At Action Day we staff our schools with stars. Our experienced and caring educators nurture the growth of each student—socially, emotionally, and academically. They set the stage for the holistic success of each child and greatly enrich the school environment. 

To celebrate the outstanding contributions of these amazing team members, we recently revealed our first-ever Star of Excellence Awards! Nominated by our families and staff members, these Action Day Stars passionately live our core values—Quality, Trust, Dedication, Community, and Fun. 

Here are the Star of Excellence winners who reflect the amazing work our team members do every single day:

Star of Excellence Recipients

• Quality Award: Lisa Milian

“Ms. Milian had gone above and beyond to support our son with his educational challenges. She continues to be a driving force in supporting our son and helping in all ways possible. Her dedication is humbling and immensely appreciated. She is a prime example of what an  exemplary teacher is, and what teachers should strive to be.”

• Trust Award: Trish Porrovecchio. 

“Trish consistently goes above and beyond to create a nurturing, engaging, and inclusive learning environment for every child. She connects with every student, builds trust with families and supports their individual growth.  Likewise, she creates a warm, welcoming environment with her caring attitude, patience and understanding”

• Dedication Award: Vanessa McGautha  

“Miss Vanessa’s dedication to WVDC students and families is unwavering. I love that she not only teaches the kids about dance, she’s equally invested in ensuring the kids build great character and are good people! She is FUN but also no nonsense. Vanessa has given all of her time, energy, and love to every single one of her dance students. She believes in every one of them and helps them reach their potential while enabling them to have the best time of their lives!”

• Community Award: Faith Livengood 

“Ms. Faith exudes happiness, kindness, and a willingness to go above and beyond for her babies and the families she has in her classroom. She celebrates our Action Day Community by creating connections, advertising our Family Fun days, and is always sitting on the floor, singing songs, blowing bubbles, creating art, and being silly Ms. Faith. She is so deserving of this recognition!”

• Fun Award: Rana Hourani

“We refer to Ms. Rana in our house as the real life “Mary Poppins” – someone with that magical ability to engage with the fun and whimsical side of a 4-year-old’s mind, while also providing structure and order. Every day, our son is excited to go to school, and comes home chattering about the various things he has learned. He is thoroughly engaged and it gives me so much joy as a parent to see my child so eager to learn. The most important thing we can do as parents and teachers is instill a love of learning, and Ms. Rana has been able to do that with our son. She’s one in a million and if you have the wonderful opportunity to spend a few minutes in her classroom, you will easily see why she deserves this award!”

The Carole J. Freitas Award

The Carole J. Freitas Award is a special recognition for a staff member who embodies all of our values and exemplifies the heart of our Action Day mission. We were thrilled to present this award to Debbie Piro!

“Debbie goes above and beyond for her students/parents every day. I entrust my child with Debbie for her compassion, confidence, patience, togetherness, joy and most importantly, her dedication to all the children and families; it shows in every small and big task she offers. My daughter comes home singing, laughing, more kind and loving, fed, and excited for more; we are beyond grateful for Ms. Debbie!” 

And from a fellow staff member: 

“Debbie is always planning exciting things in her classroom to keep her kids busy.I love that Debbie shares what she grows in her garden with her classroom and the yummy French toast she makes with the eggs her chickens lay. Debbie looks so cute when she goes on her walks with her chicken babies in the stroller. I love Ms Debbie” 

Schedule a Tour Today

Take the first step toward a bright future for your child and discover how our passionate and talented educators will help your children thrive. Contact us today to schedule your visit.