Endorses Garrido-Carmody for school trustee as volunteer across range of activities who seeks to engage students

To the editor:

I am writing in support of my dear friend Connie Garrido-Carmody for the Pelham Board of Education. Connie and I have known each other for seven years. She is always the first to volunteer at school, church, swim team and is always willing to help in any way possible. Our youngest sons attended Prospect Hill Elementary School together and now are sixth graders at Pelham Middle School. Connie and I have spent countless hours volunteering in and out of the classroom. I have always found her to be a critical thinker, thoughtful, organized, thorough and an extremely hard-working individual. She is, and always has been, well prepared on our shared committees. She believes that every child should have the opportunity to be the best they can be and that no effort should be spared to make sure that each and every student here should be given the tools they need to succeed.

Connie and I are both CCD teachers at Our Lady of Perpetual Help-Saint Catharine. I have witnessed her dedication to her Monday class for the past five years. She knows that not all students learn the same way and is always looking for interesting ways to engage her students. Her loving and compassionate nature is always on display with her students and seeing them flourish gives her immense pleasure.

Connie grew up as the fifth of seven children in Colombia, South America, and was sent to New York when she was four to be raised by her godparents. They gave Connie two beautiful gifts. First, they taught her that she would need a strong work ethic in her endeavor for a better life, and second, they taught her to always treat people with love and respect. Connie learned both lessons extremely well. These two gifts, as well as her natural leadership abilities, are what have made her the successful businesswoman that she is, and they are what will make her a strong asset to the Pelham Board of Education.

Please join me in voting for Connie on May 16!

Rosa Polenzani

1317 Bolton Road