Author: Janelle Rozzano

1. What is your background and what do you teach? I graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a bachelor’s degree in childhood and special education. I continued on to earn my master’s degree in literacy from Syracuse University. This is my ninth year teaching, and my sixth year teaching at Palmer Elementary School in Baldwinsville. Before teaching at Palmer, I taught first and second grade. At Palmer, I taught third grade for three years before moving to kindergarten. Ever since elementary school I knew that I wanted to be a teacher, specifically a kindergarten teacher. The summer before I started teaching…

How did you become the principal of Burton Street Elementary School? I spent 17 years as a middle school teacher before becoming a special education and reading teacher. My next step was to become a special education director before becoming a principal. Soon after, I was appointed as K-8 principal and K-12 special education director at Stockbridge Valley. I then began my 16 years as the Burton Street Elementary principal in Cazenovia. I’ve spent a total of 39 years as an educator! How are you encouraging students and staff during COVID-19? We are providing online instruction with a lot of…

How did you get into the teaching profession? I went to college at the University of Kansas for communication studies, where I also took some education classes. This, along with working as a teacher assistant, helped me become a certified teacher. I obtained my master’s in early childhood education and have been teaching for 11 years. I’ve taught kindergarten, first and second grade. Bridgeport Elementary is very big into the reading program PARP (Pick a Reading Partner). Can you tell us about it? PARP is a PTA (Parent Teacher Association) sponsored program that lasts three weeks. We set a goal…

1. You work with the chorus at Oswego Middle School. Have you always taught music? Yes, I have been teaching music for 23 years. I went to Nazareth College for music education and then moved on to SUNY Brockport for a degree in interdisciplinary arts, which includes dance, theatre and art, as well. I have taught in all education levels, from pre-k to 12th grade. I was inspired to teach music by my own musical experiences and the different music educators that I had; my Hornell High School teachers Patti Piper (music) and Tim Berardi (theatre and English). 2. Tell…

1. Tell me about your background and how you joined St. Patrick’s in Oneida? While in college, I was a preschool teacher at a local daycare for two years until I graduated. I went on to be a substitute teacher for six months. One of the teachers I became close with, as I subbed in her classroom many times, messaged me and told me there was an opening at St. Patrick’s School. She recommended I fill out an application. I was hired the Friday before Labor Day and only had two days to prepare and get everything ready in the…

How did you get into ski instruction and how long have you been doing it? I have been skiing for about 50-55 years. I started when I was 2 years old. My parents were skiers, and my dad taught me when I was 11. I would ski in the backyard and then I graduated to local hills. I joined Snow Ridge Ski Resort and that was when I realized what real skiing was. After about three years of skiing there, they asked me to teach skiing, so I got certified by the Professional Ski Instructors of America. Eventually, I went…

Tell me about yourself and your background. I taught at Stonehedge Elementary School in the West Genesee School District for eight years. I spent four years at home on a child rearing leave before I resigned from Stonehedge to stay home with my first little one. When I was on leave with my first daughter, we looked around the community for some kind of early childhood program that we could enjoy together. I wanted something that would promote socialization and for her to be enriched. I wanted lots of gross and fine motor movement, along with play, while still being…

Tell me a little about your experience as an educator and your background. I received my teaching degree from East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania and then I taught a year of fifth grade in the Penns Valley School District. I moved to Liverpool and have been working at Soule Road Elementary for 19 years, 10 in fourth grade and 9 in sixth. What do you hope to achieve as an educator? What are your goals for the students? Obviously, there is the curriculum, state standards and subject areas. So that’s number one. But along with that, I want them to…