Farmingdale School District Honored at SCOPE Awards

Farmingdale Schools Superintendent John Lorentz announced this week that Fine Arts Director Rita Zirpolo-Padden and district Board President Shari Bardash-Eivers were honored at 12th Annual SCOPE School District Awards Dinner.

Ms. Zirpolo-Padden was presented with SCOPE’s Award for Excellence in Administrator Service. Ms. Bardash-Eivers was honored with a School Board Service Award. 

The winning recipients have collectively served the Farmingdale School District for 29 years.

“We’re extremely proud of Rita and Shari on their remarkable achievements,”  Lorentz said. “Rita has been extremely dedicated to incorporating high-level fine arts programs into our curriculum and Shari has led a collaborative effort among the board to maintain the highest level of education possible for our students.”

Rita Zirpolo-Padden joined the Farmingdale School District in 1992 as a music teacher and was promoted to the District’s Director of Fine Arts in 1995.  Throughout her tenure, Zirpolo-Padden has played an integral role in developing many of the District’s music and art curriculum. Zirpolo-Padden has incorporated culturally-rich performance plays at the middle and high school levels, integrated high school marching band performances at football games and increased student participation in arts and music programs.

She was the 2012 recipient of the Town of Oyster Bay Woman of Distinction Award.

Shari Bardash-Eivers was appointed to the Farmingdale School District Board of Education in 2005 and was elected President in 2006.  Since being elected, Bardash-Eivers has been committed to the academic growth of every student within the District and is proactive in the District’s policy and fiscal oversight decision-making process. 

Bardash-Eivers is a regular attendee at each school’s PTA monthly meetings and is often seen at Farmingdale School District events supporting students.  In addition, Bardash-Eivers is a member of the District Audit Committee, District Wellness Committee and Universal Pre-K Committee.