Fair Haven Teachers Thanked With Ice Cream & Soda

Fair Haven School teachers took a quick break from keeping students afloat for the remainder of the school year — to receive thanks and complimentary root beer floats from the mayor and superintendent, as part of National Teacher Appreciation Week.

Fair Haven School leaders joined New Haven Public Schools Superintendent Madeline Negrón and Mayor Justin Elicker to serve school staff with ice cream and soda at the 164 Grand Ave. school.

Negrón and Elicker suited up in aprons Monday morning in the school’s staff break room to scoop ice cream as a thank you for serving the school and students all year long. 

An email press release identified the theme of the Fair Haven School ice cream-soda event as ​“Stay Afloat.” Earlier Monday morning, Negrón celebrated teachers at Roberto Clemente School in the Hill with another punny event dubbed ​“We Are Muffin Without You” .…

Fair Haven School Principal Monica Morales said the school would offer its staff celebratory treats every day this week as a part of the district’s recognition of National Teacher Appreciation Week. Morales thanked each staff member she encounted Monday morning for their resilience and their dedication to students and families. 

Third-grade teacher Shefau Dabre has been teaching in New Haven for 24 years. This school year is her first at Fair Haven School. 

Dabre joined Special Education paraprofessional Earl Ali-Randall in the break room to enjoy lunch together. Ali-Randall has taught in New Haven for nine years total. This is also his first year at Fair Haven School. 

Ali-Randall said Monday’s celebration made him feel appreciated, as this is the first time a school he’s worked at has celebrated its teachers in such a way. 

Dabre said the celebration made her feel seen and recognized — not just by her colleagues, but by the mayor and superintendent as well — for her decades of experience as a professional educator.

“I feel most appreciated when my professional expertise is trusted,” she said. ​“If the student level of trust I receive was extended to everyone, I would feel a lot more appreciated.” 

Ali-Randall said while working at Fair Haven, ​“I’ve been at peace more than anywhere else.” 

Dabre said this school year, her first at Fair Haven, has felt like a reset to the ever-growing burnout she had felt in previous jobs in the district. ​“This year has been a reminder of what it’s like being in a school with strong leadership.” 

When asked about the influx of newcomers and multilingual learners to New Haven Public Schools in general, and to Fair Haven School in particular, Dabre and Ali-Randall said that their school has established a working structure that first prepares newcomers for general classrooms. 

Dabre said she loves the vibrancy of her school as it continues to grow. She herself has only had one new student arrive in her class mid-year. She said she has designated an area of her classroom as a place of prayer to support the growing population of Muslim students. ​“It wasn’t this way when I was a kid,” Dabre, who is also Muslim, said. 

“There were times I questioned if I was a valued part of my school,” Dabre said. 

As Dabre walked in the break room Monday she called out, ​“It’s about time I’m appreciated for everything I bring.” 

As teachers picked up their ice cream floats and headed back to their busy schedules, some said, ​“This is the best” or ​“I was not expecting this.” 

Seventh and eighth grade math teacher Michael Mazzacane said staff appreciation celebrations should happen because ​“there are a lot of teachers who on a daily [basis] feel frustrated because they feel nobody is listening to what’s happening in their classroom.”

While ice cream doesn’t always solve the problem, he said, appreciation goes a long way.