October Staff Member of the Month

 Please join us as we congratulate Ms. Cassie Soto on being named Staff Member of the Month for October! In addition to teaching English 11 and English 12, Ms. Soto has shown tremendous dedication to our students by directing this year's fall drama, Almost, Maine (be sure to get your tickets for next week!). We thank Ms. Soto for her kindness, dedication, and commitment to always growing as an educator!

Here is what a fellow faculty member had to say about Ms. Soto:

"When I think of a great teacher, I think of someone who respects students. I think of someone who is warm, enthusiastic, and caring. A great teacher is not afraid to ask for help and is comfortable collaborating with colleagues. A great teacher creates a sense of community in her classroom where students feel safe, yet challenged. She is a cheerleader. She is Cassie Soto."

Here is what one of her students had to say about Ms. Soto:

"Ms. Soto is a really good teacher because she puts her heart and soul into everything she does. She is dedicated both in class and in the Fall Drama, and is doing a great job!"

Our Falcon will be housed in Ms. Soto's room for the next month. We are so lucky that you are part of the Falcon Family, Ms. Soto! Congratulations and thank you for all that you do!

September Staff Member of the Month!

 Please join us as we congratulate Mrs. Molly Neral on being named Staff Member of the Month for September! Mrs. Neral is a pillar of our math department at JTHS and currently teaches AP Statistics, Geometry, and SAT Preparation. Mrs. Neral is compassionate, dedicated, and committed to the success of her students. 

Here is what a fellow faculty member had to say about Mrs. Neral: 

"I have been around a long time and I must say Molly is one of my favorite co-teachers that I have ever worked with. Molly always expects the most from her students. She gets them to meet her expectations by having a great blend of holding her students accountable as well as being very compassionate to their individual needs. Her students know how much she cares and they do not want to disappoint. Congratulations, well deserved."

Here is what one of her students had to say about Mrs. Neral:

"Mrs. Neral is always extremely positive in the classroom. What I appreciate the most is that she always goes out of her way to make sure we understand the content, even staying with us after school to help us. She is approachable and extremely understanding."

Our Falcon will be housed in Mrs. Neral's room for the next month. We are so lucky that you are part of the Falcon Family, Mrs. Neral! Congratulations and thank you for all that you do!

Staff Member of the Month - Mrs. Paccioretti

Please join us in congratulating Mrs. Virginia Paccioretti on being named Staff Member of the Month for January here at JTHS. Ginny is a paraprofessional working with Ashley Dispenziere's classes and has been in the district for 22 years.  She is kind, caring, and compassionate, and we truly appreciate how supportive she is to our students. She's super friendly, too!

Here's what the staff has to say about Ginny:

"Mrs. Paccioretti is a hands-on and caring staff member. She works well beyond her hours to provide classroom support and make all activities, such as Jefferson Java, possible! Her bright smile and great sense of humor never go unnoticed by the students and staff in the building! We are so lucky to have her!"  

"Love Miss Ginny! She is always so friendly -  miss her smiling face because we have no Jefferon Java right now - cannot wait to see her and the kids back soon :)"

Here's what her students have to say about Mrs. Paccioretti:

“She is awesome!”

“She is Great!!!”

“She is a good aide!”

“She helps me get my work done” 

“We like her so much!”

Thanks to Mr. Paccioretti for sending us the photo of Ginny with the Falcon. Mrs. Paccioretti will keep the Falcon for the whole month and park in a priority spot when we return to hybrid learning. Stop by D9 and say "congratulations!" Great job, Mrs. P.!

Staff Member of the Month - Mrs. Vandigriff

Please join us in congratulating Teacher of English Mrs. Patty Vandigriff on being named Staff Member of the Month for November here at JTHS. Mrs. Vandigriff has been a member of the Falcon Family for 20 years, primarily working with freshmen students! She is a seasoned debate coach and is always such a merchant of hope and positivity.

Here's what the staff has to say about Patty:

"Patty always brings a smile wherever she goes, and her students always feel loved and supported." 

"Patty went out of her way to assist the faculty in organizing their Realtime gradebooks by cohort to streamline the process." 

