The Osceola School District Education Awards Ceremony took place Friday evening, March 15, 2019, at Osceola Heritage Park to honor the Osceola School District’s top teachers and employees. After honoring all the nominees, they were narrowed down to the top ten finalists in each category, Teacher of the Year and School-Related Employee of the Year. The selected finalists were chosen by judges based on their applications. Superintendent Dr. Debra Pace surprised each finalist at their work location to inform them that they were selected as one of the top ten finalists for their category.

Joseph Malfara – English III, Honors, and AP English Language and Composition at Poinciana High School, was awarded 2020 Teacher of the Year.

In recognition of his accomplishments as an outstanding educator, Joseph Malfara has been named as Osceola School District’s 2020 Teacher of the Year. Each day, he challenges students toward success at Poinciana High School as an English III, Honors, Advanced Placement English Language, and Composition Teacher.  His influence on the campus at Poinciana High School is evident at all levels, from the at-risk students to the highest achieving students.

Mr. Malfara has worked tirelessly to implement many strategies that have led to significant gains and maximize student performance on the SAT. Due to these efforts, Poinciana High has seen amazing growth from their students. The average student scores increased from 442 to 476 in his content area. They have also seen an increase in the percentage of students meeting their concordance score after their junior year, which went from 47% to 73% in just one year. In Mr. Malfara’s classroom, 78% of his students met their reading and writing graduation requirement, compared to 57% of other junior-level English classes. Much of this success is due to his students’ improved SAT skills.

“If America is the land of the opportunity, then the classroom is where that opportunity begins.”

– Joseph Malfara, 2020 Teacher of the Year

In addition, Mr. Malfara has been at the forefront of leading a mentorship group known as the “Suit Up Society,” which was developed in 2017. The group’s purpose is to mentor young men who have grown up without a positive male influence and to improve their lives academically, behaviorally, and socially. Each young man is presented with a shirt and tie from his mentor during a ceremony, where they recite a creed to uphold the values of the group. The group meets monthly to discuss challenges they face, to listen to motivational speakers, or to just gather to support one another. His involvement with his personal mentee has surpassed expectations. His mentee has raised his GPA from 2.0 to 2.46, and he has enrolled in online classes to continue to boost his GPA.

His leadership in his English Professional Learning Community has helped to drive instruction forward at his school. He is involved in a variety of school-wide programs designed to help establish and/or improve the intellectual and cultural richness of the school community. As a member of their Positive Behavior and Intervention Support team, he helps to develop support methods to benefit students and improve their behavior. He is also one of six members in the ASCEND PLC, which is a program designed to take academically-gifted students and guide them to admittance into a top 25 university upon graduation.  Mr. Malfara also inspires his students not only in the classroom but also on the athletic field as an announcer for many of the home athletic events and by posting social media inspirational messages, otherwise known as the daily “Malfaraisms.”

“I’d like to thank my students, for giving me the opportunity to teach them. You are my why, its what gets me up in the morning and lights my fire throughout the day.” – Joseph Malfara

Mr. Malfara will now represent Osceola County at the state level in the Florida Department of Education/Macy’s 2020 Teacher of the Year judging.

Joseph Malfara Nombrado Maestro del Añc 2020 del Distrito Escolar del Condado Osceola

En reconocimiento a sus logros como destacado educador, Joseph Malfara ha sido nombrado Maestro del Año 2020 del Distrito Escolar de Osceola. Cada día, él motiva a los estudiantes a alcanzar el éxito académico en Poinciana High School como maestro de Inglés III, Honor, Cursos Avanzados del Lenguaje Inglés y Composición. Su influencia en el recinto de Poinciana High School es evidente en todos los niveles, desde los estudiantes en riesgo académico hasta los estudiantes con el más alto rendimiento académico.

El Sr. Malfara ha trabajado incansablemente para implementar muchas estrategias que han conducido a avances significativos y a maximizado el desempeño de los estudiantes en elSAT. Debido a estos esfuerzos, Poinciana High ha experimentado un gran crecimiento académico en sus estudiantes. La calificación promedio de los estudiantes ha aumentado de 442 a 476 en su materia. También, se ha visto un aumento en el porcentaje de estudiantes que logran obtener la calificación concordante necesaria después del tercer año de escuela superior, el cual aumentó de 47% a 73% en tan solo un año. En el salón del Sr. Malfara, 78% de sus estudiantes cumplieron con los requisitos de graduación de lectura y escritura, comparado al 57% de otros grupos de las clases de inglés de tercer año. Gran parte de este éxito se debe al mejoramiento de las destrezas delSATde sus estudiantes.

Además, el Sr. Malfara ha estado al frente dirigiendo un grupo de mentores conocido como “Suit Up Society,” el cual fue desarrollado en el 2017. El propósito del grupo es proveer mentores a jóvenes varones que han crecido sin una influencia masculina positiva y mejorar sus vidas académicamente, en comportamiento y socialmente. Cada joven recibe de su mentor una camisa y una corbata durante una ceremonia en la que recitan su credo de mantener los valores del grupo. El grupo se reúne mensualmente para dialogar sobre los retos a los que se enfrentan, escuchar a oradores motivacionales o simplemente reunirse para apoyarse mutuamente. Su participación como mentor ha sobrepasado las expectativas. Su alumno ha aumentado su promedio general de calificaciones de 2.00 a 2.46 y se ha inscrito en cursos en línea para continuar aumentando su promedio general.

