“The truth is, this is the most fulfilling, greatest career that you could ever enter into,” Massapequa School District Superintendent Dr. William Brennan told 55 first-year members of the faculty, as they gathered in the McKenna Elementary School senior center for new teacher orientation on Aug. 18.
The first morning of a four-day program featured introductions from Dr. Brennan and Board of Education President Kerry Wachter. They enthusiastically welcomed the new teachers to Massapequa and noted the support they will have from administrators and colleagues throughout their career. Also emphasized was the district’s mission and vision, and the five competencies that comprise the Profile of a Massapequa Learner and Leader.
“Every teacher here,” Ms. Wachter said, “whether it’s elementary or high school or middle school, you are owning a piece of this mission and vision and helping us get our students to success, that day when they graduate.”
The new teachers span multiple grade levels and subject areas across the district’s nine elementary and secondary schools. Several are even graduates of Massapequa High School and have returned to educate the next generation.
New teacher orientation included an extensive overview of instructional technology, led by Assistant Superintendent for Technology and General Administration Bryan Piotrowski, Executive Assistant for Instructional Technology and Innovation Alison Morgan, and technology learning coaches Jennifer Emberley, Jarrett Fifield and Meredith Marin. Teachers also attended sessions on lesson planning and best practices, professional resources and special education, and took part in breakout groups with their principals and department supervisors.