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Village Staff Connection: Bryanna McIntosh (ABA Trainer) is this week’s Village Staff Connection. Bryanna has been making an impact at Village School since August 2021 when she joined the EIBI team. She was nominated for this recognition by colleagues who noted her calm, respectful, and hard-working demeanor as well as her ability to individualize her approach to student needs and celebrate each student success. Bryanna is the definition of an unsung hero in that she just quietly does what is necessary and good for kids. Prior to coming to work at Village, Bryanna worked in a pre-school setting. She had received her degree from SCSU in Psychology and knew she wanted to work with kids but she was seeking something different. Then a student joined her preschool classroom that required extra supports due to being visually impaired. She loved working with this student and it made her realize that this was what she wanted to do: help those that need it the most. Bryanna shares that she loves the relationships she has formed with the students. She enjoys being able to work with the entire classroom and build those connections and see their growth. She stated that watching their growth and knowing that she was a part of those achievements makes her feel proud and happy. Bryanna shared that learning about behaviors and working with students with Autism is something she is very interested in and she hopes to grow within the field. Outside of work, Bryanna loves sports. Whether it is watching, playing or coaching, she loves everything about sports. As a former college athlete (playing softball for SCSU) and as a former coach of Cheshire High School Softball, Bryanna knows how much someone can gain from being a student athlete. She said the experience helped her to grow in her time management skills as well as her teamwork skills. Both serve her well in her current role. Besides sports, she also loves the beach, travelling, and trying new places to eat. She said that working at Village School can be challenging but it is worth it to be able to watch the students grow. Bryanna loves the family atmosphere at Village and said she has never experienced anything like this anywhere else. Knowing that you are never alone and someone is always there for you is important. Bryanna, thank you for all you do daily, for always being there for your teammates and students, and for always demonstrating what it means to have PRIDE!
ACES Village School staff and students wore their best purple outfits today and raised over $194 in support of International CdLS Awareness Day which is Saturday, May 10th.
Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) is a genetic disorder present from birth, usually not inherited. The occurrence of CdLS is estimated to be 1 in 10,000 live births, but because it is so variable, could remain undiagnosed. You can learn more about it here.
Recently, our own Lindsey Fernandez (Room 3) received a proclamation from her hometown of North Branford which proclaimed Saturday, May 10, 2025 as International CdLS day in the town. Lindsey organized this fundraiser with her family as part of her effort to raise funds for research and awareness of this rare genetic disorder!!
Thank you to all who supported this great cause!
Village Staff Connection: Tom Norton (Physical Education Teacher) is this week’s Village Staff Connection. Tom joined the Village team in January and has quickly become a valued member of our community. Tom was nominated by colleagues for his calm presence, creativity, and student-centered mindset, as well as the energy and innovation he brings to every PE class. Although he just joined ACES Village School this year, Tom has been part of ACES since 2013. He started as an Instructional Assistant at Whitney High East before transitioning to a Behavior Technician in Guilford through Clinical Services. Tom then transitioned to the West Haven public schools where he taught Special Education and later Physical Education. With both a Master’s in Special Education and a PE degree, he saw this role at Village as the perfect opportunity to combine his two passions and make a greater impact. Tom shares how rewarding it is to see things “click” for students. He said that he throws many “little parties” throughout the day when students do something successfully. Tom finds creative ways to make every day sports and games work for every student, using tools like leaf blowers, pendulum bowling, wedges, and the Smart Board to ensure everyone has a chance to succeed and have fun. Tom appreciates how staff at Village work hard to ensure students have every opportunity to participate. He says the positive energy and teamwork among staff make it a great place to be, and he’s grateful to be part of it. Outside of work, Tom stays busy with his two young daughters, ages five and two. He and his family enjoy bike rides on the Farmington Canal and time at the park. Tom also plays bass guitar and piano and will be performing at the ACES Music Festival this weekend with several staff and a former student. Tom says he’s happy he made the move to Village and is looking forward to the future. Tom, thank you for all you do daily and for always demonstrating what it means to have PRIDE!
