January 15, 2010
Even as
they gathered last semester for the final events in a rousing,
year-long celebration, students and professors cheered new triumphs
in the 100-year history of The School of Education at St. John's
University.
Nationally acclaimed for training outstanding teachers and
researchers, The School of Education marked its Centennial in
2008-2009 with conferences, workshops, award dinners and other
activities. As always, the School continued to draw national
attention for combining academic quality with St. John’s focus on
social justice.
But for members of Kappa Delta Pi — the international education
honor society — one tribute stood out. Both St. John’s
chapters won Kappa Delta Pi’s 2009 Achieving Chapter Excellence
(ACE) Award. It was the first time that two chapters from the same
university won the award.
The winning chapters represent two of St. John’s University’s three
residential New York City campuses: Kappa Eta is based at the
Queens campus; Alpha Beta Gamma — which won the biennial award for
the second time in a row — is at the Staten Island campus.
Sharing Core Values
St. John’s chapters received the awards at Kappa Delta Pi’s
biennial convocation in October. Members and deans from the Queens
and Staten Island campuses traveled to Orlando, Florida, to deliver
presentations and receive their chapters’ ACE Awards.
“It’s truly a singular honor — not only for our Kappa Delta Pi
chapters, but for The School of Education as well,” said Charisse
Willis ‘89SVC, ‘91MS, ‘95PD, Associate Dean of The School of
Education at the Queens campus. Dean Willis presented at the
convocation with Joseph Sciortino, Assistant to the Director of
America Reads.
“The mission of Kappa Delta Pi and St. John’s go
hand-in-hand,” said Susann Ragone ‘03GEd, Assistant Dean in The
School of Education, Staten Island campus. “These awards offer
external validation that we continue to be on target in our
efforts.”
Dean Ragone attended the convocation along with Staten Island
campus presenters Rosette Marie Allegretti, Assistant to the Dean;
Regina M. Mistretta, Ed.D., Associate Professor; and Marilyn Jean
Dono-Koulouris, Ed.D., Assistant Professor.
Awarded every two years, the honor recognizes academic excellence,
professional leadership and service — core values The School of
Education shares with Kappa Delta Pi. To qualify, each chapter at
St. John’s had to carefully document their activities.
“The binders we put together were pretty thick,” said Dean Willis.
“We had to cover everything — academics, professional development,
leadership training, membership and service.” After all the work,
Dean Willis added, “it was wonderful to know we had met, and
exceeded, Kappa Delta Pi’s very high standards.”
Preparing Teachers in and out of the
Classroom
Each semester, St. John’s chapters hold a full schedule of
workshops, seminars and guest lectures focusing on new issues and
trends in education, from recognizing the signs of autism to
addressing different learning styles in the classroom.
Equally important — to Kappa Delta Pi and St. John’s University —
is the role of service in preparing students for success as
educators and citizens. “We try to spread our wings,” said Dean
Willis. “Wherever a school, a library or an after-school center
needs help, that’s where we put ourselves.”
Both chapters, at Queens and Staten Island, engage members in such
activities as midnight runs, when St. John’s students distribute
food to those in need; University Service Days, when students,
faculty and administrators help clean parks, playgrounds and
schools; and fundraising walks to support research into breast
cancer, autism and other maladies.
At the same time, many service activities offer students direct
experience as teachers. For example, members of Kappa Delta Pi take
advantage of The School of Education’s strategic partnerships with
local schools and libraries, mentoring elementary school children,
tutoring high school students and serving in after-school
programs.
A Sense of Giving
“Yes, it does seem like a lot to do,” said Jaclyn DeStefano ‘10Ed,
President of the Queens chapter. “But you want to do it, because
these are wonderful opportunities for anyone who truly wants to
teach. The entire experience is about your own growth as a
professional and a person.”
Together, these activities build on the rigorous course work
education majors receive in such areas as adolescent education,
childhood education, curricular development, school leadership and
teaching English as a second language. The goal is to give
education students a strong foundation in theory and methods.
“The great thing about Kappa Delta Pi,” said Dea-Marie Tompkins
‘10Ed, “is the balance of academics and service. I think they’re
very closely related. As a teacher, you’re going to depend on your
knowledge and your empathy—these are strengths you build as a
member.”
Above all, membership in the society allows students to make their
mark in the world. “You get a real sense of giving, of having an
impact on other people’s lives,” said Catherine Hayes ‘11Ed, a
junior at the Staten Island campus. “That’s what it means to belong
to Kappa Delta Pi—and it’s a big part of the culture at St.
John’s.”