Top Ottoson, AHS teachers
Arlington Education Foundation (AEF) has announced its STARS Teachers of the Year for 2017, and they are:
● Alison Sancinito, sixth-grade history teacher at Ottoson Middle School; and
● Danielle Raad, science and archaeology teacher at Arlington High School.
For 17 years, the STARS (School Teaches Are Really Special) program has given families an opportunity to recognize and honor teachers by making a donation to AEF in the teachers’ names. Raised this year was $23,750.
All money raised through the program, helps pay for AEF’s grant-making mission to enhance Arlington’s public schools. Each year, the Arlington High School and Ottoson Middle School teachers who receive the most STARS certificates receive the Teacher of the Year award.
After receiving her award, Sancinito said in a news release issues June 20: “It is so nice to be acknowledged by the community for my work. Middle school is such a unique time for kids, [and] I am happy to do what I can to support students and to engage them in their learning. I appreciate the support of AEF in making this happen.”
Earlier this spring, Sancinito was recognized for her hard work and was awarded the William Spratt Award for Excellence in Teaching Middle School Social Studies by the Massachusetts Council for Social Studies.
In 2015, she received an AEF Innovations in Education grant. Called “Flexible Classroom: Designing Spaces for Personalized Learning,” the grant funded the transformation of four traditional Ottoson classrooms into more flexible and collaborative learning spaces that meet the needs of diverse learners.
After Raad received her award and was applauded by her students, she said, “I’m so honored for this recognition. I’ve had such a great year at AHS and want to thank all of my students for their enthusiasm, hard work, and positive energy — they’re really the reason why I love being a science teacher.”
Last fall, Raad was awarded an AEF Innovations in Education grant to establish a new archaeology class. In January, her work was recognized when she was honored as the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Teacher of the Month. To read an interview with Raad, click here >>
This fiscal year, parents from all ten of Arlington’s public schools purchased nearly 800 STARS certificates to recognize teachers across the district.
For more than 25 years, AEF has been supporting public education in Arlington and currently awards approximately $120,000 annually in grants to teachers and schools. AEF pays for systemwide initiatives and creative new projects that enhance public education throughout the school district.
For more information visit www.aefma.org.
This news release was published Tuesday, June 20, 2017.