To continue to show our appreciation for our wonderful staff, we had a special visit from the Ice Cream Emergency Truck!🍨
We are kicking off Staff Appreciation Week with heartfelt gratitude for each and every one of you who make Village School such a special and extraordinary place! Stay tuned -there is more appreciation and fun ahead this week!
Village Staff Connection: Erin Boyle (ABA Trainer) is this week’s Village Staff Connection. Erin began working at Village School this school year and has been a great addition to the team since her first day. She has been recognized by her colleagues due to her warm and friendly nature, her ability to learn fast, her amazing work ethic and the way she gives it her all each day. Erin came to Village School with previous experience as a paraprofessional in a public school system and also having taught in a pre-school. She enjoys working with children and was looking for a place of employment that gave her the feeling that she is making a big difference and having an impact in someone’s daily life. She found that here at Village School. Erin admits that she thought she knew what to expect coming to Village School but when she arrived she realized it was more than that. With the help and support of her colleagues and supervisors, she has grown in her role and now sees the impact of her work. Erin shares that her colleagues are very supportive and communicate well. She loves that everyone here is working together and looking out for each other. That has helped her to know she is not on her own and she will always have the support she needs. Erin states that the students drive what she does daily and make her love her job. She wants to work hard for them to help improve their lives and see them grow in their skills. She had such pride in her voice sharing the story of how she was able to support one student in his participation during the Winter Chorus Concert. This was not something he was able to participate in previously and she was able to work with her colleagues to support him to be successful in that. She said the joy that it brought his mother as well as the pride the student demonstrated brought her such happiness. Outside of work, Erin coaches cheerleading. She also enjoys spending time with family and reading mystery and thrillers. Erin is quick to say that the kids and staff make Village School a wonderful place to work. She says this is a very rewarding job and while sometimes it may be challenging, at the end of the day you know you have made a difference and it makes it all worth it. Erin, thank you for all you do daily and for always demonstrating what is means to have PRIDE!
Village Staff Connection: Jackie Rivera (Individual Aide) is this week’s Village Staff Connection. Jackie has been working at ACES Village School since February 2024 and since day one she has been a positive influence on students in each of the classrooms she has worked in. Nominated by a colleague due to her bright spirit (she is always smiling), her willingness to help, and for being an overall asset to the students and the program, Jackie exemplifies what it means to be a positive light for others. Jackie was working at Amazon and was searching for more meaningful work when she spoke with a close friend who works at ACES Village School. After that talk, Jackie decided to transition her work to the school in order to make a difference. She loves helping children that may need a little more help than others in different areas of their life. When speaking to Jackie you see her passion and her love for kids. She is glowing as she talks about how much she is driven by seeing the progress in her student. She said that watching them make the gains in skills such as walking, eating by themselves, and other areas that help improve their quality of life is what drives her. Jackie truly enjoys what she does and the connections she has built with the people at Village School. She tries to always be a positive person and bring a smile to everyone she sees daily. She says that you never know what someone is going through so being a positive influence when you can be is important. Jackie shared that the environment at Village School is very positive and encouraging and she loves that. Outside of work, Jackie is a mom to four children ranging in ages from 6 years old to 18 years old. Her oldest daughter is currently preparing to enlist in the United States Airforce. Recently, Jackie has decided to go back to school to become an ultrasound tech. She is currently studying for her entrance exam and hopes to be enrolling at Gateway soon. Jackie, thank you for all you do daily and for always demonstrating what is means to have PRIDE!
