Sue Cerruti
Jun 1, 2007
It only takes one visit to your classroom to know there's
something special going on! One might liken it to an orchestra with
you as the conductor. Your leadership is quiet but steady and sure.
Each section of the orchestra is well rehearsed and knows exactly
what to do. Transitions from one movement of the concert to the
next go smoothly. The result is beautiful, just like music.
A visit to your classroom also supports that it takes a village to
teach nine little kids living with autism. Besides you, there are
para-professionals who assist you and TSSs who assist the children
and a variety of therapists who assist everybody. The families of
each child while not usually present in the classroom play an
integral part in their child's education encouraged and promoted by
you. Karen Schaller, in her nomination letter, states, "When you
walk into the classroom, there is a clear presence of a functional
team working together in a structured special education early care
and education environment. Suzanne has the ability to involve all
adults in the daily activities of the classroom even if they are
from other agencies. The techniques and strategies are consistent
to facilitate success for the child and allow for generalization of
skills across environments with various adults. She has established
a successful working rapport with the various Community Behavioral
Health agencies supporting the children in her room."
Now in case anyone thinks these children don't have fun while they
are learning, I can assure them that they do. Your classroom plans
focus on each child's individual goals imbedded in the creative
curriculum philosophy and incorporated with the literary components
of the Read, Play and Learn program. And besides all that, they
have Teddy Bear Teas and lots of playground time.
You also don't neglect your own professional development. You
attend conferences; go to workshops and participate in ongoing
meetings for teachers of children with Autism. Additionally, you
are in the Special Education Graduate program offered at SPIN, Inc.
through Arcadia University.
You embody SPIN, Inc's concept of a leader as you carry out our
mission and live our core principles. You are an inspiring teacher
and it is my pleasure to acknowledge you as Employee of the Month
today. Thank you on behalf of our Board of Directors, your
colleagues, and all of your little students. We appreciate your
dedication and commitment to quality education and care.
Sincerely,
Trina Losinno
Executive Director