Letter To The Editor: Mangiamele For Ossining Board Of Education

To the Editor:
I am proud to endorse Christine Mangiamele for one of the two open seats on the Ossining Board of Education. I have been lucky to live next to Christine since October 2011. As I watched Christine and her husband, Evan, unload their moving van, I remember hoping that we would be friendly with each other.

Over the years, I was fortunate to befriend a woman who is intelligent, open, kind, and trustworthy. As both of us tackled huge outdoor yard projects in those early years of home ownership, we connected over shared knowledge of some upstate New York areas. Christine grew up in the Syracuse area and spent her undergraduate years at SUNY Fredonia, where she studied music education. Christine went on to earn her Masters degree from SUNY New Paltz. Her education background gives her a unique perspective that is currently absent on the Board. She understands from personal experience what our teachers and students are dealing with on a daily basis, from our youngest Pre-k-ers to our graduating seniors.

During the early years of being neighbors, she was working in the Arlington school district. Long commute times meant we didn't connect as much as we did when she had her first child in 2014. At that point, we bonded over how to survive those earliest days of motherhood. I was always impressed with Christine's level-headedness and realistic expectations of what having a newborn was like and how to manage the shifting identities. No matter how little sleep she was running on, Christine was always looking to deepen her knowledge of various topics. Like most things, she did this quietly and for her own development.

I can also attest to Christine's spirit of giving and her selfless servitude. She has never been one to have a personal agenda in any of the many ways she has served our community. She has made masks on her dining room table, sent in extra supplies to her daughters' classes unprompted, contributed to the little libraries, organized a bi-annual tag sale at her daughters' preschool, volunteered at the food pantry, and (pre-pandemic) spent time in classrooms as class parent. She has never once done this to garner attention. She simply saw a need and filled it. In fact, after learning about a part-time position left unfilled at Anne M. Dorner Middle School last summer, she stepped into this job knowing that our middle school students would be facing a tough year readjusting to being in the classroom full time.

This service-mindedness is also true regarding her current run for Board of Education trustee: there is a gaping hole on our board insofar as no current trustee has day-to-day classroom teaching experience or education. Her first-hand knowledge would be invaluable as the board addresses many upcoming issues facing our students (e.g., curriculum implementation, facilities renovations, etc.).

A curious, life-long learner, Christine is never one to offer an opinion without first doing extensive research on the topic, including seeking out sources that differ from her own viewpoint. She is a critical thinker and truly listens to differing opinions. Christine is not looking to join the Board with any agenda other than serving our community in the best way she can, being transparent about how decisions are made, and leading in a way that would make her daughters proud - with empathy and integrity.

Melissa Aiello
Ossining resident

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