Hillsborough Teachers And Staff Honored, Receive Governor's Awards

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Teachers and staff members were recognized as the recipients of the Governor’s Educator of Year Award and Governor’s Educational Services Award for 2022-2023 by the Hillsborough Township School District Board of Education on Monday

Superintendent Michael Volpe and Board of Education President Paul Marini announced the names of the award winners and presented each a certificate.

"Being in education over the past several years has been hard and part of the reason why you guys are up here is because although it has been hard you made it look easy," said Volpe at the meeting. "Even though it wasn't. Thank you for what you do for the kids on a daily basis. It's greatly appreciated."

Here are the award winners from each of the schools in the Hillsborough Township School District along with their teaching/staff position, years of service and quote:

Governor’s Education of the Year Award for 2022-2023

• Donna Griggs, Hillsborough High School
  • Years in Hillsborough: 14
  • Current Position: Science Teacher
  • "It is a true honor to have my efforts as an educator and member of the school community be recognized for this award."
• Patrick Heck, Hillsborough Middle School
  • Years in Hillsborough: 9
  • Current Position: Grade 8 Literacy
  • "To be the HMS Teacher of the Year is an incredible honor. I have been working in Hillsborough since my student teaching experience and have enjoyed working with many fantastic students and colleagues over the years. Being nominated by some of these very people makes this award that much more special to me, and I am deeply grateful for the recognition."
• Thomas Augello, Auten Road Intermediate School
  • Years in Hillsborough: 5
  • Current Position: Grade 5 Math/Science
  • "I am very honored to be selected from a school with so many amazing educators. I have been very fortunate to build such strong relationships with my students each and every day, and watching their progress both in the classroom and in life has been very fulfilling!"
• Bridget Cunnane, Amsterdam Elementary School
  • Years in Hillsborough: 18
  • Current Position: Grade 3 Teacher
  • "I am greatly humbled by this recognition and truly feel "seen". As an educator, I continue to grow, learn, and challenge not only myself, but also my students - each and every day. To quote Maya Angelou, "I do my best because I'm counting on you, counting on me."
• Stephanie Moore, Hillsborough Elementary School
  • Years in Hillsborough: 23
  • Current Position: Grade 4 Teacher
  • "I am so honored to have been chosen among all of my peers for this award. Working in Hillsborough for 23 years, I have worked with the best teachers and have learned from and grown with them. My time at HES means the world to me and I hope my students always know how much I care about them and will forever celebrate their successes."
• Melanie Cella, Sunnymead Elementary School
  • Years in Hillsborough: 5
  • Current Position: Special Education Teacher
  • "This award is an honor. I am lucky to work in a collaborative and inclusive school with such dedicated teachers. My goal is to continue growing as a teacher and making connections with my students."
• Margaret Krick, Triangle Elementary School
  • Years in Hillsborough: 31
  • Current Position: Music Teacher
  • "I am truly honored to represent Triangle Elementary School as Teacher of the Year. Our staff and students fill our school with love, friendship, laughter and smiles. Surround yourself with people who feel like sunshine and you can’t help but love what you do every day."
• Stacey Dzvileski, Woodfern Elementary School
  • Years in Hillsborough: 12
  • Current Position: Grade 3 Teacher
  • "Growing up playing soccer, I always loved the quote, “If it wasn’t hard anyone would do it. It’s the hard that makes it great” ~ Tom Hanks (A League of Their Own). I think every teacher can agree that these past few years have been some of the most demanding years for educators. The challenges that I faced over the past few years makes earning this award even more significant and meaningful to me."
• Jennifer Peterson, Woods Road Elementary School
  • Years in Hillsborough: 11
  • Current Position: Grade 3 Teacher
  • "I am honored and humbled to have been selected as Teacher of the Year at Woods Road School. I have dreamed of becoming a teacher since I was just 5 years old and it has always been my mission to have an impact on the lives of my students and our future generations. I want to thank my parents for always supporting me and encouraging me to follow my dream. "

Educational Services Professionals of the Year

• Alexandra Szurkus, Hillsborough High School
  • Years in Hillsborough: 3
  • Current Position: Instructional Assistant
  • "It was always my intention to help as many children I could and I am immensely grateful for all!"
• Linda Schley, Hillsborough Middle School
  • Years in Hillsborough: 10
  • Current Position: Speech/Language Therapist
  • "The way we communicate with others ultimately determines our quality of life.” ~ Tony Robbins. I recently came across this quote and it is now my favorite. It reminds me why I am a speech-language specialist: to help people communicate, to find their voices, and improve the quality of their lives. Helping my students find their voices is helping me find mine. We’re in this together."
• Gayle Fodera, Auten Road Intermediate School
  • Years in Hillsborough: 20
  • Current Position: Instructional Assistant
  • "I am honored to be the 2023 recipient of the ESP award at Auten Road School. The students I support inspire me on a daily basis. Watching them grow and excel in all areas is very rewarding and makes my twenty years at Auten Road School truly enjoyable and fulfilling."
• Rebecca Barajas, Amsterdam Elementary School
  • Years in Hillsborough: 20
  • Current Position: Library Media Specialist/REACH
  • "For 20 years I have worked to make the Amsterdam Elementary media center the heartbeat of our school. This award has only solidified that others feel it too! Thank you."
• Amanda Rebelo, Hillsborough Elementary School
  • Years in Hillsborough: 2
  • Current Position: Speech/Language Therapist
  • “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou. Thank you to my students, colleagues, and administrators at Hillsborough Elementary School for making me feel so supported. I am incredibly grateful to have been selected for this honor and look forward to continuing to support my students' communication skills!"
• Nimisha Jain, Sunnymead Elementary School
  • Years in Hillsborough: 5
  • Current Position: Instructional Assistant
  • "Being recognized for this award means a lot to me because I love to try and make a difference for my students."
• Karen Bizzoco, Triangle Elementary School
  • Years in Hillsborough: 25
  • Current Position: ASI/Reading
  • "I am honored to receive the ESP of the Year award at Triangle School. I am a true believer that it takes a village to educate a child and I am thankful for all my colleagues that have helped me enhance the lives of our young learners. I am proud to be a member of our Triangle village and humbled by this recognition."
• Tami Ruvolo, Woodfern Elementary School
  • Years in Hillsborough: 3
  • Current Position: Reading Specialist
  • "I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn ~ Maya Angelou"
• Jane Caliguari, Woods Road Elementary School
  • Years in Hillsborough: 26
  • Current Position: Instructional Assistant
  • "While I am honored to have received this award, I thank my parents for always instilling strong work values. Thank you for the recognition."

See the full presentation here or watch the BOE meeting below. The recognition begins around 11:20:

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