Top: Aditya Venkatesh nominated his math teacher, Donna Saragnese of Crossroads North Middle School in South Brunswick, for the Barnes & Noble “My Favorite Teacher” award. Above: Juilee Malavade nominated her chemistry teacher, Thomas Strouse of North Brunswick Township High School, for the award. PHOTOS BY JENNIFER AMATO NORTH BRUNSWICK — Two local teachers were selected as the Barnes & Noble My Favorite Teacher contest winners .
Donna Saragnese, an eighth-grade math teacher at Crossroads North Middle School in South Brunswick, and Thomas Strouse, a science teacher at North Brunswick Township High School, were nominated with specially written letters by two of their students. An official recognition celebration was held April 19 at the North Brunswick Barnes & Noble location, as a special part of Educator Appreciation Week.
Students were invited to nominate their favorite teacher by writing an essay, poem or thank-you letter that described how the teacher influenced their life and why they appreciate and admire their teacher. Miriam Libove, the community relations manager for the store, selected the winning writing samples due to the educator’s methods of teaching, the sincerity of the student writing the letter, and the quality of expression.
“Whenever I sit down with an educator, I’m so impressed by their level of commitment,” Libove said. “You make a difference in kids’ lives, and I see it in the essays.”
Aditya Venkatesh, an eighth-grader, nominated Saragnese because she is “one of the rubies in the rubble.” He said she ensures that no child lags behind or lacks skills, uses technology to reduce the monotony of class, and makes the classroom “fun.”
“Her sense of humor creates a more subtle, light-hearted classroom,” he said.
Venkatesh did admit that Saragnese was not always his favorite teacher, because she is a hard grader, did not offer extra credit, and assigned homework almost every day, but “just as you come to realize veggies and fruits are good for you,” he realized the purpose of Saragnese’s tactics.
“As a teacher, sometimes you have to parent, and being compared to fruits and veggies, I guess it is a testament to my parenting,” Saragnese laughed. “It’s very, very gratifying. It’s an amazing thing to be recognized by students for what I do as a job. To feel you’re making a difference is very, very rewarding.”
“You work very hard and you touch the lives of many students every day, and you brighten the lives of many students every day,” Crossroads North Principal Mark Daniels said.
Juilee Malavade, a student in Strouse’s Advanced Placement chemistry class, credited Strouse for his likeable personality, good mood, open teaching style and relatability.
She said he understands the high school lifestyle and adds comic relief while understanding the obligations students have outside of the classroom.
He also makes himself available for college counseling.
“Mr. Strouse helped me strengthen my weakness in problem solving,” Malavade said.
The educators were even more impressed because Malavede, who is a highachieving student who plays tennis, does track and performs with the Alchemist Theatre Company, took time to write the essay.
“Students took time to put their feelings on paper [which shows that] you not only made a difference, but you made a profound difference,” said Brian Zychowski, North Brunswick superintendent of schools.
Strouse responded by saying, “These moments do make a difference for us. I feel valued and needed every day. … It does mean everything because my job is about the kids.”
Next, the local winners will aspire to be among the six regional winners from across the country, in hopes of being selected as the overall Teacher of the Year.