Educating with Love

A major limitation of monolingual tests is that they fail to capture the full linguistic repertoire of bilinguals. They don’t allow bilinguals to draw on this Re

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Manoly always understood the balance and importance of prioritizing family. He passionately and respectful loved his one and only high school sweetheart, Giuliana. He made time for storytelling not only for his children, but for all his beloved nephews and family members who enjoyed a traditional Sunday family dinner and gathering or excuse for a party. If you had the honor of ever meeting Manoly Fernandez, it is guaranteed he made you feel special, loved, enticed you to think, and for sure laugh! He loved to share ideas. Ideas for the betterment of your family, his family, community and society.

Manoly Fernandez a man who’s legacy will forever be carried on by his 4 amazing grandsons Giovanni II, GianOtto, Hector, and Luciano. We hope that with this scholarship, other children will carry on his virtues and live the FREEDOM of the American Dream Manoly so much believed in.

Would you like to contribute to the scholarship fund? You can find the link in the bio. There will also be a Gala June 6th to raise fund for the scholarship. The event will be hosted by
I can’t thank them enough for their endless support. My father truly valued education and was always my #1 supporter in making a difference in the lives of my students. He would feel so proud of this scholarship!


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(1 of 2) In memory of my father, Manuel Miguel Fernandez Iturriaga also better known as Manoly, the San Miguel Scholarship Fund has been created. This scholarship will be awarded yearly to a student who demonstrates resiliency in pursuit of the American Dream!

This scholarship has been created to award any student that desires to begin today to work towards their short and long term goals.

Who was Manoly Fernandez? Born on April 25, 1960, Manloy came into a world of political unknowns. Just a year earlier, Cuba had been taken over by dictator Fidel Castro leaving the Fernandez family with nothing but memories of once a prosperous, vibrant and free life in Cuba to nothing but fear and oppression. Manoly’s father, Hiram Fernandez, known as the very charismatic socialite and savvy businessman of Manzanillo, Cuba was sent to cut sugarcane and forced to leave his wife, Adeliada and three children behind to fen for themselves.

After 9 years of waiting to leave the country with permission, the Fernandez family found refuge granted by American President Lyndn B. Johnson in La Casa Libertad, located in Miami, Florida. A moment my father Manoly always reminisced on with great gratitude.

Fortunately, there was already an extended branch of the family in CA who welcomed the Fernandez crew. Before you knew it, with the help of his teachers who he always remembered, Manoly quickly acquired the English language. He found himself doing well in school and truly loved learning.
Just like his father and all the Fernandez men before him, Manoly had the entrepreneurial bug! He loved the freedom of working for himself. Manoly was a man that as they say feared nothing but fear itself. He opened various business and played with real estate. He was a trailblazer/ flag holder who paved the way for all of his three children Lizette, Giovanni, and Gizelle.

Have you had the privilege of meeting Mr. John Nelson, president & founder of WHY FLY ALONE FOUNDATION? .

What would you say if I told you there is a man who after retiring has taken his passion of flying and simply wants to give back to our youth by bringing the “airport” to your local schools?!?

Yes! That’s right! He has invested his time to creating a program to bring a folding wing aircraft to any school on Long Island. He teaches students the MAGIC OF FLYING! Students get hands on learning experiences and opportunities to learn about aviation and aerospace careers.

This program is at NO COST to the schools, students or families. Mr. Nelson’s foundation is a not-for-profit 501c3 organization.

We are proud to say the East Middle School in Brentwood will be one of the first schools to enjoy the benefits of this amazing program. We recognize that students all learn in different ways and not all follow a traditional path of graduating from a 4 yr. college. Becoming a pilot is an excellent profession to explore.

It’s been a pleasure building a relationship with such an intriguing, giving and passionate person such as Mr. John Nelson!

FYI he is still available for bookings for next school year if you want to make this happen for your Long Island School!

Whyflyalonefoundation.org or WHYFLYALONE.com

If you haven’t read Steven Covey’s book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, I suggest you do!

The book has changed my professional and personal life. “The way we see the problem is the problem” is a quote by Steven Covey. Think about that for a second. View things from a different perspective and you might come up with solutions to your problem.

Thank you to my colleague for her sharing her perspective with me today as we worked on perfecting the reflection activity for our school’s event.
Today we most definitely practiced the habit of Think Win Win! Xoxo

The sense of touch generates surprisingly powerful and long-lasting memories.

A new study by Fabian Hutmacher and Christof Kuhbandner, researchers at the University of Regensburg, provides the findings that the sense of touch generates memories that are far more complex and long-lasting than previously thought.

With that said, I question the world of going 100% digital in the classroom. Doing a science experiment on nearpod or apps of the like is great! BUT let’s NOT replace it for a REAL science lab/ experiment in the classroom! Supplement and balance your lessons with both digital to reinforce what you are teaching your students but please do offer them ample opportunities for real life interactive activities where they can touch and feel what they are learning about!

All humans need interaction and the use of their senses to internalize what they are learning.

In the picture above you can see my son modeling how you can lean cvc words with magnetic letters and play dough.

First, he had to place them in the correct order to spell the word after I dictated the words to him.

Then, he tapped out each sound within the word and pushed down the play dough as he sounded out the word.

This really helped him understand that words are made up of phonemes.

God knows we can’t do it alone! I pray everyday for the dear lord to give me strength to be the best teacher to my students & a supportive colleague to my fellow teachers.

The first quarter just finished for most schools. Students, teachers and parents are reviewing report cards.

I urge everyone to be reminded that our children WANT to be successful. In all the 17 years I have been an educator, I have never met a child who truly does not want to be successful. They ALL want to succeed.

It is our role as parents and educators to dig deep, research and reflect on how we can better GUIDE our children to do better for themselves.

I like to always start a dialogue with my students (sometimes privately or in group) and ask as many questions as I can to understand their circumstances, mindset, fears, strengths, and pleasures in order to discover what we can do to fuel their learning.

I also self-reflect and think “What interventions have I CONSISTENTLY & FAITHFULLY used with my students to support their academic needs?”

The greatest point I’d like to make is that learning is a JOURNEY! We might not see immediate results, especially after COVID! Let’s be patient with our students and with ourselves! Yes, we have a pacing guide but it’s ok if we spend extra time on a lesson or two to support our students with extra time to practice necessary skills.

Students, teachers and parents, hang in there. This too shall pass! Post pandemic era will only make us stronger if we make this a learning experience.

As I read Teaching Boys Who Struggle in School by Kathleen Palmer Cleveland, I am being reminded that we have to educate our students with love. Love is what builds trust and relationships. Without relationships, our students are less likely to take risks, build on their curiosity, be spontaneous to create and reveal their true selves!

Food for thought!!

What’s for dinner at the Roman household tonight?

We all show our love in different ways. I love to cook for my family. It is an act of service to show love and a way to teach my children about their culture.

Tonight’s menu:
-Arroz con garbanzos ( yellow rice with garbanzos)
-bistec empanizado ( breaded steak)

I had left overs and brought some to my students today to share. 😋

There are many ways to show love. How do you show love to your family, students and loved ones?