Dr. Patricia O’Regan, Principal of Saltzman East Memorial, was honored with the Region 2 Administrator of the Year Award by the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS).
“Dr. O'Regan works with the staff at Saltzman East Memorial Elementary School to create and maintain a school community that supports teachers and embraces our diverse student population,” said Saltzman East Memorial Assistant Principal Anjany Smar. “We celebrate growth and develop detailed plans together to help students make the progress that we know they are capable of making.”
SAANYS Administrator of the Year Award recognizes any administrator in Region 2 who has rendered exceptional service on behalf of education. Dr. O’Regan’s work with the Summer Literacy Camp over the last five years was highly praised by fellow Farmingdale administrators.
“The Summer Literacy Camp serves Dr. O’Regan’s most vulnerable students in ways that seek to reverse the impact of the summer slide,” said Director of Secondary ELA and ENL (K-12) Dr. Josh Anisansel. “Many students who participate in the summer program transition better in the fall, and she has crunched the data to highlight the positive impacts this has had on students' literacy progression.”
The Summer Literacy Program enlists the help of teachers to provide essential curricular services to support our students. But it is so much more than that. Through Dr. O’Regan’s hard work establishing connections with outside vendors and service providers, this program also provides no-cost transportation, a full-service food program, and even a no-cost book fair where every student can take home a rich library of books. The program has continued to expand as Dr. O’Regan recently connected with KPMG, which sponsors an entire day of giving back that includes giveaways and fun activities.
“Dr. O’Regan is an innovator and will step into any role to help provide the best opportunities for her students,” said Farmingdale Superintendent of Schools Paul Defendini. “In short, Dr. O'Regan is a champion for her children, and she is most worthy of this honor.”