Foligno Named New Britain Teacher of the Year
By Editor at May 16, 2024 | 9:00 am | Print
Andrea Foligno, a third grade teacher at Gaffney Elementary School in New Britain, has been named the Consolidated School District of New Britain’s Teacher of the Year.
According to Gaffney Elementary School Principal Lisa Eells, Foligno distinguishes herself from all other teachers in her connectedness to all students, especially those with atypical needs.
Foligno is credited with helping a student with significant physical and intellectual disabilities blossom over the past two years.
“Over the past two years, this student emerged from being a barely verbal, unsocialized student to being a reader, a writer, and a talkative conversationalist who is sought out as a friend,” Eells said. “As she does with so many students. Mrs. Foligno was able to reach inside this student, connect fully with who the child truly is inside, and draw her out.”
Foligno is a leader at Gaffney by example and practice. She is a strong teacher who believes that her students can be successful and meet their potential, regardless of their diverse backgrounds, income levels and varied abilities. Despite having many students with special needs assigned to her classroom this year, Mrs. Foligno’s NWEA (standardized test) scores show some of the greatest and most impressive growth in the school.
Foligno is close to finishing her administrative certification and has completed valuable projects this year that connected parents more closely to her school. She supports the monthly Principal Coffee Hours by seeking food donations and making coffee, has established a strong and diverse parent volunteer network, is supporting the new PTO at Gaffney, and will work with parents to increase participation in the computer-based parent survey this spring.
