The South Huntington Teacher of the Year Presentation was held on Wednesday, January 24th at Walt Whitman’s Performing Arts Center. Family, friends, and community members were thrilled to join in acknowledging this year’s outstanding teachers.
It gives us great pleasure year after year to recognize those teachers who are to be considered the best and the brightest, hardest working and most dedicated of our wonderful faculty. In reminiscing on the teachers who have made a lasting impression on the lives of South Huntington students, Board of Education President Mr. Nicholas Ciappetta shared “[A teacher's impact] goes so far beyond just a single year; it lasts a lifetime.” Mr. Ciappetta addressed our honorees by sharing “Your true reward is knowing that you belong to a profession that changes the lives of so many students and that they will remember you into adulthood. No plaque or award that we give you tonight could possibly equal that reward.”
Opening the evening of celebration was the singing of the National Anthem by Walt Whitman High School Sophomore Sarah Bruzual and a beautiful piano performance by Whitman Senior Anthony Maraboli. Led by Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, Mr. Eddie Smith, this was a memorable and meaningful evening as the South Huntington Board of Education and the district’s administrators gave well-deserved recognition and praise to their top teachers. Joining the Board of Education and administration in honoring our Teachers of the Year were Suffolk County Legislators Stephanie Bontempi and Rebecca Sanin.
Congratulations to each of our building’s 2023-2024 Teachers of the Year!
Birchwood’s and South Huntington School District’s Teacher of the Year - Dolores Rufrano
Currently Mrs. Rufrano is in her twentieth year in the South Huntington School District. All twenty years have been at Birchwood as a Dual Language Teacher for fourth and fifth grades. South Huntington’s Dual Language Program is an immersion language program and provides core academic instruction in two languages in the classroom - English and Spanish - and begins in Kindergarten. Classes are made up of students who are proficient in English and those who are proficient in Spanish. So as Birchwood Principal Dimitri Bernadel pointed out, Mrs. Rufrano helps our students unlock their ability to think not only in English but in Spanish. Her students understand that speaking and learning in a second language will support them far beyond the walls of Birchwood.
Walt Whitman High School’s Teacher of the Year - Ralph Milazzo
Mr. Milazzo has been teaching in the South Huntington School District at Walt Whitman High School since 2012. He started out as a substitute, and has been a full time Social Studies teacher at Whitman for the past seven years. When he’s not in the classroom, you’ll find Mr. Milazzo on the athletic field or in the gym. He’s the Assistant Varsity Football Coach, JV Girls Basketball Coach, and Girls Flag Football Head Coach. Which explains why he describes his closets as “full of football and basketball merch” and why maroon is the number one color in his wardrobe!
Stimson Middle School’s Teacher of the Year - Jenny Hernandez
Mrs. Hernandez joined the South Huntington family in 2005 when she started teaching at Maplewood. A year later, she was transferred to Stimson. She spent one year dividing her teaching time between Stimson and Walt Whitman High School but since 2018, Stimson has been her one and only school home as a Social Studies and English as New Language (ENL) teacher.
Silas Wood’s Teacher of the Year - Virginia Stair
Mrs. Stair has been part of the South Huntington family since BEFORE she was a teacher. She’s an alum, so she felt like she was being called home when she was hired to teach fourth grade at Birchwood in 2005. Mrs. Stair has also taught third grade and AIS Math at Birchwood where she has spent most of her career, and also kindergarten and first grade at Countrywood. For the last four years she’s been at Silas Wood where she was transferred in 2020 to teach English on Team 1. She describes her days at Silas as filled with laughter, positivity, and a sense of accomplishment.
Maplewood’s Teacher of the Year - Linda Muratore
Mrs. Muratore has been with the South Huntington School District since 2015 as a Speech Pathologist at Maplewood. She's also worked for a bit at Birchwood, and currently splits her week working at Countrywood as well. Colleagues look upon Mrs. Muratore as Maplewood’s resident speech and language expert, and someone who is always available for her students and colleagues whether they’re looking for support. encouragement, guidance, or simply a shoulder to lean on.
Oakwood’s Teacher of the Year - Best Ann Fierro
Ms. Fierro has been with the South Huntington School District for 34 years. She started teaching at Maplewood in September of 1990 where she taught second grade for two years. In 1993, when the district reorganized the elementary buildings, she was moved to Oakwood where she’s been at home ever since. As a math coach, she gets to work with all the students in Oakwood sharing her love of math and hoping to get them to love it too.
Countrywood’s Teacher of the Year - Sabrina Cariello
In her 23 years at Countrywood, Mrs. Cariello has taught both first and second grade, and has also taught in the dual language program. She is known as a teacher who goes above and beyond for her students, creating bonds and friendships with them that last long after they leave her classroom. Her lasting friendships have led to numerous invitations to current and former students' family celebrations over the years to commemorate special milestones, something Ms. Cariello said “truly touched me and I know I have made a positive impact in their lives.”
View the 2023-2024 Teacher of the Year Presentation and January 24th BOE Meeting below
Whitman Sophomore Sarah Bruzual performed the National Anthem to begin the evening festivities.
South Huntington Teachers Association President, Robert Morris, joined members of our Board of Education in congratulating this year’s honorees.
Dr. Michaelian of Oakwood brought out pompoms as she described Ms. Fierro’s cheerleader approach to teaching.
Stimson Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Jenny Hernandez, credits her success to her students, her family, and her colleagues.
Countrywood Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Cariello, was recognized alongside Principal Mitch Levy.
Kind words of appreciation were shared by each of our principals, including Maplewood's Bill Hender in speaking about his building's Teacher of the Year, Linda Muratore.
Silas Wood's Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Virginia Stair, held onto this year's gift of a beautiful engraved glass apple that was received by each of our honorees.
Whitman alumni joined in the evening celebration to wish their beloved teacher and districtwide Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Dolores Rufrano, a well deserved congratulations and thank you.