Ms. Fernandes: I have been a violinist for the past eight years of my life and I have never been so immersed in an orchestra class before. She has this passion for playing music and has ultimately passed on that passion to me. Throughout freshman year, I was part of the lower level of the group never really thinking I could play any better. However, Ms. Fernandes has always seen the potential in my playing and constantly pushed me to keep practicing and motivate me to better myself as a violinist. Now I am part of the highest level in the orchestra and I am honestly very happy that she pushed me to get to where I am now. Ms Fernandes has always made me feel like I belong in the orchestra and has taken time to grow personal relationships with her students.

 Mrs. Leason should be recognized because last year she was understanding about me needing an extra day to get my work done because I had a long shift the same night it was assigned. She was also there for me when my family and I hit a rough patch.

 Mr. Kennedy: Mr. Kennedy is by far one of the most educated, passionate, and devoted teachers at Eastern. Anything he is teaching is instantly more interesting because of how obviously enthralled in it he is. He should also be recognized for going above and beyond every Friday and giving a General Information Quiz (GIQ) on current events and general knowledge. He has been doing this since at least the 80’s and often compares responses from quizes which he keeps from each year.

 Mr. Michael Fulton: Anyone who has had this man as a teacher knows he’s the quirkiest, most passionate, and most effective teachers at Eastern. It’s difficult to find someone so connected to his students and their growth, while still maintaining that atmosphere of a Spirit Halloween store.

Mr. Bowne: There is no other teacher in this school that is as invested in his students and their success as Mr. Bowne. He’s completely devoted to his students, and he goes above and beyond to ensure his students are prepared for AP exams, yes, but more importantly for life. He listens to each of his students and fosters close-knit relationships with them, acting as a confidant when students need one the most. I trust every word that Mr. Bowne has ever told me, and it’s never led me anywhere but to success. I owe most of my high school career to this man, and something tells me I’ll owe a lot of my future to him and his advice as well.

 Mr. Patton: Mr. Patton’s quirky sense of humor and his passion for chemistry make the class enjoyable and fun. He is committed to helping his students, staying after school and during lunch numerous days to answer questions, clarify concepts, or simply have a good conversation. Even while stressing the importance of AP test preparation and equilibrium constants, he still manages to keep class interesting with stories of his youth and homemade fudge made especially for the class.

Mrs. Bradley should be recognized for the endless amount of hours she spends writing out work to post for her students as a guide. She gives her students many opportunities to do well in her class by supplying a lot of material. In addition, Mrs.Bradley gives the students many opportunities to receive extra help by being available during lunch or after school. She also keeps the class attentive and focused by asking questions and having the students participate. Her devotion and generosity towards her students should not go unnoticed.

Mr. Patton: Mr. Patton, who is a first year teacher at this school, has shown great care for his students and their performance in the class. He sacrifices most of his afternoon weekdays in order to help students understand Chemistry better. One time, he ordered pizza for a whole group of us, which was very nice. I feel like Patton hears what students have to say and can recognize their struggles and help them through it when school gets difficult. His sense of humor also makes the class not only educational, but fun. If you have Patton as a teacher, he will make sure it is a fun and enjoyable learning experience for all.

Mr. Gulbin should be recognized because he cares for his students and cares for the athletes he coaches. He is also there to here my school complaints or help me with basketball. He has given me lots of advice about college and he is one of the funniest teachers at Eastern.

 Ms. Machotka – A shoutout to Ms. Machotka for always caring about her students. From providing a friendly hello in the hallway to always being willing to help students, Ms. Machotka is a wonderful teacher who goes above and beyond.

Mr. Mercurio: He should be recognized for being such a great teacher, he always tries his best to make it as easy as possible for us to understand the material and tries his hardest to help us and provide us with the means to succeed. He also is really easy to talk to and is good at being relatable to his students and cares about the things that go on in our lives

Mr. Bowne: Within my three dreadful years in high school, I have never met a teacher who makes the classroom more engaging, inviting, and a positive environment for students. On the first day of class Mr. Bowne said “You should do at least one thing that scares you each day, and that just may be this class.” One never knows what to expect when entering Mr. Bowne’s classroom: group discussions, a dance party to get students out of their comfort zones, him dressed up as Hamilton, the list goes on! In addition, Mr. Bowne truly cares for his students and their success and that is not something that every teacher is fully invested in. I’m glad to know that when I walk into Mr. Bownes classroom, that I’m with a teacher who cares about my education, future, and enjoyment in his class.

