Details on the nomination process are available by selecting the nomination form below.

FRIENDS OF EDUCATION NOMINATION FORM
Please submit to Building Principal

FRIENDS OF EDUCATION 2023

Memorial School Friend of Education

Christine Coyne, Memorial School

Christine Coyne has consistently been a positive presence at Memorial School. She is a fixture in our building and works tirelessly to make sure teachers and students have what they need and helps them feel celebrated. Christine is often heard asking staff members, “Is there anything you need?”

Christine is a member of our PTO.  She held the position of vice president in the past and is the rising president this year. Christine has three beautiful daughters in the East Hampton school system. When Christine is not working her full-time job, she can be seen in the drop off lane, volunteering during center time in a classroom, or most recently creating the Memorial School yearbook. Her donations of school supplies and arts and crafts materials have truly been appreciated by staff members. Christine has volunteered her time to assist with planning school events that all members of the Memorial School family have enjoyed, most recently the grade 3 dance and Teacher Appreciation Week. Christine Coyne is a leader in our community and an inspiration to all.  We are lucky to have such a generous, dedicated, and supportive member of our community.  Christine Coyne is a true friend of education.  

Center School Friend of Education

Alexis Vargas-Martinez, Center School

Mr. Vargas-Martinez has made remarkable contributions to public education in the East Hampton community, specifically through his creation and dedication to the Girls Who Code club. This club provided a valuable platform for empowering young girls and fostering their interest in computer science and coding.  

Mr. Vargas-Martinez’s commitment to the students was exemplary. He went above and beyond to create a safe and inclusive environment where girls felt supported and encouraged to explore their passion for coding. Through his guidance, students discovered their potential in the field of technology and gained confidence in their abilities. Mr. Vargas-Martinez created and implemented fun, engaging, and challenging activities that kept the club at capacity for the school year.   Some of Alexis’s outstanding qualities were his energy and exceptional communication skills. He consistently maintained open lines of communication with students, parents, and school administration. Alexis regularly updated families about club activities and shared resources to support the girls' learning at home through a Google Classroom and weekly recap email to the group. His approachable and supportive demeanor created a positive atmosphere that fostered collaboration and teamwork.  Mr. Vargas Martinez’s contributions to public education in East Hampton, particularly through the Girls Who Code club, have been truly outstanding. His dedication to empowering our students has had a lasting and positive impact on the students, their families, and the community.

Middle School Friend of Education Awardee

Sarah Moore-Riddell, Middle School

We would like to nominate Sarah Moore-Riddell for all her time volunteering to help with our production of Guys and Dolls Junior.  We were thrilled to be able to bring back to the middle school our own drama production.  Sarah was an integral part in making the show a success.  Sarah was there for practically all the rehearsals.  She was invaluable for helping in monitoring the students, giving lines when needed, assisting with costumes and general all around willing to do whatever was needed.  We are so grateful for her help and time.  Thank you for being a friend of education and helping to make our drama club comeback a true success!

 

High School Friend of Education Awardee

Trent Donohue, High School

Trent Donohue is a seminal figure and fixture around East Hampton youth and High School Athletics. His support of his three children Emma, Maggie and Jace as well as his support of each and every student-athlete involved in town sponsored and school sponsored athletics is without equal.

Trent gives of his time and his talents as a photographer to capture and share with families and the community images of athletes of all grades and ability levels playing their respective sports and experiencing both successes and struggles. Trent is intelligent, humble, respectful and reflective. His passion for supporting the young athletes of this community is evident and reflected in his work volunteering to chronicle it. This is exemplified through his work and the generosity of EH Youth Soccer Club which gives annual scholarships to graduating seniors at EHHS. Trent is a friend to all and has been a mentor to many. He should be thanked and celebrated for what he has given to and means to our town. He is an indispensable member of the community and a true Friend of Education.

