In mid October, the South Colonie Central School District announced a new series titled “Meet the Pack” aimed at highlighting South Colonie staff members that go above and beyond for the school community.
“The idea behind the series is to enable building leaders, peers, and community members the opportunity to recognize the work of South Colonie staff members,” said Dr. David Perry. “We want our employees to understand the impact that they have on only our students and families but we want to foster a culture of inclusion by making employees feel seen and having pride for work that they do—because the work they do matters.”
“I wanted to kick off this series by recognizing an employee that I knew has made such a positive impact professionally among her peers but with the students and families that she serves each day,” Perry added.
This year marks 33 years in the district for Bianchi. She teaches sixth grade math and science at Lisha Kill Middle School.
When asked about her favorite part of teaching she said, “Seeing what they can accomplish in a year. They come to me as children and they leave as young adults. To see the growth, not just academically but emotionally as well, it makes my heart melt.”
One thing Bianchi is passionate about is putting digital learning resources in the hands of students, families and her fellow teachers. In the ’90s, she began putting educational videos on her websites, organizing each topic by lesson. This prompted the district to invest in technology that allowed every teacher to create and access educational videos long before distant learning. As a result, South Colonie educators were more prepared than most to tackle teaching virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am super committed to making sure every family in the district has the resources they need to be successful.”
In addition to her dedication to students and families, Bianchi was also nominated by a parent for The Walmart Corporation Teacher of The Year Award for her efforts outside of the classroom.
When Bianchi is not teaching or preparing resources, she cooks delicious meals for her coworkers and hosts epic pool parties in the summer. She is an avid roller-skater and has recently discovered a newfound love for pickleball.
Congratulations to Kathy Bianchi on this recognition!
If you would like to nominate someone to be highlighted, please fill out the Meet the Pack form here. Questions? Please contact: communications@scolonie.org.