Mastic Beach, NY - April 8, 2015 - The William Floyd School District Board of Education recently recognized 10 members of its school community – from the staff, faculty, administration and the board of education – who were honored by SCOPE Education Services as “Shining Stars” at the 14th Annual School District Awards Dinner in March. Shining Stars are members of the William Floyd community recognized for their exemplary service to education and to the William Floyd School District.

2015 honorees include: Anthony Speruta, Board of Education Trustee, School Board Service Award; Carolyn Schick, William Floyd Middle School Principal, Administrator Service Award; Stacy Callan, Tangier Smith Elementary School teacher and Ann Posiak, William Paca Middle School teacher, Teacher Service Awards; Vincent Bondietti, William Floyd School District security; Paul Coraci, John S. Hobart Elementary School custodian; Christine Hodgson, District Office staff; Peggy Huppert, William Floyd Elementary School paraprofessional; and Tina Stone, Tangier Smith Elementary School nurse, Support Service Awards; and Steven Hughes, Suffolk County Police Department School Resource Officer, Community Service Award.

ABOUT WILLIAM FLOYD’S SHINING STARS
School Board Service Award recipient
Anthony Speruta, an alumnus of William Floyd High School who has been serving on the William Floyd Board of Education since 2010, is highly respected throughout the community for his compassion and willingness to listen to parents and residents and help to resolve issues. Children are always his most important consideration when addressing issues confronting the district. During his tenure on the Board, the district has consistently maintained community support for school budgets through a difficult economy and tax levy caps.

Administrator Service Award recipient
Carolyn Schick, the first and only principal of William Floyd Middle School since its opening in 2003, is a highly-energetic and creative leader who puts students first. She epitomizes instructional leadership, providing teachers with consistent support and ongoing coaching. She has built strong community ties by hosting several well-attended community events that highlight the wonderful work of teachers and students.

Teacher Service Award recipients
Stacy Callan, a teacher at Tangier Smith Elementary School and a William Floyd alumna, has been a highly successful and dynamic teacher in the William Floyd School District for close to 20 years. Her ability to have her students advance academically and socially makes her a teacher that exceeds standards on a daily basis. Her commitment to the achievement of her students and her leadership in her building on a multitude of topics has earned her the respect of her supervisors and colleagues.

Ann Posiak, a William Paca Middle School teacher, is an outstanding educator who works tirelessly to provide high-quality mathematics instruction to her students. She began a “Failure is Not an Option” campaign which teaches students to persevere; and her role as an instructional leader has been vital to the district’s commitment of middle school Regents acceleration. She also serves as a Math Ambassador who participates in providing ongoing relevant workshops for her middle school colleagues, as well as facilitated professional development for elementary teachers.

Support Service Award recipients
Vincent Bondietti has been a member of the William Floyd School District security department for more than 11 years. His leadership and professionalism is highly valued and he continues to be a role model for his colleagues. He actively engages in the district’s security operations on all levels and is readily available to help and is always willing to go the extra step for staff, residents and students.

Paul Coraci, a William Floyd alumnus and long-time employee, currently serves as the head custodian at John S. Hobart Elementary School where he supervises the physical structure and physical plant of a school with nearly 900 students. He uses his experiences to mentor fellow “heads and chiefs” unit custodians and is frequently charged with training new employees on how to keep a school environment at its peak level on a daily basis. Known to Hobart students as Mr. Paul, he takes great pride in being an essential part of the William Floyd School District community.

Christine Hodgson has been a highly successful member of the William Floyd School District team for nearly 20 years serving in various administrative assistant capacities. She currently serves as the secretary to Kevin Coster, the assistant superintendent for elementary instruction and administration. Her ability to assess a situation, identify the task or problem and employ an intelligent solution, has helped to improve the overall effectiveness of the district’s elementary operations. She possesses a tireless work ethic and has established a pattern of completing her wide-ranging and voluminous tasks in a highly-efficient manner.

Peggy Huppert, a paraprofessional serving at William Floyd Elementary School, has made generations of students, parents, faculty and staff feel important and welcomed in the school. Her tireless work ethic, institutional knowledge, organizational skills and devotion have earned her a reputation as a “go to” person in the building. On a day-to-day basis, she is truly an individual who is a crucial part of the fiber of success in the school.

Tina Stone, a nurse at Tangier Smith Elementary School, has worked tirelessly to create a welcoming and highly-efficient health center for students. She is a thorough and intelligent practitioner and an excellent communicator. Her caring approach toward dealing with the day-to-day and long-term student-related health issues has had an extremely positive impact on the students of Tangier Smith Elementary School.

Community Service Award recipient
Steven Hughes, a police officer with the 7th Precinct, currently serves as the School Resource Officer for the William Floyd School District. Over the past few years, he has been an asset in guiding the district with the development of school safety plans, classroom instruction, peer mediation, parent workshops and the creation of a leadership club for middle school students.

 

Pictured from left to right with Board of Education Trustee Thomas Gross (far right) are the 2015 SCOPE Education Services Shining Stars Award recipients: Vincent Bondietti, Anthony Speruta, Carolyn Schick, Ann Posiak, Tina Stone, Christine Hodgson and Steven Hughes. Not pictured Stacy Callan, Paul Coraci and Peggy Huppert.