Bruins Honor Stoneham Educator With Teacher Of The Month Award

STONEHAM, MA — A Stoneham educator won recognition from the Boston Bruins in recent weeks as the team’s November Teacher of the Month, Stoneham Schools Superintendent David Ljungberg announced on Monday.

Stoneham Central Middle School STEM Teacher Ashley Puopolo was selected for the honor.

Bruins left winger AJ Greer then visited the school on Nov. 30 as part of the program, spending time working on hockey-related STEM labs and puzzles with students, as noted in Ljungberg’s announcement. Greer held a question-and-answer session, signed autographs and posed for photos with students.

"All of us at Stoneham Public Schools are proud of Ms. Puopolo for this well-deserved achievement," Ljungberg said. "Ms. Puopolo's passion for STEM and her commitment to project-based learning is a benefit to all of her students and our entire school community.”

Bruins Teacher of the Month selections are part of the NHL’s larger Future Goals program. The program aims to help strengthen STEM skills using hockey and online programming.

With nine years of experience teaching STEM, Puopolo also serves as the coach of the Stoneham Public Schools Robotics Team.

She had been using a Future Goals online program dubbed EVERFI Hockey Scholars in her STEM lessons prior to her selection as Bruins Teacher of the Month.

She noted appreciation for programs like the Future Goals initiative, which she said help engage students in science and math concepts through a “high-interest” topic such as sports.

“The students themselves are the best part of teaching," Puopolo continued in comments last week. "They make work a fun place to be."

Ljungberg last week thanked the Bruins and Future Goals for helping recognize Puopolo.

Learn more about Future Goals here.