Maya McFadden Photo
Future pilot and current kindergartener Harmonie Santaella with sister Dhaniellie and mom Dagmar.
Making good choices, being polite, working hard, building community, and becoming student council leaders earned students and staff at John S. Martinez School recognition as “Rising Stars.”
Those Rising Star Awards were presented by Educators for Excellence CT Friday morning at the James Street school just before the start of the school’s last half-day before spring break.
In the past, Educators for Excellence has distributed the Rising Star Awards at the end of the school year. However, to give staff and students a mid-year push of validation and drive to continue their growth, the organization awarded nominees with gift cards and a letter of recognition in the spring.
About two-thirds of the 39 awards for New Haven school stars have been distributed. The Rising Star Award has been part of Educators for Excellence’s mission to uplift school communities since 2018 and grew out of conversations about staff and students not having enough opportunities to be uplifted throughout the year.
Educators for Excellence Deputy Director of Campaigns Ernest Bailey-Tomecek and organizer Rachel Kwon joined Friday’s celebration with staff, students, and families to distribute the awards.
Teacher awardees Tyler Ruoff, Julia Pisani, and Paula Dwyer.
The student awardees included Giselle Rosa, Destiny Hernandez, Harmonie Santaella, Emanuel Jimenez Flores, and Miguelianis Mariera. Teacher awardees included Heather Alvarez, Paula Dwyer, Tyler Ruoff, and Julia Pisani.
Kindergartener Harmonie Santaella said Friday she was excited about getting the award, which recognized her work this year to be a good friend and a great helper at dismissal time.
Dwyer is a kindergarten and first-grade bilingual teacher; Pisani is a third- through fifth-grade math teacher; and Ruoff is a physical education teacher. They said Friday they were surprised to be recognized during the morning celebration.
“My strength comes from the kids themselves,” Dwyer, who has taught at Martinez for five years, said. “They push me to be better.”
Pisani, who has taught for three years at Martinez and four years total, added that the award motivated her to continue fostering a place in her class where students feel appreciated and want to learn.
Ruoff, who has taught at Martinez for two years and three years total, agreed, adding that the award gave him the boost needed to keep up his positive energy for the students nearing the end of the school year. He said he plans to continue to give his students the opportunity to feel safe and build on themselves in his classes.
“Teaching can be a hectic job, so it’s nice to be recognized,” Dwyer concluded.
Future author Destiny Hernandez and dad Jose Hernandez at Friday's celebration.
Seventh grader Destiny Hernandez was joined by her father Jose Hernandez during Friday’s celebration. She said while she was surprised to be nominated, she feels her hard work over the years is the reason why.
Destiny is a member of the student council and has learned to be less shy by talking to and supporting her peers around the school. Her goal for the remainder of her seventh grade and then eighth grade year is to improve her school by helping decrease its number of fights.
Her parting advice to others Friday was to always “be yourself” and “don’t let people let you down.”
While welcoming students into school Friday morning after the award ceremony, Principal Luis Menacho and Assistant Principal Lauren Sepulveda shared that they are proud of the students’ and staff’s daily work.
The awardees were each excellent representations of what the school believes in, Sepulveda said.
Menacho described the award ceremony as a great way to start a Friday and the awardees as “heroes.”
Principal Luis Menacho and Assistant Principal Lauren Sepulveda welcome students to school Friday morning.