Published in the August 31, 2016 edition
READY TO educate young minds are the two newest teachers welcomed into the Huckleberry Hill School community. First grade teacher Katelyn Chambers (second from left) and special education teacher Nicole Hyde-Bradford (second from right) are flanked by Special Services Director Kara Mauro and Principal Brian Bemiss following their introduction during the school district’s new teacher orientation program on Aug. 23. (Dan Tomasello Photo)
By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — The school department welcomed 13 new teachers and two new administrators to the school system on Aug. 23.
Superintendent of Schools Jane Tremblay introduced the new faculty members to the public during the school department’s new teacher orientation program at the district’s central office. She said she was very excited to welcome the new faculty members to Lynnfield Public Schools.
“You will never work harder than you will for Lynnfield Public Schools but you never be more rewarded,” said Tremblay.
Teaching and Learning Director Kevin Cyr agreed.
“It’s a privilege to work here but it requires a lot of work and it has a lot of rewards at the end of the day,” said Cyr.
High school social studies department head Michael Boulay, high school psychologist Lydia Rundell-Gjerde and high school special education teacher Gerard Coughlin gave an overview of the Lynnfield Public Schools Induction Program, which is a mentoring program for new teachers.
Boulay said all of the new teachers will be assigned a mentor. He said new teachers will be required to meet with their mentors once a month. He said the meetings are mandatory.
“Our program is pretty comprehensive,” said Boulay.
Coughlin said the mentoring program is designed to help new teachers improve their teaching practices as well as familiarize the teachers with the school district.
“It’s not easy to be here your first year and we want to help you out,” said Coughlin. “We want to make the year fruitful and enjoyable for you.”
Rundell-Gjerde said the program will cover a variety of issues such as special education topics and working with parents.
Cyr also gave an overview of the school department’s strategic plan and the state mandated teacher evaluation system during new teacher orientation.
New administrators
The school department is welcoming two new administrators this year.
Brian Bates has succeeded Cyr has Lynnfield High School’s assistant principal. Before coming to LHS, Bates worked in the Lawrence school system for 10 years and served as Lawrence High School’s Ninth Grade Academy school director from June 2015–June 2016. Before working in education, Bates was a television journalist.
Tom Sallee is Lynnfield Middle School’s new assistant principal. He succeeded former Middle School Assistant Principal Richele Shankland, who bid farewell to LMS after 16 years to become principal of the Parker Middle School in Reading.
Before coming to LMS, Sallee was an eighth-grade world history teacher at Wilson Middle School in Natick from 2005–16. He served as Wilson Middle School’s social studies curriculum leader for grades 5–8 for five years.
Elementary schools
The elementary schools are welcoming 10 new teachers this year.
Kerin Bakst is a new preschool teacher at the Summer Street School. She worked as a kindergarten teacher at the Dolbeare Elementary School in Wakefield from September 2004–March 2009. She was an inclusion kindergarten teacher at Dolbeare Elementary School from September 2001–June 2004. She served on the Dolbeare School Council from 2005–07. Bakst received her master’s degree in education from Lesley University in June 2004. She received her bachelor of arts in psychology and early childhood education from UMass–Amherst in May 2000.
Laetitia Cardone is a kindergarten teacher at the Summer Street School. She previously worked as a kindergarten teacher at the South School in Stoneham from September 2015–June 2016. She was a lead pre–kindergarten teacher at Suzuki Preschool in Newton from September 2011–June 2014. She was a pre–kindergarten substitute teacher at The Children’s School, a private school in La Jolla, Calif., from September 2010–November 2010. She also worked as a preschool teacher at The Children’s School from September 2006–June 2009. She earned her master of science degree in early childhood education from Wheelock College in August 2015.