Staff Village Connection: Meet Talanna Daniels, this week’s Village Staff Connection! Talanna has been a dedicated member of the ACES Village School team since 2005, where she began as an ABA Trainer and now serves as a Training Support Interventionist (TSI). She has been nominated for this recognition by both supervisors and colleagues. Known for her hardworking and passionate demeanor, Talanna is a fierce advocate for both students and staff. She has a special talent for building meaningful rapport with students, a skill she has effectively passed on to new staff through her impactful training and mentorship in her TSI role. Her approach to training helps staff grow in confidence and ability, ultimately benefiting the students they serve. Talanna’s positive spirit, upbeat personality, and infectious laugh brighten the building. Talanna recalls starting at Village with no prior experience, simply saying, “I’ll give it a try” after speaking with someone who she knew that worked here. With the support of colleagues who believed in her, she learned the importance of connection and she grew in her confidence. Her growth came from watching others, being encouraged, and celebrating the small wins, especially when students learned something new. Despite moments when she almost gave up, her love for the kids and seeing their success kept her going. Now, she confidently supports staff, encourages out of the box thinking, and celebrates their achievements with pride. Outside of work, Talanna is a proud basketball mom. She says it is something she loves and she has one at the college level and another at the middle school level. She also cherishes her alone time. The relationships she’s built at Village feel like family to her and she genuinely enjoys coming to work every day. Talanna, thank you for showing us what it truly means to have Village PRIDE!
The Scholastic Book Fair always brings excitement for both students and staff. Last week, Village School students had a fantastic time shopping at our annual Scholastic Book Fair. Thanks to generous grant funding provided by the ACES Education Foundation , each student had the opportunity to select and receive a free book of their choice to bring home! We are so grateful for the support that helps foster a love of reading and learning! A very special thank you to the ACES Education Foundation for making this possible! We’d also like to extend our thanks to Stephanie Swan for her hard work in organizing and planning this event for our school.
Thank you to Tim Howes (ACES Deputy Executive Director) and Emily Freel (ACES Director of Core Knowledge) for visiting Village School on Friday to be guest readers at our Library Time. The students enjoyed listening to the stories that both of you read! It was a perfect way to end our week.
Village Staff Connection: Rocco Carranzo (TAD) is this week’s Village Staff Connection! Rocco was nominated by colleagues due to his willingness to go above and beyond to implement new classroom strategies, revising lessons to better fit students, and de-escalate students when they are in crisis. Rocco is known for the connections he is able to build with students to make them feel safe and valued. Rocco began working at Village School in July 2009 as an Individual Aide. Eventually, Rocco transitioned into a TAD position. There is a family history of working at ACES. Rocco’s grandmother previously worked at Village School as a TAD and Planning Aide. His mother, Dawn, was the director of the transportation department but prior to this she worked at one of the high school programs. Rocco would visit her at the school and play basketball with the students. He remembers those days and those interactions as what made him want to work with kids and follow in his mother’s and grandmother’s footsteps. Rocco said he loves this work because he can give the students what they need while they are with us during the school day. He knows he has the ability to make a difference in their day whether it is a small portion of the day or for the full day. He says that Village School does not feel like work to him. He feels like he is coming to a family each day. When you speak with Rocco it is clear that this is his passion and a calling and not just a job. Outside of work, Rocco is busy planning for his upcoming wedding in a few short weeks. He enjoys spending time with his fiancé and their two dogs at local parks and taking hikes. He says they always get the dogs a “pup cup” wherever they go. Rocco also enjoys attending sporting events (hockey is his favorite sport) and attending concerts (especially country music concerts). Rocco, thank you for demonstrating what it means to have Village PRIDE!
What a great community building event this afternoon for our staff. Cherie Bicknell from
Cherie's Sweet Treats (and former ABA Trainer at Village) came to lead those that signed up through a cupcake decorating class. Staff were able to learn how to decorate 6 cupcakes. Everyone’s cupcakes looked amazing and with Cherie baking them we know they will taste just as good!
Village Staff Connection: Lindsey Rutter (ABA Trainer) is this week’s Village Staff Connection! Lindsey was nominated by several of her peers for outstanding work both in and out of the classroom. Staff have commented that they would love to clone her! Lindsey is originally from Ohio. She has been interested in working with children ever since she was little, but her first jobs were doing assembly line work. ACES Village School is her first experience in the schools. When she first started at Village, everything was new to her including the special education population. While she was overwhelmed at first, once she started the trainings, she felt much better and knew Village was the place for her! She loves working with all of the students and particularly enjoys making all of the materials for the classroom. She loves CANVA (an application program for creating materials) and has been actively creating different materials before she even began working at Village. Outside of work, Lindsey recently became engaged on a trip to Disney World! She enjoys playing video games and watching wrestling as well as spending time with her cat, Joker. She is grateful for all of the support she receives at Village and especially from the room 16 staff! Thank you, Lindsey, for demonstrating what it means to have Village PRIDE!
