NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH — Superintendent John Antonucci is pleased to report that several members of the North Attleborough Public Schools were honored at a local Rotary event this week.
NAPS school nurses and Roosevelt School teacher Elizabeth Schofield were presented with awards at the 36th annual Distinguished Service Awards banquet, sponsored by the North Attleborough/Plainville Rotary Club. The event was held Monday, March 21 at the Heather Hill Country Club in Plainville.
In keeping with Rotary International’s motto of “Service Above Self,” the North Attleborough/Plainville Rotary Club honors individuals/groups each year for their contributions to the local community. Awards are presented in the categories of Outstanding Citizen, Outstanding Youth, Outstanding Public Employee, Outstanding Educator and Outstanding Senior Citizen.
The North Attleborough Public Schools were honored in two of the categories this year:
North Attleboro Public Schools Nurses – Outstanding Public Employees
The North Attleborough school nurses are the first group of this size to be nominated for a Distinguished Service Award as Outstanding Public Employees. They were described as an “amazing group of professionals who have served the community in extraordinary ways during the pandemic.”
As head nurse Melissa Badger said, “This pandemic has taught people what school nurses really do, and it’s not just giving out Band-Aids.”
As each nurse added their thoughts regarding the last two years and how much receiving this award meant to them, there were common themes of “friendship,” “cooperation,” “collaboration” and “unity.” While some of the town’s school nurses were barely acquainted prior to the pandemic, they have become extremely close since. They rely on and trust one another for collaboration, guidance and reinforcement.
Other than planned retirements, not a single nurse left during the pandemic and they all continued to show up for work every day as much as possible.
Throughout the last two years, the nursing staff has provided parents with not only information, but also reassurance during uncertain times. From the onset, the nurses helped run a call center that served as an educational resource for the community, and they soon started collaborating with other organizations in town including the police department to make sure that contract tracing was properly done and everyone was up to date on current protocols.
At times, nurses were testing over 400 students per day in the district. Individual nurses were often balancing overwhelming numbers of telephone calls, while also trying to contract trace, often for approximately 30 students per day. They often had to deliver unpleasant news to parents, and took the process in stride. The nurses also had the challenge of working with students and their families who struggled with pandemic-related mental health issues, resulting from isolation, disruptions to typical routines and twice the typical number of students being treated at mental health residential centers. This was all on top of doing their “usual” work with students on a day-to-day basis.
Nurses honored included: Melissa Badger (the town’s lead nurse), Erin Weeman, Shannon McKeon, Anne Sandland, Abby LeCompte, Brenda Pilozzi, Kerri Gaudette, Joanne MacDonald, Darlene Giusti, Stephanie Logan, Christine Walls, Donna Ciccolella, Kelli Juergens, Sandy Thom, Nicole DeVellis and Susan Coady.
Elizabeth Schofield – Outstanding Educator
Schofield is a fifth-grade teacher at Roosevelt Avenue Elementary School. It was her fifth-grade teacher at Martin Elementary School who inspired her to leave her career in business to pursue a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Education.
Schofield has consistently risen to the challenge of educating students during the pandemic. Her commitment and dedication have been noticed by her peers and students, and is described as an inspirational educator.
She adjusted her teaching strategy to effectively teach her students remotely and has creatively revamped her curriculum. She motivates her peers and students to continually strive for progress and growth. Her devotion to her students, love of the profession and commitment to making a difference in her students’ lives make her a perfect choice for this award.
“On behalf of an entire appreciative district, I congratulate Elizabeth and our school nurses on their awards,” Superintendent Antonucci said. “One is a perfect example of a group of healthcare professionals who stepped up and cared for our students in extraordinary ways, and the other is a passionate teacher who makes a difference in her students’ lives every day. I can’t think of more deserving recipients for the Outstanding Public Employee and Outstanding Educator awards.”
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