jeff Gardner

Dan Dias is a guidance counselor at Bishop Stang, as well as the freshman football coach. He has been our son’s guidance counselor for the past two years and has gone above and beyond any job description to show a sincere concern and interest in our son’s well being, both academically and athletically, as well as his activities outside of school. It takes a special person to pursue this career and caring for young adults can be demanding and incredibly time consuming, Mr. Dias has shown again and again how much he truly cares about these students and is tireless in making sure they know he always is in their corner. I am sure Mr. Dias would humbly deflect a lot of praise but we, as well as many families at Bishop Stand, are blessed to have him involved in our son’s and daughters lives.

Nominee’s Name: Elizabeth Kelly
School Name: St. Francis Xavier Prep
Nominated By: Margaret Hagopian

Mrs. Kelly is an amazing teacher, she always has a smile on her face. She cares about every person in the school and is so kind and caring to every student. Thank you so much mrs. Kelly for you hard work for SFXP!

Nominee’s Name: Brenda Gagnon
School Name: Holy Trinity
Nominated By: Rebecca Dansereau

We would like to nominate Brenda Gagnon, Principal of Holy Trinity School in Fall River. She is amazing with not only the students but with the parents and teachers. The protocols she has in place, to keep the entire school and families safe, is impressive! You can not only see by her actions but you can feel her dedication and love for God, the students, and the community. She is a beautiful example of God’s love. We share with everyone we know how much we love Holy Trinity because of Mrs. Gagnon and her true commitment to the school.

Nominee’s Name: Christopher Keavy
School Name: St. John Paul II High School & St. Francis Xavier Preparatory
Nominated By: Richard Fish

Without Chris Keavy, we quite literally might not be here today at our schools. He was instrumental in the founding of our high school, and assumed the very challenging duties of uniting our two (formerly three) schools during many difficult years. He does this because he has a faithful, informed, and thoughtful vision that is quite rare these days. He puts his well-informed educational philosophy to good use, so his decisions are never arbitrary. He is a wise leader who has a vision that I am proud to follow. More than this, he works to be a humble Christian, every day.

Nominee’s Name: Stacy Gillard
School Name: Holy Family-Holy Name
Nominated By: Christine Stewart-Melo

Ms. Gillard joined the Holy Family Holy Name Schoollast year. My daughter has had the pleasure of having her the past two years as she moved up to the second grade. Ms. Gillard is passionate about her work. She is full of energy and helps the children to learn and excel. She takes the strength of each child and helps them to grow. She is creative and thinks out of the box. Ms. Gillard is number one and deserves recognition for her outstanding work!

Nominee’s Name: Suzanne Lafevre
School Name: Holy Name School
Nominated By: Cheryl Robinson

Suzanne has worked for Holy Name school for over 32 years. She is always willing to help anyone who wants her to. She is an excellent teacher. The children respect her and love her. Suzanne will volunteer her services for any jobs that need to be done.

She has a good relationship with all parents and is the biggest advocate for catholic education and Holy Name school. Suzanne was my adviser when I first started working at Holy Name School and I learned so much from her. Please consider picking Suzanne because she is a loving devoted teacher with a very strong faith in the catholic community.

Nominee’s Name: Brenda Gagnon
School Name: Holy Trinity
Nominated By: Rebecca Pereira

Mrs. Gagnon is the principal at Holy Trinity School. She has gone above and beyond to make this school year successful and maintain some sense of normalcy. She has been transparent about COVID in the school and has followed protocols set forth by the state. She fought timely to receive funding in order to install sinks in the classrooms of younger children, as well as have supplies for disinfecting and sanitizing. My daughter has been attending in person since the start of the school year. However, many students are attending virtually every day, and there is always the option to either take your child out of in person learning, or send them back to school from virtual learning.. As a registered nurse in critical care, knowing my daughter is learning in an environment that is so positive is a huge relief in an otherwise stressful time. The few days she has had to do remote learning, it is clear the teachers have been prepared well for what to expect. Mrs. Gagnon has also coordinated with the priest to hold virtual masses for the children on Holy Days. I am thankful my daughter is able to learn alongside her friends in a school that I feel is clean and safe for our children at this time. We are blessed to have her because she truly does care about the children and all our families at this time!

Nominee’s Name: Wendy Langilear
School Name: St. John the Evangelist
Nominated By: Dominica Ribeiro

I want to nominate Mrs. Wendy Langelier. Mrs. Langelier entered the St. John’s family as a parent, and over the past two years, she has remained a part of the family but as part of our fantastic facility. Mrs. Langelier not only loves St. John’s the Evangelist school, but she loves each one of the students as well as her peers at the school. Every day our children are blessed to see Mrs. Langelier’s smiling face and feel her positive attitude. The safety and comfort of the children is Mrs. Langelier’s top priority. Mrs. Langelier’s dedication to the school administration, the church, her peers, and the children is like no other. Mrs. Langelier’s level of emotional intelligence is what I would refer to as a genius. She can sense if a child is having an off day, if a parent feels frustrated, or if someone just needs a smile to lift their day. Mrs. Langelier is such a vital part of the St. John’s community and is dedicated to making our school the very best it can be!

