Author Archives: Terry Lee Marzell
NYC English teacher Diandra D’Amico garners 2023-2024 Big Apple Award
High school English teacher Diandra D’Amico has earned a 2023-2024 Big Apple Award from the New York City Department of Education. Photo credit: Diandra D’Amico
New York City is very proud of their public school teachers. In fact, city leaders regularly recognize exceptional educators with their annual Big Apple Award. For the 2023-2024 school year, one of the educators honored was Diandra D’Amico, an English Language Arts teacher from Pelham, New York.
For the past two years, Diandra has taught English/Language Arts at Harvey Milk High School in Manhattan. Previously she taught for the New York City Department of Education and worked as a private tutor.
Diandra takes her role as a teacher and role model very seriously. “My time as an educator has led me to dig deeper into understanding how the brain, mind, heart and body integrate to create meaning in our lives and, by extension, how we contribute to the world around us,” Diandra declares. “My greatest hope is to instill in my students a love and passion for learning. I maintain a youthful and naive belief that we are all capable of changing the world by starting with one life,” she says.
Diandra earned her Bachelor’s degree in English from Haverford College in 2003. She earned her Masters degree in English Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, in 2006.
This year, the Big Apple Award was presented to 49 superlative New York City teachers. Each one was nominated by their principal for work in the profession that inspires students, models great teaching, and enriches school communities. The recipients were chosen through a rigorous selection process that includes community nominations, principal recommendations, classroom visits, an interview, and a review by a board of judges. To learn more about the program and this year’s recipients, click on this link to Big Apple Awards.
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Teacher Eve Balfour helped save a Jewish life during WWII
Eve Balfour, a world languages teacher in Maryland, helped save a Jewish woman’s life when the Nazis occupied Poland during World War II. Photo credit: US Holocaust Memorial
Throughout history, there are many remarkable educators who have performed deeds of heroism. One of these Chalkboard Champions is Eve Kristine Vetulani Balfour, a world languages teacher in Baltimore, Maryland. During World War II, she helped save a Jewish woman’s life from the Nazis when they occupied Poland.
Born a Catholic in Krakow, Poland. Her father was a professor at Jagiellonian University and her mother was a homemaker. As a young girl, before the outbreak of WWII, Eve studied several foreign languages in gymnasium, the European equivalent of high school.
Eve was born into a family that abhorred the Nazi regime. During the war, the Vetulanis adopted a Jewish woman, thereby saving her from the Nazis. In 1942, after the Germans invaded and occupied Poland, Eve was captured and forced to work in Nazi slave labor camps. Although her life there was difficult, her knowledge of languages saved her life, because she was more valuable to the Germans as a translator and interpreter than as a slave laborer. Fortunately, she was liberated from the Nordhausen labor camp by the Allies in 1945.
After the war, Eve became a displaced person. She was able to secure a position as a translator for US Army intelligence and was stationed in Frankfurt, Germany. She also enrolled in classes at Frankfurt University. In 1950, she immigrated to the United States. Upon her arrival, she first enrolled at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. After moving to Maryland, she graduated from Frostburg State Teachers College in 1962, and in 1966 she earned her Master’s degree in French from Middlebury College, Vermont.
For over 25 years Eve worked as an instructor of French, German, and Spanish at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore, Maryland. She retired from the teaching profession in 1988. Able to speak Polish, Russian, German, Spanish, French, and Italian, Eve translated historical documents for the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, after her retirement. She also worked for the Red Cross at their Tracing Bureau, assisting efforts to re-unite Holocaust survivors with their families.
Eve Balfour passed away in 2004 at the age of 79, but she will always be remembered as a true Chalkboard Champion. To read more about her, see this article about her published by the United States Holocaust Memorial.
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A visit to Boston’s Old North Church offers a great learning opportunity
Hal Marzell examines a statue of Paul Revere in the shadow of the steeple of Boston’s Old North Church. Photo credit: Terry Lee Marzell
Most teachers would agree that travel, in addition to being fun and intellectually stimulating, is one of the most meaningful learning experiences available for both themselves and their students. And summer vacation is a great opportunity for travel! Recently, my husband and I returned from a vacation to Boston, Massachusetts. There we visited many sites of historical significance. One of them was the Old North Church, a site of historical significance since our nation’s Colonial times.
Constructed in 1723, the Old North Church is the oldest standing church building in the city of Boston. The place is famous for its role in Paul Revere’s midnight ride, which took place on April 18, 1775. That night, the church’s sexton, Robert Newman, hung a signal lantern in the steeple which put Revere and other Colonial rebels on alert that British troops were on the move against the patriots. “One of by land, two if by sea,” says Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his famous 1860 poem about the event. The event precipitated the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which launched the American Revolution.
The Old North Church is famous for its role in Paul Revere’s midnight ride, which precipitated the first battles of the Revolutionary War. Photo credit: Terry Lee Marzell
Today, the Old North Church is one of 17 stops along the Freedom Trail, a two-and-a-half mile path that traces landmarks related to the birth of our nation. You and your students could benefit greatly from a stroll along this trail, and if you are able to do so in person, and a stop at this church is an absolute must. The church is located at 193 Salem Street in Boston, and there is an entrance fee of $5 per person to enter. If you are unable to escort your class in person, you can encourage your students to consult this official website, The Old North Church, or direct them to this website developed by The Freedom Trail Foundation.
No matter how you choose to explore this historic location, I wish you happy learning!
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Explore the New Massachusetts State House, in person or virtually
One of the best ways to create meaningful experiential learning experiences is travel. A great place to travel to is Boston, Massachusetts. In a city full of historical sites and fascinating museums, one of the most interesting is the New Massachusetts State House. Any state capitol building is fun to tour—and we have been to several of them—but the Massachusetts State House is one of the most beautiful, and is particularly steeped in early American history, so I would encourage teachers and students to visit this one especially.
The Greek Revival-inspired architecture and the golden dome of the New Massachusetts State House in Boston is graced by the equestrian statue honoring Civil War hero General Joseph Hooker. Photo credit: Terry Lee Marzell
The New Massachusetts State House is one of the oldest state capitol buildings currently in use. The structure, designed by 19th-century American architect Charles Bulfinch, is considered a masterpiece of Federal architecture and among this architect’s finest works. In fact, the building was designated a national Historic Landmark for its architectural significance.
Located on the summit of Beacon Hill, the State House is easily recognizable by its Greek Revival-inspired architecture and its beautiful golden dome. The dome was originally constructed of wood, which was later covered in copper by Paul Revere in 1802. In 1874, the dome was covered in a very thin layer of gold leaf, and that’s what gives it such a brilliant hue. Numerous statues of Massachusetts heroes can be found on the grounds, including an equestrian statue of General Joseph Hooker, a Civil War hero who fought on the Union side, and a bronze sculpture of President John F. Kennedy.
This beautiful House of Representatives chamber in the New Massachusetts State House is graced by lovely wood paneling and spectacular decorative elements. Photo credit: Terry Lee Marzell
The location of state government for over 200 years, the New Massachusetts State House is also a museum reflecting the history of the Commonwealth since it early beginnings in colonial times. The structure features nine historic spaces, including the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate. Also highlighted are paintings, sculptures, stained-glass windows, artifacts, and decorative arts commemorating the people and events that helped to shape not only the Massachusetts Commonwealth, but also the nation.
The New State House is well worth a visit, but if it is not possible to escort your students on an in-person visit, you can encourage them to explore this excellent online virtual tour of the facility.
Whether you travel to the New Massachusetts State House in person or virtually, I wish you and your students happy learning!
