Erie 1 BOCES Monthly Spotlight: May 2022
Hello my name is Katie Augustine.
I started working here at Erie 1 BOCES in August 2021 as the Elementary ELA Coordinator on the E-Team. I work with component districts in the area to help with reading and writing instruction mainly, but also have a background in Project Based Learning. I worked as a 4th grade teacher at Marilla Primary in the Iroquois Central School District prior to working here at BOCES. I've always wanted to work in adult education and with a little bit of luck and a mutual family friend I found my way to E1B.
I was born and raised in Elma NY and still live there now in my own home which is only a "country block" away from my childhood home. I lived in Rochester for 4 years as I completed my undergrad at St. John Fisher College where I earned my B.S. in General and Special Education with a minor in Sociology. I later received my Master’s in Literacy at St. Bonaventure University.
I love to cycle at home during the cold months and bike outdoors when it's warm. I also love to golf and explore different parks as I go on walks with friends, family, and pets. I am “dog mom” to a black lab puppy named Sadie Mae and have intentions of getting her trained to be a therapy dog. I love live music and can't wait for summer patios to open and live music to start. I’m a huge country music fan who is constantly craving Nashville! East Aurora is my absolute favorite place to be and I’m constantly at cafes, restaurants, bars and breweries within the village. I also love stand up comedy and try to go to shows as often as possible! I love Buffalo sports but definitely prefer watching hockey over football. I enjoy doing projects around the house like landscaping and decorating, and love spending some quality time on the patio with a bonfire going.
My friends and family would describe me as a people person who is funny, charismatic, honest , thoughtful, and cerebral. I am motivated, competitive, helpful, and love the simple things in life. I am an old soul who never seemed to fit my generation.
Hello my name is Tricia Fay.
I am a member of the Eteam here at E1b. I have the privilege of working in several districts providing a variety of connected supports. I am a behavioral and Special Education consultant, a Social-Emotional Learning Coordinator, a TCIS certified trainer, and a certified trainer of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have found a career in which I get to meet and work with so many teachers and administrators, with a deep desire to impact the lives of students through that work. I have been working for BOCES for 3 years, and I look forward to many more years to come. I'm so grateful to be a part of such an amazing team and organization!
I have lived in Western New York for my entire life, because I just can't get enough of the lush landscape that we live in. I love being surrounded by trees and lakes. I'm not "in love" with the amount of snow, but I prefer it to the challenges of other areas around the country, such as hurricanes, droughts, or scorpions.
I am married to a wonderful, loving, and creative husband. I have two beautiful and silly kiddos who are my world. We have a dog, two cats, and some fish! I wouldn't change any of it. My husband would describe me as pretty silly, a loving mama, and deep-down an introverted and quiet soul.
Hello, my name is Stephanie Ann Huffnagle nee McArthur.
My mom is a big Stevie Nicks fan and named me Stephanie with the intention of calling me "Stevie" but I hated it and refused to let her call me that!
My official title is Senior Account Clerk, but I serve as the assistant to Steve Graser and clerical support for all of the e-team. There is quite an array of things that I do here at E1B, but some of the major things include helping to keep Steve's schedule on track, scheduling meetings and booking rooms, facilitating the contract process and the corresponding purchase orders / invoices for vendors working with E-Team, as well as purchase orders for Travel Conferences. I do sub and stipend reimbursements several times a year and support any district reaching out with questions or concerns. My position is Civil Service, so I took the exam and was canvassed to come here, and I'm so glad that I accepted! I've been here since January of 2020 and I LOVE it! I have worked at Erie 1 BOCES for 2 years and 3 months. Prior to coming to BOCES I worked as a Patient representative at Buffalo Medical Group as well as DaVita Dialysis. I even worked as a Cake Decorator for a while.
I was born and raised in South Buffalo and am still there. However, my maternal grandparents were born and raised in Puerto Rico, so I hope to one day at least visit! I've been married to John, my "high school sweetheart" (even though we didn't go to school together) for almost 16 years, and together for 20! We have two beautiful kids, Sierra who is 14 and John who is 11. They both are smarty pants and go to City Honors and I'm super proud of them! We also have 2 dogs, Buster and Falkor (like the "Luck Dragon"), and a black cat named Sox. I went to school for two years to be an Animator, but had to give that up for motherhood and family life. But now, I went back to get my associates and will be going back soon to get my Bachelor's in Business Administration. I keep my creative side alive with cake decorating, which I used to do on the side, but I'm just concentrating on work (and soon school) now. I still volunteer for a group called "Icing Smiles" where bakers can volunteer to create intricate birthday/celebration cakes for very ill children.
I think (and hope) that my family and close friends would say that I'm kind and caring. I am usually more reserved, but with time, I tend to open up more and I really can have fun!
I feel very lucky to be a part of such an amazing organization and team of educators. Please know that I am always happy to assist whenever a helping hand is needed.
Hello, my name is Nicolette scibetta.
I was named after my grandfather and my uncle, both named Nicholas , it means leader of the people.
I work in the special education division at the edge academy as a teacher assistant . I work in a classroom with an amazing teacher. I work one on one with teenage students, as well as in small groups. I often float and assist where I am needed throughout the building. I love working in the trenches and learning things each day from my administrators, peers, and especially from my students.
I have worked for Erie 1 BOCES now, for 20 years. I started out in pre k, which for me being surrounded by a classroom filled with 4 year olds each day was gratifying and rewarding. It allowed me to stay young at heart and appreciate the small things in life. I had so much fun seeing things through their eyes and from their perspective. Nurturing and cultivating their curiosity and eagerness to learn. I looked forward to each and every day. I have worked with various populations, from the medically fragile, hearing impaired to my current population, teenage students with challenging behaviors who have been oftentimes misunderstood. I love learning about each of their strengths and teaching them how to build off of those strengths.
I was born in the city of buffalo , raised in a small suburb bordering between Hamburg and Lackawanna. I have been married for 29 years and we have two daughters. Our 28 year old daughter is an immigration lawyer for those seeking asylum. Our 22 year old daughter works in the lab at Perry’s ice cream. My passions are gardening and my love for animal life, especially dogs!!!! When my children were younger I was an assistant trainer in 4 h for Cornell coop, located in the canine division. I volunteered in their various schools as an mc for meat raffles and fundraisers. I have worked in restaurants for almost 40 years in various positions and this has taught me so much about people and working as a team. I currently moonlight in a grocery store because I love hard physical labor and it is so different from the academic world. I have worked in retail, landscaping and a disc jockey throughout my adult life.
I think those closest to me would describe me as loyal to a fault , that I see humor in everything, and that I am fearless when it comes to advocating for my students or when I witness someone being wronged.