Congratulations to Cristina Viveiros-Serra from St. James St. John School! She is our January winner of an AMEX $100 Gift Card!

Thank you for our January nominees!

Nominee’s Name: Katelyn Larrivee-MacDonald
School Name: Espirito Santo
Nominated By: Kendra Neto

I am nominating Ms. Katelyn because during the Pandemic she has been vital to my son’s success. Wether it is in person learning or virtual learning, she has gone above and beyond for my family. During the first round of the pandemic I moved out of my home due to being a Registered Nurse on a Covid unit. Ms. Katelyn would google meet with my son multiple times a week via google meet, many times one on one during her personal time outside of work, to ensure his success in the subject he struggles the most in (ELA). She was there when I could not be. I truly feel blessed during such difficult times to have her guiding my child’s education. Ms. Katelyn would email me weekly to update me on his progress. Despite virtual learning and having an IEP, I know in her hands my son will be successful.

It is now the second wave of Covid and I am working in an Emergency Room filled to the brim with Covid positive patients. I assure you I thank God every day knowing I have Ms. Katelyn in my son’s corner again. I just want her to know how appreciative I am to have a teacher like her in our lives. When they say it takes a village to raise a child, I truly felt that with that staff at Espirito Santo School!

Nominee’s Name: Paula Bedard
School Name: St. John the Evangelist
Nominated By: Nicole & Tim Fennell

We nominate Mrs. Paula Bedard. She is our triplet 1st graders teacher. She goes above and beyond each and everyday to teach our children and help support them in their learning. She has amazing patience, creativity and desire to see all children excel. It has not been uncommon during the past year for Mrs. Bedard to go door to door dropping of needed supplies to her students. We are very thankful our kids have Mrs. Bedard as their teacher.

Nominee’s Name: Cristina Viveiros-Serra
School Name: St. James-St. John
Nominated By: Patricia Matos

St. James St. John School is a great school because of their leader, Mrs. Viveiros-Serra. She is what makes the school special. Mrs. Viveiros-Serra is involved with all the children, families, and community. She takes the time to know every child by name, and even their family. She understands what each child needs to in order to excel in learning. Regardless of what time or day, Mrs. Viveiros-Serra will always respond to my questions. She truly cares about everyone, and those are the characteristics displayed and taught at an early age to all the children at SJSJS. Mrs. Viveiros-Serra is always there to help any student, family, faculty member, and community with their needs. SJSJS will always help other families when they are in great need of support, love, and financial assistance.

Nominee’s Name: Robert LeBoeuf
School Name: St. John the Evangelist
Nominated By: Natasha Boyd

I am of the opinion that all teachers should be regarded as we do medical practitioners and professional athletes- and be paid to commensurate this value. My 8th grader has had many math teachers during her academic career and Mr. LeBoeuf, in my opinion displays the essential qualities of a math teacher. I regard him highly. He challenges and engages his students and works through the process with them to ensure they understand. He works to make the subject interesting and he generally cares about their success. He isn’t too proud to show his vulnerabilities when technology challenges arise and welcomes student assistance. For these reasons I would like to nominate Mr. Robert LeBoeuf.

Nominee’s Name: Jamie Lynn Kelly
School Name: St. James-St. John
Nominated By: Julie Vareika

I would like to nominate Mrs. Jamie Lynn Kelly as a person who strives to make our school the best. Mrs. Kelly has three children that attend our school. Even with her busy schedule, she always finds the time to volunteer. Jamie has volunteered to help out at our book fairs, fun days, bake sales, field trips and she is a member of our PTO.

Jamie has been my room mom for 4 years. She is organized, responsible and dependable. During the pandemic, she continuously checked in on the staff to make sure they had everything they needed, including emotional support.
I wholeheartedly recommend that Mrs. Kelly receive recognition for helping to make our school the best it can be.

Nominee’s Name: Paula Bedard
School Name: St. John the Evangelist
Nominated By: Maya Greige

Although I didn’t get to have Mrs.Bedard as a teacher, she is a good teacher who cares about her school and most importantly, she cares about all students.

Nominee’s Name: Charlotte Lourenco
School Name: St. Mary-Sacred Heart
Nominated By: Father Jack Schrader

During school shutdown she gathered the school each morning at 9am for morning prayer and announcements. It began our day with grace and normalcy in very challenging times.

Nominee’s Name: Paula Bedard
School Name: St. John the Evangelist
Nominated By: Karen Newman

I have been fortunate to have worked with Paula for over 20 years. I observed Paula teach, assist, comfort, cajole and help hundreds of students, parents and colleagues, in so many ways. As the first grade teacher, she tirelessly got each first grader to achieve and learn to their highest potential, in every subject, every school day. If students did not have a morning snack or lunch, she supplied it. I know that many times over the years when families were struggling financially, she reached into her own pocket to help.

With co-workers, she was also exceedingly generous. If we were short-staffed at recess or lunch, Paula was always the first to volunteer. If another teacher needed supplemental material, classroom coverage or advice, Paula was the first to help.
Over many years, when there was an emergency or problem of any kind, Paula’s quick thinking saved the day. When the entire bottom floor of the school flooded and school was canceled, she put on her boots and helped the janitor mop up so that school could continue the next day.

No one deserves to be recognized more than Paula Bedard.