Six To Six Magnet School Teacher Wins C.E.S. Teacher Of Year Award

BRIDGEPORT, CT - From Cooperative Educational Services: Christie Cantalupo, a fifth-grade teacher at Six to Six Magnet School in Bridgeport, is Cooperative Educational Services’ Teacher of the Year for 2017.

Ms. Cantalupo, a Woodbridge resident who started teaching at Six to Six in 2003, is now eligible for the 2018 Connecticut Teacher of the Year Award, which will be announced in November.

After earning her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, Ms. Cantalupo had the opportunity to work with a group of adults in an independent-living program in Colorado, and it was there that she was first inspired to pursue education as a career.

“They impacted me so much more than I was able to impact them,” she said. “They taught me to see the world through their eyes. They found awe in everything and I was allowed to be a part of their discoveries.”

She then moved to Connecticut with her husband and earned a Master of Education degree from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield and “14 years later, I’m still getting the opportunity to be part of someone else’s awe.”

Cantalupo says one of her finest accomplishments as a teacher was creating the Invention Convention for fifth-graders at Six to Six, which focuses on science, math and technology. She hopes to improve it this year by making it an Engineering Convention. She has also worked with students through drama clubs and enjoys introducing them to literature in the classroom.

Her best moments though, she said, are watching eighth-graders graduate. “They were once my students and watching them grow and accomplish is selfishly my accomplishment as well,” she said.

“Christie Cantalupo is a wonderful and dedicated educator,” said Six to Six Principal Anna Nelmes-Stoughton. “She establishes strong relationships with students and families and supports every child in her classroom to achieve at high levels. She volunteers regularly and goes above and beyond to give of her time to support our school community.”

Image via Cooperative Educational Services