Fifth grade ELA teacher Carly Baker wins the day off!
B-P Yeti travel mugs will be awarded to Sydney Rivenburg, Allyson Chorba, Gary Osarczuk & Mary Chizek.
We are proud to announce the second quarter Successories winners for the 2021-22 school year! Carly Baker will receive a personal day and our other Successory recipients will receive a B-P Yeti travel mug. All award winners are entered into a drawing which will take place in June. A grand prize winner will randomly be selected from the pool to win a $100 gift card.
Please read below to hear why each of these five amazing B-P employees were chosen to win a Successories Award this quarter! A big congratulations to them!
Carly Baker
Carly Baker is a fifth grade ELA teacher at B-P Elementary School. This is her first year teaching in the district. Baker grew up in Canajoharie and has always wanted to join the teaching profession and follow in her father’s footsteps. After graduating from FMCC Baker started her education career at The College of Saint Rose. While she was working toward her degree, Baker volunteered at a program called Friday Knights, where she taught children with autism spectrum disorders how to bake. This is where she found her passion for classroom teaching and working with students of all ages.
All three of her nominations speak on her passion and love for her students. One thankful parent wrote, “Our son has had a not so ordinary start to his 5th grade year. The compassion, understanding, and help Ms. Baker has shown is absolutely remarkable. ELA is our son’s hardest subject, yet he loves going to her class. That speaks volumes about her as a teacher! Her students love her because she makes them feel loved and cared about. Ms. Baker’s passion for what she does makes her a wonderful teacher. ”
Her second nomination thanked her for “the love and care you show our children. Thank you for getting to know each and every one of them individually to better guide them into the next year.”
And one of her student’s wrote, “Thank you for always being kind to me and my classmates. You have been so kind since the first day of school.”
Baker expressed her appreciation after reading the nominations. “Reading these comments from my students and their parents makes me so happy. There is no better feeling than knowing I made a difference for a student, especially one who is struggling,” she said. “That’s the whole reason I love being a teacher. The kids are the best. They teach me so much every day. I feel so lucky to have them.”
Baker said her goal as a teacher is to create positive relationships with her students. “I love teaching students how to better read and write. They are always so proud of what they accomplish. I love how excited they are to come to class and share with me about their day,” she said. “They are always so eager at this age. Fifth grade is such an awesome age group because they have their own little personalities that develop throughout the year. I hope that I can impact my students in a positive way and help make a difference each and every day for them. ”
Sydney Rivenburg
This is Sydney Rivenburg’s first year in the Broadalbin-Perth district. She began this past September as a teaching assistant in Mrs. Floyd’s pre-K classroom. In addition to her TA position, she is a full-time student working toward a childhood education and special education degree at The College of Saint Rose.
Rivenburg knew ever since she was her students’ age that she wanted to be a teacher. “I love spending time with the kids and getting to know each of them,” she said. “It’s an absolute dream come true coming to work each day.”
Her nomination comes from a grateful family. “Thank you for always making the after-school program fun. My child never feels nervous or anxious while she waits for her brother for pickup. Also, she loves days when Miss Rivenberg is at the morning program. It is always a highlight of the day and something she looks forward to!”
Reading her nomination, Rivenburg’s face lit up with a smile. “That is so sweet!” she exclaimed. “Seeing her always brightens my day as well. We spend a lot of our mornings together coloring pictures and playing with Legos.”
Outside of the classroom, Rivenburg loves spending time with her three beautiful nieces. To add to her joy, she got engaged over the holiday season. Congratulations, Ms. Rivenburg!
Allyson Chorba
Allyson Chorba, formerly Allyson Liddle, is a physical education teacher at the Jr./Sr. High School. This is her second school year at B-P, having joined the district in 2020. Chorba grew up in Schoharie and attended the Sage Colleges, where she earned her master’s degree in December 2021.In her short time in the district, she has coached softball, volleyball, and basketball. “There’s something special about the connection that student-athletes form with their teammates and coach. It truly is a family, and I have been extremely lucky with the families that I have acquired over this past year and a half.”