Marisa Cappadonna is a new special education teacher at Summer Street. She previously worked as a student support instructor and did her student teaching at the Fiske Elementary School in Lexington. She worked as an autism service provider at Northeast Arc in Danvers from November 2011–July 2013. She also worked as a recreation therapist for Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston from December 2011–February 2015. She received her master of science degree in education and special education, moderate disabilities, from Bay Path University in June.
Kristin Hager is a new first grade teacher at the Summer Street School. She served as a long–term third grade substitute at the Huckleberry Hill School last spring. She was a first grade paraprofessional at the Summer Street from September 2015–April 2016. She was an ABA paraprofessional at Huckleberry Hill from 2013–14. She earned her master’s of education degree from Merrimack College in June 2015.
Emily Babon is a speech and language therapist at Summer Street. She worked at McKay Arts Academy in Fitchburg beginning in August 2015. She worked at the UMass clinic in Amherst from Sept. 2013–May 2014. She earned her degrees from UMass–Amherst.
Heather Fogarty is a new speech–language therapist at the Summer Street. She worked as a speech–language pathologist at Lynn Public Schools from November 2002–June 2016. She worked as a speech–language pathologist at Occupational Therapy Associates in Wakefield from June 2008–August 2013. She earned her master of science degree in speech–language pathology from Boston University’s Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Services in Sept. 2002.
Beth Gasinowski is a new part–time physical education teacher at the Summer Street School. She worked as a physical education teacher at the Cashman Elementary School in Amesbury from September 2002–June 2003. She did her student teaching at Huckleberry Hill from February–May 2002. She was a child care provider at the Boston North Fitness Center in Danvers from March 2006–March 2016.
Emily Schelzi will be a long–term substitute beginning in either late September or early October. She did her student teaching at the Summer Street last spring, where she worked in a second grade classroom. She worked as a substitute teacher for the school system from April 2015–June 2016. She was a daycare teacher at The Island Child Care Center in Portsmouth, R.I. from 2010–2011. She earned her master’s degree in early childhood education from Merrimack College in May.
Katelyn Chambers is a new first grade teacher at the Huckleberry Hill School. She worked as a kindergarten and first grade instructional literacy teacher at the Huckleberry Hill from August 2014–June 2016. She was a third grade MCAS tutor at the Huckleberry Hill from February 2015–March 2015. She was a personal tutor at the Huckleberry Hill from October 2014–January 2015. She was a second grade teaching apprentice at the Brookwood School, an independent school in Manchester, from January 2014–June 2014. She earned her master’s in education degree from Lesley University in May 2014.
Nicole Hyde–Bradford is a new special education teacher at Huckleberry Hill. She was a special education teacher in an ABA pre–kindergarten program in the Marblehead Public Schools from the fall of 2015 through this past spring. She worked in an integrated pre–kindergarten program for the Marblehead school system in the summer of 2015. She was an ABA tutor in Marblehead from the fall of 2014 through spring of 2015.
Middle school
Lynnfield Middle School is welcoming two new teachers in addition to Sallee.
Kelly Couture is an eighth grade social studies teacher at the middle school. She was a social studies teacher at the Arthur W. Coolidge Middle School in Reading from December 2015–June 2016. She did her student teaching at Melrose High School from September 2015–December 2015. She earned her master of arts degree in teaching history from Salem State University in May.
Heather Galka is a special education teacher at LMS. She worked at the middle school from August 2015–June 2016 as an extended school year special education teacher. She was a special education paraprofessional at Annie L. Sargent School in North Andover from January–July 2015. She was a full-time fourth grade teacher/substitute teacher at Westmoreland Elementary School in Westmoreland, N.H. from August 2014–December 2014. She earned her master’s of education from Merrimack College in May.
High school
The high school is welcoming one new teacher in addition to Bates.
Jacques Duranceau is a new physics and chemistry teacher at LHS. He worked as a physics and chemistry teacher for the Harvard Public Schools from August 2011 through June 2016. He worked at Arlington High School from September 1997–June 2011. He received his master of arts degree in teaching from the University of Virginia.