One of Mrs. Vandigriff's students said this about her: "Mrs. Vandigriff is one of the most empathetic, patient, and kind-hearted teachers at the high school. We appreciate all of the work you do for your students, staff members, and the debate team. Thank you for being an awesome teacher and congrats on receiving Staff Member of the Month!"

Mrs. Vandigriff is a true model for treating students with empathy and compassion, which is more important than ever right now. Patty will keep the Falcon statue for the whole month and will have a premier parking spot when we return. We're so proud of you, Patty!

Staff Member of the Month - Mr. Santos

Please join us in congratulating Mr. Alex Santos of Technical Support on being named Staff Member of the Month for October here at JTHS. Mr. Santos has been a member of the Falcon Family for 15 years! He has worked at all the schools, and Mr. Santos has been essential to our students as he is ALWAYS willing to do whatever it takes to fix their technology issues. He makes such an impact on our kids that our high schoolers remember him from elementary school. Our staff also really enjoys working with Mr. Santos!

Here's what the staff has to say about Alex:

"He's just always willing to help. I know if one of my students or I have an issue, I can call on him to fix it."

 

"Alex is never too busy to work with me on a technology issue or share a tip or trick. He knows so much about fixing our technology but also about different programs too." 

"He's just a nice guy. Whenever he's helping, he's truly interested in solving the problem and doesn't get frustrated. He really cares about the kids and the teachers here." 

"He's a kind and friendly person!" 

Mr. Santos is such an important part of our school community, and we thank him for his commitment to providing technology support for all of us! Alex will keep the Falcon statue for the whole month and will have a premier parking spot. Stop by the back of the media center and say "congratulations" when you get a chance!

Staff Member of the Month - Mr. Stager

Please join us in congratulating Mr. Bill Stager, Teacher of Mathematics, on being named Staff Member of the Month for September here at JTHS. In his words, Mr. Stager has been at the high school for 20(something) years. He has taught all levels of math and finds the teaching profession "swell." Bill also coaches varsity football and has had a tremendous impact on so many students throughout the years.

Here's what the staff has to say about Mr. Stager:

"Bill Stager deserves the Falcon this month for helping all the teachers in the middle and high school kick off the virtual environment."

 

"He provided a shortcut from Realtime to Google Classroom, which was not obvious and saved everyone a great deal of time." 

"Bill has been the shining star for the math department for the last 20 years." 

Bill will keep the Falcon the entire month of October and will also have premier parking right in the front of the high school. In the words of the colleague who nominated him, "Let's show Bill some love!!!" 

Staff Member of the Month - Ms. Robinson

 Please join us in congratulating Ms. Amy Robinson, Student Assistance Counselor, on being named Staff Member of the Month for February here at JTHS. Ms. Robinson is in her first year as the JTHS SAC, and she is doing a wonderful job. Prior to her position at the high school, Amy worked at Daytop and High Focus. Since arriving at JTHS, she has taken an active role working with the JT Municipal Alliance, Students Against Destructive Decisions, and providing support for our students' mental health and substance abuse needs.

Here's what the staff and students have to say about Ms. Robinson:

Staff:

Amy works beautifully with her students individually and also meets with small groups to help students transition into our school community. 

For any teachers or staff members who have not yet met or worked with Amy, I think they will be very pleasantly surprised by her professionalism and warm disposition!!!

She makes students instantly feel comfortable and they trust her and open up about some very sensitive topics. Amy has taken the initiative to meet independently with students on a consistent basis and has implemented multiple counseling groups to address the needs of our students. 

Amy is willing to help in any way she can and always keeps a calm demeanor. I know I can rely on her and enjoy collaborating with her to provide services that better support our students. 

As our new SAC, Amy has jumped right into her position to make a difference with the student population. 

Students:

She puts a perspective that I don't see when I talk to her. When I talk to her, she asks questions that make me think. 

She listens to me and then proposes things to fix problems. She's good at helping me make lists of things to accomplish. 

Ms. Robinson is such a nice person. She's easy to talk to and that's so important for me.

Ms. Robinson will keep the Falcon statue for the month of March. If you haven't had a chance to meet her yet, stop down to the Counseling Department to say "hello" and congratulate her!