 

Central Office Friend of Education Awardee

Central Office - Mark Marzi

 Mark is an architect from Don Hammerberg & Associates.  He was an integral part of our emergency Middle School Roof Project.   Without him this project would not have been successfully completed in the very tight deadline that we had.  He navigated the complex application and requirements for State funding.  His talent is not just architecture, he operates with calm, cool patience with the complicated details required by state officials.  He put in tremendous hours preparing drawings, navigating state website portals, project manuals, massive amounts of paperwork and endless changes.  Thanks to his efforts, the project was able to be completed over the summer after officials from the state advised us to wait until the next summer to attempt to complete this project.  Mark is not only a friend of education, he is a friend of our Middle School equipment, floors, ceiling tiles, technology equipment, etc.  that were constantly getting wet.  Thanks to his efforts the Middle School is dry and has 50 extra water pails in case anyone needs one.

District Friend of Education Awardee

Kevin Reich, EHPS District

Teacher, central office administrator, interim Superintendent, Town Council member, Rotarian, humanitarian, Renaissance Man, volunteer with the Middlesex United Way, colleague, friend, and Bellringer extraordinaire.  Kevin is all of that and more.  He is as much a fixture of this town as is Lake Pocotopaug. 

 Kevin graduated in June 1968 from Bristol Eastern High School as a National Honor Society Member. Majoring in Elementary Education and Geography, Kevin graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree from Central Connecticut State College in 1972.  The Office of Career Counseling and Placement application included a note saying that, “Kevin’s housekeeping abilities are exceptional (for a man).  He is neat and orderly, keeps everything in place, takes good care of the equipment and materials and is generally well organized.”  Also noted was his fondness for gardening and golf.  In May 1976, Kevin completed his Masters of Arts degree in Education Administration from Central and in May 1983 completed his 6th year degree in Education Administration from UConn.

His teaching career began in East Hampton in September 1972 at the Center School as a 4th Grade Classroom Teacher, for which the town paid him a salary of $7,550.  One of his early observations read in part, “The appearance of your room is a reflection of your philosophy and organization. It abounds in color and activities which spill out into the hallway.  All of this has captured the imagination of your students and elicited their cooperation.”

Enjoying several years at the Center School, in 1980 Kevin volunteered to serve on the committee to evaluate the school district’s organization – and then found himself transferred to teach Grade 6 at the Junior High School.  He found success there as well, which included a letter of commendation in his file from Superintendent Terrill for the presentation to the administrators on his evaluation of the East Hampton mathematics program.  As result, emphasis in the district was placed in the areas identified in this study, and in 1983, Kevin was appointed as Math Coordinator at the Junior High School.

Over time, other professional activities included: Director of Professional Mini Grant Program, Proficiency Task Force, the System wide Curriculum Committee, Math Curriculum Committee, President of the East Hampton Educator’s Association, Member of the Superintendent’s Advisory Council, the Library Grant Committee, Chair of the Gifted and Talented Committee, faculty representative on the Town wide reorganization committee, and others including being chosen by Holt, Rinehart and Winston Publishers to be a math consultant for their new math text.

Shortly thereafter, Kevin was promoted to the Central Office as Director of Administrative Services including the oversight of K-12 Curriculum, Professional Development, pupil transportation system, and the supervision of plant/operation and maintenance of school buildings and grounds.

In 2007 Kevin served the district as Interim Superintendent and then was appointed as Assistant Superintendent.  After 39 years of service, Kevin announced his retirement in 2012.  But he has not slowed down. He has acted as consultant and interim Central Office staff in neighboring communities.

 He has served as chair of the Middlesex United Way; he has been active with the Rotary Club; and he has pushed to ensure that flags hang on phone poles on our streets each spring.  Kevin served as the chair of the High School Fields Renovation Committee in 2021 and is currently the chair of the Middle School Roof replacement Committee.  Our community has come to appreciate his dedication and years of service to the Town Council. This fall he has announced that he would no longer seek an additional term on the Council.  All of us will miss his wisdom, his passion, and his gleeful response that good news was, “warming the cockles of my heart.”

 East Hampton owes Kevin gratitude for years of dedication of selfless service.  His love for all things East Hampton is evident every day.  He is not only a Friend of Education, he is a Friend of East Hampton.