 Mr. Boland: Throughout the three years I’ve known him, and for all the stupid questions I’ve asked, he has always been there for an answer. Staying nights, and days planning numerous tasks for the wrestling team has made him the hard-working coach the team respects. Instead of constant practices, and normal routines other sports do, he pushes the boundaries as a coach. Making us do mindset practices, watch videos, do countless variations of practice, open himself to any questions about wrestling or anything else. Always happy, and more at times a realist makes him the person I aspire the most. He is truly one in a million.

Mr. Case teaches art and special needs students and is one of the most caring, accommodating teachers I’ve ever had. His encouragement and love for teaching makes every ordinary student feel like an artist.

Mrs. Reina: Señora Reina is one of the most kind, understanding teachers I have ever encountered in my years as being a student. She never fails to pour out her empathy and love to her students, even if it is in ways that typically go unnoticed. While her class can present challenges, at the same time it is a constant motivation and necessary push to further one’s knowledge and experience with the language. Personally, I find it rather difficult to feel close to teachers. However, Señora truly does blanket her students with an appreciation and understanding that sometimes I even fail to do for those I love. Her bright personality and consistent desire to lighten up the classroom has granted me an unfamiliar sense of comfort that I have come to deeply appreciate and respect.

Ms. Palmer: As the sole teacher of every Gifted and Talented class in this school, Ms. Palmer has a lot to manage, but in all my time of being her student, I have never seen her give up from the pressure. She is one the most brave, intelligent, and kind teachers I have ever had, and the more involved you are in GT (through its branches like Model UN), the more you learn how much she cares about each of her students. It is through Ms. Palmer that I was able to receive the criticism I needed to hear (even if I was sad at the time), and she has continued to help me grow into a more confident student that can make his voice heard. There are few teachers who will prepare students for what is in their future, but I can always know that her door is open with any questions I might have.

Mrs. Bosworth: My sophomore year, I was lucky enough to be one of the students put with Mrs. Bosworth in guidance. Ever since, she has been my talk down from a hard test, biggest supporter, and an amazing resource for anything and everything. But, it’s not just me who benefits from her care; if I am ever in her office when another one of her students stops by, she knows their name and usually their issue even before they say a word. I have never met another teacher who takes the time to form relationships with so many students and takes time to focus on all kind of students, whether they are having a problem she is required to be involved with or not. -Emma Gubman

Ms. Fernandes: Every morning and lunch period, Mrs. Fernandez opens her doors to allow students, whether they are part of the orchestra or not, to use her room to hang out, talk, work, or study. Although we, as a group, are certainly not quiet or perfect angels, she lets us talk loudly, study frantically, and complain incessantly, all to a point of course. During her rehearsals, we are allowed to be in the room still and have a place to belong. All the while, she interacts with us and shows us videos and music she believes we would be interested in. I have felt welcomed from the day I walked in with my friends in orchestra due to her.

Mr. Thompson: Every day I look forward to history, and Mr. Thompson is a big part of that. The way he teaches challenges me and helps me understand US history better than I ever have before. He’s also very open to class discussions and entertains every person’s opinion on a certain topic. In addition, he has been very helpful in helping me prepare for the upcoming AP exam. Even though I do not take his AP class, he has given me lots of resources to study from and really helped me understand what to expect on the exam. I am very thankful for what he’s done to help me with the AP exam and history in general.

Mr. Bowne: Throughout my entire high school career, Mr. Bowne has been (hands down) the best teacher I have ever had. While others teachers I’ve had aren’t even willing to properly learn their students’ names, Mr. Bowne establishes a personal and close relationship with each of his students. He also welcomes feedback from his students as he always encourages them to leave comments in his comment box. Mr. Bowne understands the stress of high school and the large amount of assignments teachers give. When his students have too many assignments due on the same day as his deadlines, Mr. Bowne will often push back his own deadlines so his students don’t have one more assignment to stress over. Mr. Bowne’s funny personality and great care for his students are greatly make his class an enjoyable learning experience.

Mr. Trinkner: Mr. Trinkner, one of the world history teachers, is one of the best in the school. He makes each of his lessons interesting. Almost every class, he has an activity prepared on the iPad. For every test or quiz, he creates a Quizlet to help us study. Also, he cares about his students and their grades. Mr. Trinkner deserves more recognition.