Thank you to the Down Syndrome Association of Connecticut for their book donation to Village School. The DS ACT Education and Outreach Committee is dedicated to ensuring that every school and library in Connecticut has access to books that promote understanding, acceptance, and advocacy for individuals with Down Syndrome. We are grateful to two of our families who proudly nominated ACES Village School to be a recipient of these two amazing books that our children will love.
Village Staff Connection: Karol Vece (Training and Support Interventionist) is this week’s Village Staff Connection! Karol was nominated by her colleagues for her dedication and ability to be a true team player. She strives to help every child learn and reach their highest potential and she supports her fellow teammates and helps to train new staff. Karol has a positive attitude and brings humor to the classroom. She is organized, detail oriented, and enjoys learning new instructional strategies to help students. Karol has been working at Village school since 2013; however, she has been a part of the Village community much longer than that! Karol’s sister attended Village School and she volunteered here as a high school student. Karol had a desire to know more about working with people and helping so that is what drove her to work at Village School and pursue a degree in Early Childhood Education. Working at Village has opened her eyes to how many different components are included in the field of Special Education and all the varied ways children can learn. Over the years she has learned to think outside of the box to find new ways to reach students and help them connect with the learning. As a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT), Karol is intrigued by finding ways to help students be ready for learning through helping them find ways to regulate. She loves to create a bond with students and her biggest reinforcement is seeing the students learn and grasp what she is teaching them. Now as a TSI, she also finds watching staff learn the skills she teaches them gives her great joy and pride. She sees how her new role is helping more students be successful by supporting the staff that are working with them. Karol has had a passion for this work for a long time and she credits her first-grade teacher with her initial desire to go into education. She hopes to expand her skill set and go back to school for either her Special Education teaching certification or her BCBA. Outside of work, Karol says that she lives at the gym. That is where you will find her every day as it gives her a way to relax and have some “me” time. Karol is also a dog mom and a loving wife. She shared that she loves working at Village School because she is able to experience a variety of classrooms and age groups as well as learn from her colleagues. She says that the people at Village work together, help each other out, and it all happens without words. It is a positive place to work with a lot of support. Thank you, Karol, for demonstrating what it means to have Village PRIDE!
Wishing our Village staff who participated in the Village Couch to 5K program led by Mimi Washington (ABA Trainer) luck today as they run in the ShamRock & Roll 5K in New Haven today!! Congrats to Mimi, Kathy, Colleen, Tom, Sharimar, KiKi, and Isiah!! ☘️🏃♀️
Dance Party and Larry Awards to end a freezing February!! Here’s hoping we can enjoy outdoor recess in March!!
February is National Children's Dental Health Month! Ms. Makayla's classroom (Room 3) has been learning about dental hygiene through books, videos, games and other hands-on activities. Ms. Danielle (Speech and Language Pathologist) and Ms. Makayla have been co-teaching to as part of this learning process. To encourage daily brushing, students are earning raffle tickets for brushing at home or school, with weekly "dental prize" drawings. There is also a morning brushing station within the classroom to support students in this process. Pictured here is one lesson where the class practiced brushing on a model and wrapped up their unit with certificates!
