South Huntington Names Teacher Of The Year: 'Immense Honor'

SOUTH HUNTINGTON, NY — Dolores Rufrano was named the South Huntington School District's Teacher of the Year, the district announced.

Rufrano teaches at Birchwood Intermediate School and has been with the district for 20 years. The South Huntington Board of Education honored its Teachers of the Year for 2023-2024 at its Jan. 24 board meeting. A teacher from each of the district's seven schools was recognized, though Rufrano earned the districtwide honor.

Rufrano's entire career with the district has been at the same school, teaching English and Spanish dual-language in the fourth and fifth grades.

South Huntington’s Dual Language Program is an immersion language program and provides core academic instruction in two languages in the classroom and begins in Kindergarten. Classes are made up of students who are proficient in English and those who are proficient in Spanish.

Rufrano has a bachelor's degree in early elementary education and psychology from Queens College and a master's degree with a bilingual extension from Hunter College.

"Her heart and soul is dedicated to the students and families of this amazing community," said Dimitri Bernadel, principal of Birchwood Intermediate School, in a news release.

Rufrano found her inspiration for teaching very early, saying she knew she wanted to become an educator at a young age.

"I had a third grade teacher who made a positive impact on my life," Rufrano said. "I decided that I wanted to pay that forward to my own students one day."

And she has. Colleagues say she walks into the building every day with a smile, and is a warm and nurturing educator who encourages her students to feel comfortable to be themselves and reach for the stars.

"My students have taught me how to simply be a better human being through the way they support one another in their learning," Rufrano said.

For Rufrano, teaching is more than just academics.

"She wants her students to grow socially and emotionally as well," Bernadel said. "She teaches her students to think about every decision they make and learn from the positive or negative outcomes that may arise from their decision."

Rufrano said being named Teacher of the Year in Birchwood and South Huntington is "an amazing experience."

"The teachers of South Huntington are all so dedicated, and to be honored among them is an immense honor."

The district’s individual school Teachers of the Year for 2023-2024 are Sabrina Cariello, Countrywood Primary Center; Beth Ann Fierro, Oakwood Primary Center; Linda Muratore, Maplewood Intermediate School; Dolores Rufrano, Birchwood Intermediate School; Virginia Stair, Silas Wood Sixth Grade Center; Jenny Hernandez, Stimson Middle School; Ralph Milazzo, Walt Whitman High School.