Mrs. Vaccaro: Mrs. Vaccaro’s sarcastic commentary and jokes always make me laugh. As an accelerated math student, she understands what we struggle with in math and shows us different methods that make it easier to comprehend the math we are learning. Plus, she started taking random survey questions from us to liven up class time and even tests so that we are not just sitting at our desks for 50 minutes learning constantly about math.

Mr. Isshak: He had a charity for an orphanage in Egypt and helped with their funds. We could pour in some money in a jar in his class, which then he would double that amount and send it off. He’s very kind, (hard class), but he’s considerate, fair and always pushes for honesty. If you do something bad, he’ll sit and listen to your reasons behind your actions. He also cares about studies and hands out essays on tests and study guides.

Mr. Bowne: Throughout my entire high school career I have never met such a dedicated and passionate teacher, such as Mr. Bowne. Through Mr. Bowne’s amusing characters, sporadic imitations and short life stories, I have learned so much. Because of the amazing writers he had his students read and study, I have fallen in love with Fitzgerald even more, Emerson, Thoreau, and my all time favorite Walt Whitman. Mr. Bowne inspired me to write better, to share my story, to become a true scholar, and to find myself through literature. Literature was not just something you study, its something you feel, enjoy, appreciate, and discover things you never knew about the world or yourself. It was because of Mr. Bowne that I am better at coping through my depression and am able to show who I truly am in his class. I found the courage to come out to his class, which I would have never been able to do if it were not for his assignment the “song of myself” poem. That experienced affected me greatly and helped me lift a huge weight off my shoulders. He inspires me and makes me want to become the best and truest form of myself, to help change the world, and to find happiness now and in the future. He is a true inspiration and I appreciate him very much. A few years from now, I hope to come back and tell him of how much his lectures and teachings have affected me so positively. He is such an amazing English teacher who does not realize his power. To me he will be a teacher, a mentor, a motivator, and an inspirer who helped me change for the better and who will be one of my favorite memories.

Mr. Berezansky: Everyone who has had Mr. B knows why he deserves a shout out. He is such a good natured, kind, and caring teacher. He has a good relationship with all of his students and is can joke around during class without sacrificing the quality of his teaching; he makes sure everyone understands his lessons.

Mr. Mercurio: Throughout my three years of latin, Mercurio has been a kind-hearted teacher always willing to listen and always supportive. He makes sure to maintain a good relationship with every student while making class a fun and enjoyable experience. Always understanding and always ready to help, he only wishes to see you try and give it your best. When I’ve called upon him for his help in the past, he’s always been ready and more than willing to help.

Mr. Patton: Teaching is one of the hardest jobs in the world. Teaching complex subjects like AP chemistry is even more difficult considering the limited time and resources a high school setting affords. When I learned a new teacher was going to be handling AP Chemistry this year, I didn’t know what to expect. But from day one, Mr. Patton was everything you would expect from a teacher. His genuine interest in the material was evident through his “Daily Science News” segment of the class. His sense of humor always kept students entertained. Whenever a student needed extra help, Mr. Patton ensured he would stay as long as needed to help the student succeed. I believe Mr. Patton deserves some recognition because the passion and effort he pours into his profession is rare.

Mr. Tapper: “Oh yeah” he shouts as we finish our lesson on vectors. *shuffles across the room to give tissues to the person who had been having trouble with a test* This is simply one of the best teachers I’ve had. Passionate about what he does, and caring when it comes to each and every person he’s teaching.

 Ms. Stafford: Ms. Stafford helps all of her students understand the topics we are learning. Whenever I have a question about an equation or problem she always pulls out a piece of paper and explains how to set it up. She makes sure that I understand how to find the answer or that I understand why the answer to a problem is correct. She helps her students prepare for upcoming tests and gives us the materials that we need to do well. She understands that we have a lot of work in other classes and sometimes moves the tests around so that we do not have two big tests on the same day.

Mrs. Pomerantz: An amazing teacher and an overall great human being. She gets out of her way to ensure her students succeed no matter how much they don’t care about her class or school. Her jokes of the day are so corny, they make you laugh. Her sudden switches to a British accent in the middle of teaching, witty comments, and adjustments of her glasses from straight to crooked in in the middle of class are among her many efforts to make the class more fun, and, needless to say, they work. If there are any issues her students seem to have outside the classroom, she is there to help and provide the wisest advices to solve them.

Ms. DeCoursey: Ms. DeCoursey is such a kind and supportive teacher and coach. Personally, she helped me with the transition from middle school to high school. Always working to make an activity enjoyable and meaningful, she should be recognized for her efforts.