18 New Teachers Welcomed to Brookfield School District

At the Back-to-School welcoming for faculty and administrators, Brookfield Superintendent Anthony Bivona told the teachers that the district “has much to celebrate” as it has, among other things, improved to the point that some of them now rank in the top 25 percent of its District Reference Group (DRG) and .

Bivona said the new program in which is the first of its kind in Connecticut.

The superintendent, who is starting his fifth year in the district, said Brookfield’s academic and athletic teams continue to excel, noting, for example, that the and and the Whisconier Middle School (WMS) have received state or national recognition.

The 18 new teachers in the district introduced themselves to their colleagues a day after completing their orientation at the Town School Office.

The new teachers are: Michel Emmanuel, BHS chemistry; Jason Waron, WMS theater arts; Jackie Guerrea, BHS math; Mollie McDonald, Huckleberry Hill Elementary School (HHES) third grade; Danielle Olivier, HHES physical education and health; Laura Cookfair, Center Elementary School (CES), teacher of the deaf and hearing-impaired; Jennifer Rocca, BHS library-media specialist; Danielle Dubow, BHS English; Lisa D’Agostino, BHS Spanish; and Marcela DeAndrade, WMS Spanish.

Also,  Kimberly Rothen, long-term substitute; Kerri Bell, CES speech and language pathologist; Patricia Clua, BHS Spanish; Matthew Cudney, HHES, physical education; Adam Kozak, WMS science; Kelly Harrington HHES and WMS gifted and enrichment; Kylie D’Arcangelo, BHS alternative program; and Catherine Haase, WMS Spanish.

“I didn’t know we had so many comedians,” Bivona said after some of the new teachers offered humorous anecdotes as they introduced themselves.

The new administrators are Joe Palumbo, who , and Ed Bednarik, who was .

Angelo Rodriguez became the district’s facilities supervisor last week, succeeding Dan Schatzle, who had held the position for many years.

BHS life skills coordinator Marty Settle, , said during the 90-minute session that teachers are “pieces of the students’ [jigsaw] puzzle.”

“We’re not sure how we fit it, but without the individual pieces the puzzle can’t be completed,” he said.

“You try to make various connections,” Settle said. “Some work and some don’t. It’s a feeling of accomplishment when things work out.”

He said that some people have said he works with students with disabilities, since he heads a special needs program.

“I see students with abilities,” Settle said. “I see an artist, an entertainer, a health-care giver. All are different puzzles, but they all have significant value.”

“I see this as the true meaning of No Child Left Behind,” he added, referring to the federal education legislation that former President George W. Bush signed in 2002.

Bivona said as a former school psychologist and special education administrator, he “can relate” to many of Settle’s comments.

“I am fortunate to have many excellent puzzle-builders that I work with,” Settle said regarding his colleagues.

Board of Education (BOE) Chairman Ray DiStephan told the teachers that due to the stagnant economy “these are not easy days” for educators or for boards of education.

“But you know in Brookfield that the teachers are going to do the job that they signed up to do,” he said.