EAST RAMAPO TEACHER NAMED
BETTER BEGINNINGS AWARD RECIPIENT

Therese Calvano, a Kindergarten/First Grade teacher at Margetts Elementary School in East Ramapo, has been named the 2001 Winner of the Better Beginnings Award. The award, which is sponsored by the Board of Regents and celebrates the life and career of Helen Bach Moss, a local educator, recognizes elementary teachers who are gifted in finding and nurturing the strengths of each student.

A prize of $1,000, a book on innovative teaching techniques and a framed certificate of recognition will be presented to Ms. Calvano by State Education administrators and Dr. Michael Moss, the award's benefactor, during a ceremony to be held at the school on June 18, 2001. Ms. Calvano was selected among entries submitted throughout New York State

Ms. Calvano is a lifetime learner who studying for her doctorate in Education. After leaving employment in the corporate sector in 1992, she served as a teaching assistant while continuing her studies in teaching. She joined East Ramapo as a Prekindergarten teaching assistant in 1987. Since 1992, she has served as a Kindergarten/First Grade teacher at Margetts. Her strong interest in continuing education, including her current work towards attaining her doctorate as well as National Teaching Certification, sets a fine example for others.

Therese Calvano's special qualities include her ability to foster mutually respectful relationships among pupils, parents, teachers and administrators and her gift for finding each student’s unique talents and strengths. She is renowned for helping every child to succeed and is admired for the personal touch that she brings to her profession. She is known for her unselfish contributions to the entire school community, including her service on the Site-Based Shared Decision-Making Committee and the PTA. She has enhanced her school's resources by winning several grants including resources for a Guided Reading Program, centers for varied learning styles and take-home books and materials that pupils and parents can learn from together.

Runners-up for the award were Susan Fiore, a Fourth Grade teacher at Our Lady of Victory School in Latham, New York, and Linda Lyons, a Third Grade teacher at Stratford Road Elementary School in Plainview, New York.