Su liderazgo en su comunidad de aprendizaje profesional de maestros de inglés ha ayudado al avance de la instrucción en su escuela. El participa en varios programas de la escuela diseñados para ayudar a establecer y/o mejorar la riqueza intelectual y cultural de la comunidad escolar. Como miembro del equipo de Intervención y Apoyo al Comportamiento Positivo, él ayuda a desarrollar métodos de apoyo que beneficien a los estudiantes y a mejorar su conducta. Él es además uno de los seis miembros de ASCEND PLC, un programa diseñado para guiar a estudiantes superdotados a ser aceptados en una de las mejores 25 universidades al graduarse de escuela superior. El Sr. Malfara también inspira a los estudiantes no solamente en el salón de clases, sino que en el campo del atletismo como anunciador en muchos de los eventos atléticos de la escuela o publicando mensajes inspiradores en las redes sociales, también conocidos como los “Malfarismos” diarios.

El Sr. Malfara representará al condado Osceola a nivel del estado en la selección de Maestro del Año 2020 del Departamento de Educación de Florida/Macy.

The following educators were named as the top ten finalists for Osceola School District’s 2020 Teacher of the Year Award:

Janine Facey – ASD at St. Cloud Middle 
Therese (Traci) Giardino  – Math at Discovery Intermediate 
Karen Gill – College and Career Counselor at Osceola County School for the Arts 
Serena Brooke Linane – Fourth and Fifth Grade ESE at Kissimmee Elementary 
Joseph Malfara – English III, Honors, and AP English Language and Composition at Poinciana High 
YoldanaPolanco – Third Grade at Mill Creek Elementary 
Stacy Seamon – Seventh and Eighth Grade Agricultural Sciences at Horizon Middle 
Tom Smalling – Digital Design at Osceola Technical College 
Jessica Stake – Elementary School Counselor at Hickory Tree Elementary 
Lynsay Woodring – Fourth Grade at Partin Settlement Elementary

Julissa Cardona  – Title I Parent Liaison at Special Programs, was awarded Osceola School District’s 2019 School-Related Employee of the Year Award! 

Julissa Cardona has been named as the 2019 School-Related Employee of the Year for the Osceola School District in recognition of her unwavering support to schools, her outstanding work ethic, and her dedication to children and their families.  For five years, she has been employed in the district’s Special Programs Department, where she currently serves as a Title 1 Parent Liaison.   Her primary focus is the creation and implementation of the Learn2Read program partnership with the Osceola County Library System and the Mommy and Me program at Cypress Elementary.

As part of the Learn2Read program, she trains over 4,000 parents and 0-2-year-old students in early childhood literacy. Parents are taught how to engage with their children and deliver educational playtime activities to stimulate early childhood development. In the Mommy and Me program, Ms. Cardona trains 1,500 mothers and helps to prepare three-year-old students to enter pre-kindergarten.  Thanks to her expertise and care, these successful programs have expanded from one to five different library branches, and continue to be the highest attended programs offered at each location.  Julissa champions parent engagement in education on a daily basis and serves as an important and respected resource for the parents and children in our community.

Superintendent Dr. Debra Pace will now proudly forward her nomination on to the Florida Department of Education for consideration for the State’s 2019 School-Related Employee of the Year Award.

 Julissa Cardona Nombrada Empleada Escolar del Año 2019 del Distrito Escolar de Osceola

Julissa Cardona ha sido nombrada Empleada Escolar del Año 2019 del Distrito Escolar de Osceola en reconocimiento a su constante apoyo a las escuelas, su sobresaliente ética de trabajo y su dedicación a los niños y sus familias. Por cinco años, ha sido empleada en el Departamento de Programas Especiales del distrito, en donde actualmente sirve como Enlace para Padres de Título I. Su enfoque principal es la creación e implementación del programa Learn2Read en colaboración con el Sistema de Bibliotecas del Condado Osceola y el programa Mommy and Meen Cypress Elementary.

Como parte del programa Learn2Read, ella entrena a más de 4,000 padres y estudiantes entre las edades de 0-2 años en alfabetización de la primera infancia. Se les enseña a los padres cómo participar con sus hijos y realizar actividades y juegos educativos para estimular el desarrollo en la primera infancia. En el programa Mommy and Me, la Sra. Cardona entrena a 1,500 madres y ayuda a preparar estudiantes de 3 años de edad para entrar a pre kindergarten. Gracias a su experiencia y cuidado, estos exitosos programas se han ampliado de una a cinco sucursales de la biblioteca y continúan siendo los programas de mayor asistencia ofrecidos en cada localización. Julissa impulsa diariamente la participación de los padres en la educación y sirve como un importante y respetado recurso para los padres y niños en nuestra comunidad.

La Superintendente Dra. Debra Pace orgullosamente enviará la nominación al Departamento de Educación de Florida para ser considerada para el premio de Empleado Escolar del Año 2019 del Estado.

The following employees were named as the top ten finalists for Osceola School District’s 2019 School-Related Employee of the Year Award:

Kim Abaloz – Cafeteria Manager at Celebration K-8 
Gary Bledsoe – Custodian at Mill Creek Elementary 
Julissa Cardona  – Title I Parent Liaison at Special Programs
Melissa Carpenter – Accounting Clerk I in the Student Services Department 
Lisa Kemp – Paraprofessional at Narcoossee Middle 
Felisa Lewis – Parent Liaison at Chestnut Elementary School for Science and Engineering 
Miriam Medina  – Secretary at Boggy Creek Elementary 
Iris Rodriguez – Bookkeeper at Poinciana High 
Luz Skerrett – Secretary in the Finance Department 
Ashly Stokes – Accountant I in Facilities Department

Special thank you to all of the sponsors, especially the Platinum Sponsors which include Moss & AssociatesDisney World, and Starling Chevrolet Buick GMC. This special event wouldn’t take place if it wasn’t for you.

Congratulations and thank you to all of the nominees and the finalists! It’s with passionate and dedicated individuals like you that the children of Osceola County will have a bright future. Thank you for making a positive difference in our schools and throughout the community.