MANCHESTER – Ridgeway Elementary School Principal Nikki Mazur shared her thoughts and memories during a recent School Board meeting where teacher Crystal Policastro and nurse Linda Gianoulis were honored.
Mazur said of Gianoulis, “what can I say about a colleague who spent part of her Thanksgiving Day on the phone with her principal asking the question, ‘why is no one answering the phone at the health department?’ I am not kidding. Linda was on the phone on Thanksgiving conducting COVID tracing of a Ridgeway student”
“Mrs. Gianoulis sets the bar on what a well-run nurse’s office should look like, day in and day out. She is exceptionally skilled, has outstanding judgment and does an incredible job in triage. No one handles a crisis better than my Mrs. Gianoulis. In the past several years I’ve come to appreciate Linda’s wit, her sense of humor and amazing ability to advocate for children. She is a support and a confidante for staff, administrators, students and families. No matter what task or responsibility, she undertakes it with great fidelity and a true interest in serving others,” the principal added.
Mazur said, “thank you for keeping it real and reminding all of us about what is really important. Since March 2020, Mrs. Gianoulis has worked tirelessly to do everything in her power to keep our students and staff healthy and safe, whether it be contact tracing, a potential COVID case, or calming an emotional child or parent, or supporting staff at their moments of need.”
She added that Gianoulis “conducts her business as usual with the utmost of professionalism, passion, and an expertise as a skilled nurse. She’s made sense out of the most senseless situations; she’s paid attention to rules, procedures, regulations, all ensuring compliance, which is a very big deal. “
Mazur said Gianoulis’s Educational Service Professional of the Year was also a recognition of “everything you do for our staff, our students, our families, particularly in this extremely challenging time. As you prepare to retire, know that you lifted us up and you did so for many of our community.”
Gianoulis, who worked for the district for 27 years, thanked Superintendent David Trethaway and the Board of Education. “I would also like to thank Ellen McCann for her nomination. I’m truly honored and I would like to extend a very big heartfelt thank you.
“The award could not have come at a better time. I will be retiring this year and the combination of getting this award and retiring has made me reflect back on the past 27 years. I can’t believe how quickly the years have gone,” she added.
Gianoulis began her career here in Manchester in March of 1994 at Regional Day School. She was hired for “a very unique position. I was able to sub at all the different schools and I remember one day subbing for the nurse that was out at Ridgeway and the principal, Joanne Puleo at the time, came into the office and said, you know my nurse is retiring and why don’t you put in for the position?”
“The next thing you know I had an interview with the interim superintendent and here I am to tell you about it. I have never looked back and I have never regretted my decision,” Gianoulis added.
“In conclusion, I am very thankful for the ESP award and I hope I leave the same impression on others that they have left on me. I appreciate you all and I thank you again for the privilege of receiving this award.
Moving on to teacher of the year, Mazur described Policastro saying she was “a professional, a teacher leader, and an advocate for students and families. During her time in our district, Mrs. Policastro has transformed herself from a middle school teacher, a second-grade teacher, and then to a special education and basic skills interventionist.”
Mazur said that in every position Policastro “demonstrates true leadership in our building as well as in our district and continues to be an exceptional educator, no matter what the role.”
Policastro is held in high regard by her colleagues, families, and students and was nominated for this recognition not only by several teachers from Ridgeway but also by several families who had the great experience of having her as a teacher.
“Whether teaching remotely or in person, everyone who knows Mrs. Policastro knows that she will get the job done. She is extremely well planned and I don’t mean plan for the day or the week or the month, I mean that if you ask Crystal, she can tell you what her vision is for each and every one of those students for the next several months. She knows where they need to go and she knows how to get them there and she knows that hard work, grit and perseverance make all the difference,” the principal said.
She noted that Policastro’s work ethic was “outstanding but even more outstanding is her heart of gold, which she willingly shares with students and families every day. I’ve known Mrs. Policastro for many years and I can truly say that she does her magic in ways that are quiet, intentional, and always focused on nothing but the best for her students.
“As assistant to the principal, she often supports our building initiatives and projects and, no matter what the assignment, her commitment to our students is clear. Mrs. Policastro embodies the idea that when we focus on solutions and not problems there is nothing that we cannot accomplish,” Mazur said.
“Among her many qualities, she is a teacher who finds a way to make connections with students and families and this has never been more true than it has been during this very difficult year. I observe Mrs. Policastro making countless home visits, phone calls, video clips, individualized packets, special bags of surprises for our remote families,” the principal added.
Policastro thanked Trethaway, the Board of Education members and those “I am fortunate enough to work closely on many district committees. We all know that this year has been a challenging year for our students, staff, administration and board members.”
“With any set of challenges, we know that that is when we grow the most and I can say with confidence to my colleagues that if we can get through this school year we can do anything. I’m finishing up my 19th year here teaching here in Manchester. Being an alumnus of Manchester, this is truly my home away from home,” Policastro said.
She began her career at the middle school, spending most of her time teaching second grade, and for the last five years teaching basic skills and intervention and special education students, Last August, she asked to teach remote kindergarten students.
“We all knew our new year was starting out differently but I don’t think any of us knew how it would go down or how long it would be different. Teaching kindergarten might be frightening enough to some but teaching remote kindergarten seemed impossible but I quickly learned it really wasn’t. I know as hard as it was, including late night planning, helping parents learn an online platform to help their children,” the educator said.
