Weiss-Magasic named district's teacher of the year

WEST MILFORD — Coleen Weiss-Magasic, a West Milford High School science teacher, has been named teacher of the year for the West Milford district.

Weiss-Magasic was selected from among the eight individual school teachers of the year.

“The West Milford Schools are happy to announce that this year’s District Teacher of the Year, is Coleen Weiss-Magasic, West Milford High School science teacher, with 24 years of teaching experience,” said Superintendent of schools James McLaughlin.

Weiss-Magasic was referred to last year by supervisors and administrators as “a pioneer for future education” for providing a “unique learning opportunity” for her collaborative work with Maple Road Elementary School fifth grade teacher Justin Runne in creating the “Swimming Upstream” program. Weiss-Magasic and Runne created the program for her high school biology and his fifth grade elementary students last year.

The pair of teachers applied for and were awarded a New Jersey Education Association Frederick L. Hipp Foundation for Excellence in Education grant for the “Swimming Upstream” project in the amount of $7,359, which allowed them to purchase iPads, DNA equipment, a climate-controlled fish tank, and other science and data analysis equipment needed to conduct a stream study, learn about hatching, raising and releasing trout, and examine the biology of fish and their ecosystem in the interactive program.

In the program, the students from both classes worked together on several occasions monitoring the life cycles and environment of trout- from eggs, to release and environmental follow up, dissection, and more. The program is aimed at enhancing the students’ learning experiences through the combination of classroom lessons and hands-on, real-life practice in research, data collection, experimentation, observation and data analysis, while also having a positive impact on the environment in their local community through the re-stocking of trout in a local stream.

The collaboration of the students from the different grade-levels served to enhance the self esteem and confidence of the high school students, who acted as role models; while concurrently alleviating some anxiety of the younger students about science, and about high school kids in general; promoting improved relations among the school community as a whole.

As the district’s choice for Teacher of the Year, Weiss-Magasic will go on to represent the West Milford School District in the Passaic County Teacher of the Year competition.

Go to westmilfordmessenger.com and tell us how Weiss-Magasic influenced your life for the better.