Village Staff Connection: Danielle Perrone (Special Education Teacher) is this week’s Village Staff Connection! Danielle has been a Special Education Teacher at Village School in the EIBI program since 2018. She was nominated by staff for “just being her” as well as her ability to always make sure students and staff in her room are set up for success and keeping everyone focused on their common goal. Danielle chose to become a Special Education Teacher due to her passion to want to be part of a student’s success. She loves working hands on with the students, building rapport with them, and watching them make progress. She feels lucky to be a part of all of that. Before she became a teacher, Danielle was a paraprofessional in the East Haven school system within their ABA program. She has a masters in Special Education with a concentration in Autism and a 6th year professional degree of advanced studies in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Danielle shared that she loves working at Village school because there is just a feeling that is present in the building that is hard to put into words. She says everyone who is here is there for each other, sticks together, and is here to do whatever they need to for the students. She said you can see this best during times of difficulties as whenever someone needs the support it is “all hands-on deck” and everyone does whatever they can to just help. Outside of work, Danielle is trying to rest before welcoming her second child in just a few short weeks. She is already the proud mom of an 18-month-old daughter and is looking forward to welcoming another girl into their family in March. She loves playing with her daughter, reading, and catching up on shows on Netflix. Danielle said that being a Special Education teacher is a rewarding job as you really have an impact on students but you have to have the heart and the drive for this work. Danielle, you certainly have both of those things. Thank you for all you do each day and for always showing your Village PRIDE!
Village Staff Connection: Cindy Murray (TAD) is this week’s Village Staff Connection! Cindy has been recognized for her consistent work with the students in her classroom and on her transportation assignment. She is always working with kids and puts in 100% effort at all times. Cindy has been working at ACES Village School for 23 years. She began as a daily substitute for two years before transitioning to an Individual Aide for a short period of time before landing in her TAD role. Cindy shared that she has always liked working with the students at Village School. Since her mother worked here for over 35 years, she had the opportunity to come to Village School to volunteer during her school vacations. During her time volunteering, Cindy found a love and passion for the students here. She enjoys being there for them through whatever they need. She said that the most important thing to her is showing them that someone cares and loves them. She does this by not only helping them in any way she can but also by having fun and joking around when it is appropriate. Cindy truly loves her job and is always willing to go above and beyond when asked. One thing that Cindy enjoys doing is translating for families when needed. She knows how important it is for families to get the proper communication they need in order to support their children and be part of the school community. Cindy says that all parents want to know exactly what is going on and when there is a language barrier that makes it hard so she is happy to translate and support them in that process. Outside of work, Cindy likes to cook and shop. She has been known to cook for her colleagues from time to time as well. Cindy is also busy as the mom of a teenager. When asked how to be successful at Village School, Cindy says there is no secret, you just have to show the kids that you care about them and that you love working with them. Cindy, thank you for all you do every day and always showing your Village PRIDE!
In music therapy, students from Ms. Melissa's Room (Room 23) performed in their very own drum circle to the music of Babatunde Olatunji, a Nigerian drummer, educator, social activist, and recording artist. Students learned about many different African instruments and incorporated these instruments into their drum circle. In celebration of Black History month, all students at Village School have had the opportunity to engage in learning several African songs, learned about what specific country they originated from, what language they are in, and the social impact each song has had on the specific African and African American culture.
Celebrating Black History Month through creativity! Our students have been exploring Black history and culture through various art projects. Learning about black history is important as honors achievements and contributions, recognizes challenges, and inspires a better future.
Village Staff Connection: Brittny Pika (Special Education Teacher) has been selected as this week’s Village Staff Connection. Brittny is a first-year teacher who has stepped into her role as an EIBI teacher with grace and professionalism after having worked at ACES Village School as an ABA Trainer while completing her teaching degree. Brittny has been nominated by her colleagues as they have been impressed with the activities she creates and how creating and engaged she is with her students. They also recognized her for the manner in which she has been able to prepare and present at PPT meetings including supporting and authentically including the families in on the process. Brittny decided she wanted to be a teacher when she was young. She says she always had the “baby touch”, in that whenever anyone had her hold a baby they would stop crying. Her first job out of college was at an ABA center and working in that environment solidified the deal that she wanted to work with kids as her career. Brittny enjoyed doing her student teaching here at Village as well as at Whitney High North. She credits her student teaching experience as well as being an ABAT for allowing her to learn to accept and embrace change. Brittny loves the students at Village School and is so grateful for all the support she receives. She referred to the support at Village school as “endless”. In her free time, Brittny enjoys cozy things like movies and books. She loves hiking and nature when the weather is nice. She is looking forward to continuing to work with her amazing students and watching their growth. Brittny, we are grateful that you are part of our team! Thank you for always showing your Village PRIDE!!
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