BCSD is excited to shine a light on its wonderful and dedicated staff each month. Get to know a little more about December’s featured staff members Mr. Steven Mellor, Ms. Brenda DeMagistris, Ms. Jamie Fleming, Ms. Alisha Garhartt and Ms. Lorrie Pollock.
BCSD will quote the featured staffs’ responses to a light-hearted questionnaire. This is an opportunity for the staff at BCSD to share more about themselves as well as offer some advice from their perspective.
Mr. Steven Mellor
Berlin High School
Chemistry/Science Teacher
1. What is your favorite memory from school?
My favorite memory from my high school is hanging out with my friends in the senior lounge playing ping pong and video games. From Berlin, it is probably the times I chaperoned senior trip to Virginia Beach in 2009 and 2016.
2. What would the students be surprised to find out about you? What is one of your hidden talents?
My students might be surprised to find out that I have an obsession with Legos. I love building them with my kids in my down time.
3. What makes a ‘good day’ at school?
When the students generally had fun doing whatever we did in class and lab.
4. What kinds of questions do you suggest that I ask my child(ren) on a daily basis after a day at school?
I know I ask my own children every day “How was your day at school? What did you like best about what you did?”
5. What are the best resources that we should consider using to support our child in the classroom?
Checking to see if they are keeping up with assignments on Schoology. Having them (the students) take responsibility for taking initiative to reach out to their teachers. After all, they will be going out into the “real world” in a few years. I feel that students have really lost the ability to have an actual conversation with adults and their peers with the distractions of cell phones and social media.
6. If you could take the students on a field trip to anywhere in the world, where would you take them?
Tough question. I love lighthouses. The history behind the towers, the science of how they work. They are also usually in very scenic locations. So maybe the Outer Banks or somewhere in northern Maine (Acadia Park area).
7. What is your “trapped on a desert island” book?
I don’t get the opportunity to read for myself often, but I really enjoyed the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and Harry Potter series.
Ms. Brenda DeMagistris
Berlin Elementary School
5th Grade Social Studies Teacher
1. What is your favorite memory from school?
To choose one favorite memory from school feels impossible as there are multiple experiences that come to mind. The fact is I thoroughly enjoy going to school each day where I have the opportunity to work with amazing colleagues and students.
2. What would the students be surprised to find out about you? What is one of your hidden talents?
Many students might be surprised to find out that I played the main role of Maria in the musical, “The Sound of Music” when I was a senior in high school right here in the BES building. It was an amazing experience and one that I will never forget.
3. What makes a ‘good day’ at school?
A good day at school is when students are engaged in a lesson and participating in discussions on any given social studies topic. I love their curiosity, deep levels of thinking and opinions.
4. What kinds of questions do you suggest that I ask my child(ren) on a daily basis after a day at school?
I would recommend sitting down with your child(ren) and asking for their high and low experiences for the school day. What went well for you today and why is that your high? What didn’t go well for you and why is that your low? I believe it’s a great idea to check in with your child(ren) about their academic, social and emotional experiences on a daily basis.
5. What are the best resources that we should consider using to support our child in the classroom?
In my opinion, staying in contact with your child(ren)s teacher is one of the best support systems available. It is helpful to keep the lines of communication open between home and school. Of course, it goes without saying that reading and talking about what you’ve read each night with your child(ren) is extremely important to support success in the classroom.
6. If you could take the students on a field trip to anywhere in the world, where would you take them?
If I could take my students on a field trip anywhere in the world it would be Washington, DC. While there, students would be able to visit the many important government buildings, monuments, and also experience the amazing museums.
7. What is your “trapped on a desert island” book?
My two “trapped on a desert island” books are “Where the Crawdad’s Sing”, by Delia Owens and “The Underneath”, by Kathi Appelt.
Ms. Jamie Fleming
Berlin Central School District
Pre-K Special Education Teacher
BMHS After-School Teaching Assistant
1. What is your favorite memory from school?
My favorite memory from school is all of the kind teachers that I had growing up.
2. What would the students be surprised to find out about you? What is one of your hidden talents?
Something students would be surprised to know about me is I love to craft! Some of my items have been put in stores as well.
3. What makes a ‘good day’ at school?
A good day at school is seeing my students progress and how proud they are of themselves when they do.
4. What kinds of questions do you suggest that I ask my child(ren) on a daily basis after a day at school?
How are you today? How was your day? And what was your favorite part about your day?
5. What are the best resources that we should consider using to support our child in the classroom?
I would say their teachers (a good support system as well).
6. If you could take the students on a field trip to anywhere in the world, where would you take them?
I would take them to Disney!
Ms. Alisha Garhartt
Berlin Central School
BES Monitor
Food Service
1. What is your favorite memory from school?
One of my favorite memories from school was in my 7th grade science class. We had a book cover contest. I worked so hard on my cover. It was made out of real flowers that were preserved in contact paper. I won the contest. That memory has always stuck with me.
2. What would the students be surprised to find out about you? What is one of your hidden talents?
I absolutely love 1960’s to 1970’s antique trucks (preferably Chevy). I hope to own and rebuild one of my own with my son one day! I don’t really know if it is a talent or just a hobby, but I love to refurbish old furniture.
3. What makes a ‘good day’ at school?
A good day at school for me would be knowing that I have made a positive impact on a student (or students) or made a staff member smile.
4. What kinds of questions do you suggest that I ask my child(ren) on a daily basis after a day at school?
- How was your day?
- What was the best part of your day?
- Anything happen today that you would like to talk about?
- Any homework?
5. What are the best resources that we should consider using to support our child in the classroom?
A great resource I think that would support our children is communication between the student, teacher and parents. I feel having a hands on learning environment is really great as well.
6. If you could take the students on a field trip to anywhere in the world, where would you take them?
I would probably take the students to the American Museum of Natural History. It is a great experience.
7. What is your “trapped on a desert island” book?
I have always been fascinated by the paranormal. Anything ghost related, but has to be non-fiction.
Ms. Lorrie Pollock
Berlin Elementary School
Teaching Assistant – Shooting Stars Classroom
1. What is your favorite memory from school?
My favorite memory from school is playing sports in high school. I was on Galway High Schools volleyball, basketball and softball. I was blessed with twin sisters very close in age who played the same sports as well so games became a family event.
2. What would the students be surprised to find out about you? What is one of your hidden talents?
I feel the students would be surprised to know that I am a dirt bike and snowmobile rider. My husband, two children and I spend every free moment finding new trails.
3. What makes a ‘good day’ at school?
To me a good day at school is having every student in our class have a healthy mind and body, show kindness to others as well as themselves and leave at the end of the day knowing that we care about them.
4. What kinds of questions do you suggest that I ask my child(ren) on a daily basis after a day at school?
As a parent I felt that my children’s friends are their most important people. I would ask questions to see who they played with at recess, who they sat with at a special and what they talked about. To me it helped understand them as a person not just as MY child.
5. What are the best resources that we should consider using to support our child in the classroom?
YOU, the adult in the classroom that shows up willing to be every child’s support, role model and guiding hand to help them learn.
6. If you could take the students on a field trip to anywhere in the world, where would you take them?
I would love for the students to take me to their home. I would like to see their most important place.