Schools

Foundation Honoree: Michael Kovalyk, YAHS Social Studies Teacher

Michael Kovalyk will be honored at the district's annual Foundation for Excellence in Yorktown Education fundraiser this week

 teacher Michael Kovalyk is one of six school district staff members who  at the annual Foundation for Excellence in Yorktown Education fundraiser next week.

Kovalyk has been working at the school district since September, 2005.

In his nomination letter, Yorktown Alternative High School principal James Emmanuel described Kovalyk as a student centered, curriculum driven teacher who is constantly searching for new and improved tools to foster student success.

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"He has taken a lead role in the YAHS PBIS program specifically in the area of how students can be rewarded for positive behaviors," Emmanuel said. "He also plays an important role in the YAHS fund raising for United for the Troops. Mike [Kovalyk] encourages all the students at YAHS to become actively involved in school and the Yorktown community."

Patch caught up with Michael Kovalyk to ask him about the honor he is receiving from the school district.

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Patch: What do you enjoy the most about your job?

Michael Kovalyk: I’ve had jobs in the past, but teaching is career that comes with a tremendous responsibility that goes beyond the daily grind of having a job. Being around students who have a desire to understand the world around them and helping them reach their potential is the most enjoyable part of being a professional educator. Most educators have dedicated themselves to being lifelong learners and mastering their content. 

The district has created many opportunities for teachers to access a wide variety of resources and ultimately enhance their performance in the classroom. Most educators including myself have become more valuable from year to year and appreciate the fact that the Yorktown Congress of Teachers and the administrative staff have provided opportunities to do so.

Patch: What have been the highlights of your experience at the Yorktown schools?

Michael Kovalyk: The students in the classroom and my colleagues on the staff and faculty level; we all work together to promote student success. Near everything in this world revolves around working relationships and I am glad to have met so many good people here in Yorktown.

Patch: Why do you think you were chosen as a representative from your school? What does the honor mean to you?

Michael Kovalyk: Tough to say. This year’s theme was Character Education and working up at the alternative high school demands that you look for individual potential with some closer scrutiny, be flexible in your approach to education and maintain a steadfast and rigorous approach to content and instruction. This honor is a reminder of the tremendous responsibility placed on educators to form social relationships with young learners.

Patch: What do you consider your biggest accomplishment at the district so far? What have you been a pioneer of?

Michael Kovalyk: There is no greater accomplishment than seeing a student go from a point in their life where they were struggling socially, emotionally and academically to a point where they graduated from high school become engaged in higher education, trade school, or structured employment and had come back years later to say thanks.

When they do return, the school staff is quick to inquire as to what brought them back. Their response usually revolves around a lesson or a point in time where they began to view their life and the world around them more optimistically, inadvertently telling us that the ideas promoted here had set them on a new course. When students come back and show appreciation for our efforts, it’s a reminder that every second of teacher-student contact both in and out of the classroom, through content and conversation, counts tremendously towards their character.  

Patch: Is there anything else you would like to ad?

Michael Kovalyk: In my opinion, this year’s award of character education belongs to every staff member at the Alternative High School along with everyone who has supported our mission. Huge thanks to Jim Emmanuel for being an outstanding administrator and exemplifying what character education means. Huge thanks to Jane Amato for exemplifying instruction in Science and helping transition the content into social studies instruction; Huge thanks to John Johnson for helping bring literature based creativity to the school environment, Huge thanks to John Mckenna for helping fuse technology into the social studies classroom, Huge thanks to Lisette Gonzalez and Penny Jones for all their help with counseling at risk students, and to Patricia Richardson for promoting student respect and cooperation while fostering a supportive environment for students and staff. 

I'd also like to thank the professionals in the Physical Education department for trucking up their resources and doing their best to maintain a solid program with limited resources. Big thanks to Adam Lodewick, Steve Vetieri, Katie Sherwood.  

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