Congratulations to Oakwood dual-language teacher Lendy Milo who has been named an Extraordinary Educator by Curriculum Associates.  The second grade teacher is one of only 45 educators chosen from across the country for this recognition, and one of only two winners in all of New York State.  The annual program celebrates and connects exemplary teachers in Grades K–8 from around the country.

Ms. Milo has been an educator for more than 16 years.  She joined the South Huntington family 13 years ago when she started teaching at Oakwood.  She then taught at Countrywood for two years before returning to Oakwood.

It was one of Ms. Milo’s third grade teachers that inspired her to pursue teaching as a career.  “The way she taught. Her love of teaching. The way she treated her students.  The way she encouraged us growing up. It was just amazing,” said Ms. Milo. And as a bilingual student herself, she became interested in becoming a dual language teacher.

South Huntington’s Dual Language Program provides core academic instruction in two languages: English and Spanish.  The program begins in kindergarten and ends in fifth grade.  The classes are made up of students who are proficient in English and students who are proficient in Spanish.  The objective of the program is to provide students with high levels of bilingualism and biliteracy, academic achievement, positive self-image, and multiculturalism.

Curriculum Associates provides teachers with instructional materials for professional development and support in the classroom.  Ms. Milo piloted the dual language support program for the district at Oakwood. “You have to research, see how the students perform, see if it works, and have the tools for the teachers to be able to better their lessons for their students,” explained Ms. Milo.  Then she has to share all that information with her colleagues.

For Ms. Milo, the recognition is rewarding, but the most important thing for her is that her work on the program means her students have better tools with which to learn. “It provides the students with different strategies to solve problems,” stated Ms. Milo.  “As they're talking to their partner, they're sharing their thinking. They're explaining what strategies they're using to solve the problem. It helps expand their academic language, their academic vocabulary.  And they're doing it in two languages, which is amazing.”

To learn more about the 2023 Extraordinary Educators, visit: https://www.curriculumassociates.com/extraordinary-educators/classes