Chorba’s passion for coaching is obvious in her nomination. An appreciative parent wrote, “Allyson has been nothing less than amazing for my daughter. She has always been super shy and nervous about doing anything new. Allyson approached her about playing basketball, and she was very nervous and did not want to. She told my daughter, ‘Just give it a try. If you hate it, at least you tried.’ That’s all she had to hear.”
The parent wrote that her daughter loves going to school and playing basketball.
“I can’t thank Allyson enough for doing what she does for these kids every day. All these kids look up to her. She’s a great role model for these girls.”
Chorba said she was stunned about her nomination. “It is such an honor to be presented with this award, especially so early in my career. I truly love my job and all of the people that come with it.”
Chorba said her favorite part of teaching – specifically physical education – is seeing students step out of their comfort zones when trying something new.
“They are doing something with people who they may not always choose to hang out with. Ultimately ending up creating memories and relationships and loving it,” she said. “The relationships that I have built with these students are unmatched. I love challenging my students past the limits that they think they have.”
Gary Osarczuk
Gary Osarczuk is an earth science and astronomy teacher at the high school. He also teaches Star Wars: The Course Awakens, a new senior elective he created with Brian Henry, another science teacher at the high school. In the past, he has taught biology, environmental science and physics. He is also the advisor to the Hiking Club – being a 46er himself he’s the perfect man for the job – and advisor to the B-P Green Club. He also oversees the indoor garden and is a chaperone for the Ski and Snowboard Club.
Osarczuk has been teaching for 13 years, the last three at B-P. He acknowledges the challenges of teaching during the pandemic over the past two years and how B-P stepped up to the plate. “Being a teacher is a challenging career, especially these days. Schools have become full service community centers, responsible for much more than just education,” he said. “I appreciate working for a district that prioritizes our larger community and commits to providing the essential services that so many of our students desperately need.”
His nomination came from a grateful student. “Mr. O is my favorite teacher ever. He is so funny and makes class very entertaining. He is incredibly helpful and always helps me when I need to get caught up on work. I always look forward to his class, he makes learning fun. He is just a great guy and definitely deserves this award.”
When asked for his reaction to the nomination, Osarczuk said he was “flattered.”
“It’s really nice to know that a student took the time to nominate me for this award. It is very rewarding, more so this year than ever, to know that I’m having a positive impact. There are many teachers, at B-P and across the globe, that deserve recognition right now.”
Osarczuk says his favorite part about being a teacher is getting to interact with his students all day. “Teenagers are energetic and full of ambition. It’s a ton of fun to work with them. My students are the driving force that motivates me to develop an enjoyable, high quality and relevant science experience at B-P.”
Outside of work, Osarczuk has been in dad mode since he and his wife just welcomed their 6- month-old daughter. “I spend most of my free time these days playing with baby toys and reading thick-paged children’s books, which I generally sing instead of reading. I am not a great singer, however my daughter really enjoys my efforts.”
Mary Chizek
Mary Chizek has been B-P’s district registrar for 10 years and counting. She started at the district in the 1990s as a substitute TA and became full-time in 2001, when she worked in the special education department. She and her husband have also spent many years involved with the B-P Sports Booster Club.
Her nomination comes from a family she recently assisted. “Thanks for all of your guidance during the tuition student application and registration process. You truly understood that it was our maiden voyage, and your qualities of patience and empathy truly facilitated a task that was very significant to us.”
Chizek called her nomination “an honor.”
“A special thank you to the family that nominated me for this award. It was a pleasure working with them and every family entering our district. It is so humbling to know that every position held within this school district is truly rewarding,” she said. “From when I started my position as the district registrar, it was a goal of mine to make the transition of families to our district as smooth as possible for them. I am extremely thankful for the opportunity the district has given me and for the mentors who have helped me along the way.”
Chizek said her favorite part of the job is welcoming the new families into the district and understanding how she can best help them. “It is such a great opportunity and I really enjoy being able to do it.”
Outside of work her life revolves around her family, especially her grandchildren. She also enjoys photography and boating.
This quarter over 30 faculty members were nominated for a Successory award. We are so grateful to our staff who go above and beyond every day for our students to make B-P the best!