TV/55 and the New York State Lottery have named Oakwood kindergarten teacher Linda Cepelak their Educator of the Week. Now entering her nineteenth year in South Huntington, Ms. Cepelak has witnessed the many ways in which technology has changed education. She has always embraced new technology, and as one of the first computer users at Oakwood in the early ‘90s and now as one of the school’s four Smartboard teachers, she continues to use technology’s advantages to make lessons come alive for her kindergarten students. She continually challenges her students to think and problem-solve through interaction and play.
Ms. Cepelak is an example of a “lifelong learner.” She is a teacher-trainer in OASIS and Math, Science and Technology in elementary schools (MSTE), and she has been a lead teacher in our summer literacy program for many years. She is also a turnkey trainer for Star Lab.
An active member of the community, she is a volunteer for the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, a swim team coordinator at the Centerport Yacht Club, and a volunteer with the Veterans’ Administration and Peace Corps. Each year she selects a different community service project for her class or for the entire school to participate in, and twice she has organized gift packages for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of Ms. Cepelak’s strongest supporters are parents who have credited her with creating a strong foundation for their children’s success.