South Huntington School District Names Its 2024-25 Teacher Of The Year

SOUTH HUNTINGTON, NY — The South Huntington School District honored its 2024-2025 Teachers of the Year at a special Board of Education meeting at Walt Whitman High School on Jan. 22, the district announced.

The Performing Arts Center auditorium was filled with faculty and staff from the district’s seven schools ready to celebrate the winner from their building, plus the one exceptional educator chosen as the District’s Teacher of the Year.

Eileen Damato won South Huntington’s Teacher of the Year.

Damato has been teaching in the district for 22 years. Since 2009, she’s been at Stimson Middle school as a special education Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) teacher in english and social studies. ICT classes are taught by two teachers, one general education and one special education teacher.

The teachers work together as a team to adapt and integrate instruction so all their students, including those who require special education services, can successfully learn the grade-level curriculum. Damato was also honored as Stimson’s Teacher of the Year.

Stimson principal Michael Duggan called Damato "an exemplary special education teacher…who has profoundly impacted countless lives."

Her colleagues praise her "dedication, compassion, and unwavering commitment" to her students.

Her students love her "calm but bubbly personality," and they appreciate that she makes them feel good about what they achieve, in turn, helping them feel good about themselves.

In accepting the district’s Teacher of the Year award, Damato thanked all her colleagues and students for helping her become the educator she is today.

"This means the world to me," Damato said. "I have had success in teaching curriculum, but I believe I received this award for role modeling kindness, patience, flexibility and respect. It means so much to me as I now see people do recognize those qualities as being of the utmost importance. I adore the students and they see that I am sincere in wanting what is best for them."

The South Huntington School District has been recognizing Teachers of the Year since 1987.

In his congratulatory remarks, Superintendent Dr. Vito D’Elia said, "We have the privilege of honoring the teachers who have gone above and beyond to ignite a love of learning and a passion for tackling the unknown by creating an environment where every child feels valued and capable of achieving greatness. As we reflect on our centennial and look towards the future, let us reaffirm our commitment to supporting and celebrating our teachers."

The district’s individual school Teachers of the Year are Rena Sanicola, Countrywood Primary Center (1st and 2nd grade); Christine Le Claire, Oakwood Primary Center (Library Media Specialist); Carolyn Crofton, Birchwood Intermediate School (ENL); Anissa Rasdall, Maplewood Intermediate School (ICT/5th grade); Elaine McEntee, Silas Wood Sixth Grade Center (Science); Eileen Damato, Stimson Middle School (Special Education/ICT); and Carrie Eastwood, Walt Whitman High School (Special Education-Living Environment).