BOARD OF EDUCATION AWARD FOR ACCOMPLISHMENT

By JOHN POVEROMO

This past Monday, May 15th, the Washingtonville Board of Education hosted their annual awards night for those who were recognized and chosen for the esteemed Board of Education Award. Each person who won this prestigious honor was nominated by a member, or multiple members, of the district.

JOHN POVEROMO FOR THE WIZARD WEEKLY

There were fifteen winners of the night ranging from all three elementary schools, the middle school and the high school. Within the high school itself, there were five recipients: guidance counselor and former teacher Mrs. Lynch; guidance counselor, Mrs.Davis; physical trainer, John Kosowicz; the director of food services, Robert Gellman; and Football Coach and Head of Security, John Delgardo. 

Known by all as “Trainer John,” John Kosowicz is someone athletes can always depend on. Whether it’s hanging out in his office before and during practice or while he’s helping with an injury, Trainer John is truly there for his kids. Presenting his award was head football coach, Don Clark. He expressed, “John has done a phenomenal job during his tenure here in a lot of different ways, but it is probably most affected due to the trust he is able to build with our athletes, parents and coaches. John is truly our first line of defense in the evaluation of player injury, and does a wonderful job conveying serious injury with possible rehabilitation processes to our athletes as well to their parents. His expertise and knowledge has been a value to everyone involved in our athletic program…”  Many athletes from Washingtonville agree that Trainer John has helped them stay healthy and recover from injuries while also fostering a friendship with Trainer John.

Head of security at WHS, John Delgardo, is another man who has the ability to establish friendships with any athlete, student or staff member he comes across.  John Delgardo is known for connecting with students and offering them guidance.  Vice Principal, Mr. Salamone, revealed, “There are a million things we can say about John Delgardo.  I’d really like to bring up that he builds relationships with our students.  All of our students know that if they have a problem, he is available to them, and you can see this on any given day when you walk through the halls of our high school, especially during lunches.  You can always see a flock of students coming to John Delgado looking for some type of counseling, information or just to talk to somebody. He's dedicated.  I’ve never once have had a situation come up where John has said, ‘No, I’m sorry. I can't do that.’ Not only does he always respond, he's always the first to respond. If there's something going on in this building that shouldn't be happening, I know John is going to come flying around that corner.”  Mr. Salamone went on to say, “He is very humble; he never wants any of the credit…” As both a coach and security guard, John Delgardo has helped many athletes and students while growing friendships with them over the years.

The Board of Education Award for Accomplishment is a meaningful award to give to the people in our district schools who have had a positive impact on either our students, staff, or the community as a whole.