2018 Blackboard Award Honoree: Deborah Loscalzo

Editor’s note: To read profiles of all 2018 Blackboard Awards honorees, click HERE!

Deborah Loscalzo
Nursery
Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy

Tell us about some of the special joys and challenges you’ve experienced as
a teacher.

The greatest joy for me is watching the children grow throughout the school year. The growth from the beginning of the school year to the end is tremendous! By the time the summer rolls around, it is amazing to see how independent and resourceful the children have become. Although some days may be more challenging than others, getting a hug and “I love you” from one of my students can turn any not-so-good day into a great day.

Please share a special project or achievement that you are particularly proud of from this year.

This year, and every year in my teaching career, I emphasize a sustainable, green planet. At the beginning of the year, I started to teach the children the importance of recycling unwanted materials for use in future projects. Items such as egg cartons, toilet paper rolls, cereal boxes, and milk cartons are reused and repurposed in my classroom. The children have started to learn the importance of sustainability and I know that they will carry this knowledge with them into the future. In fact, I’ve already seen students get upset when they see their friends throwing away an otherwise reusable item. I’m so proud to see how excited they are when they come into school in the morning with a used paper towel roll that we can repurpose!

Deborah Loscalzo with publisher of New York Family John Hurley. Photo by Daniel S. Burnstein.

What keeps you motivated and committed to being a dedicated and hard-working educator?

The No. 1 thing that keeps me motivated and committed to being a dedicated and hard-working educator is the children. I come to work every day for them. My day-to-day decisions are made with their best interest in mind. They keep me going and keep me smiling!

What do you love about your school?

One thing that sets my school apart from the other schools in New York City is the extremely warm, caring, and welcoming community of Forest Hills. I have felt the love and support from the parents in this school community from the very first year that I started working here. I am forever grateful to them for their constant generosity, support, and dedication to their children.

St Andrew Avellino School

St. Andrew Avellino Catholic Academy, voted &ldquo;Best in Boro&rdquo; by qns.com, is a home to students ranging from Nursery through 8th grade. We offer a safe and nurturing learning environment and a family-oriented community where students of all faiths and backgrounds can excel academically, socially and emotionally. The St. Andrew Avellino Catholic Academy Advantage: Engaging and challenging lessons created by experienced and passionate faculty that encourage critical and creative thinking. Traditional teaching approach and educational programs that adheres to New York State common-core curriculum and is accredited by Cognia. Early Childhood foundation in academics, emotional literacy and faith. High-school level Regents classes for advanced learners. Support services for learning differences. Hands-on science experiments in a STEM lab. Art, music, robotics, and physical education classes. Catholic faith formation from religion classes, weekly church liturgies, and Christian service projects. Wide range of programs and extracurricular activities (music, clubs, sports) that cater to the students&rsquo; diverse interests and needs. Excellent Student Outcomes: Above average standardized New York State test scores every year. Graduates attend and succeed at prestigious high schools (Regis, Chaminade, Bronx High School, Stuyvesant, and Townsend Harris) and Catholic high schools in Queens, Manhattan, and Long Island. Graduating classes receive an average of $250,000 in Catholic High School scholarships. Financial assistance is available for families that qualify. Early morning drop-off and afterschool care are available.

Long Island Speech

At Long Island Speech, we recognize the value of every person and are guided by our commitment to excellence. We believe that everyone has the right to better communication in order to improve their quality of life. Our mission is to provide exemplary speech/language and feeding services for each of our patients by our highly qualified clinicians, making a positive difference in the lives of our patients so that they may achieve their highest potential. Through the commitment of our staff, we can maintain a quality of presence and tradition of caring; which are hallmarks for Long Island Speech. Our vision is to be the absolute best speech therapy service provider throughout both Nassau and Suffolk counties. We aspire to be the provider of choice in our industry.&nbsp;We have 9 affiliated offices across Long Island, all participating with most major health insurance companies. We also offer evening and weekend hours. Call 844-5-SPEECH to schedule your first appointment.

The Weekday School at Riverside Church

A progressive, play-based, independent early childhood school serving families with children ages two through five. A diverse community fostering sharing, understanding, and respect while focusing on the social, emotional and physical development of each child.