Alexandra Reinertsen Earns Joan Balsari Scholarship
When Washington Primary School teacher Joan Marie Balsari passed away in October 2011, her students and colleagues were devastated. The longtime educator had been battling breast cancer for 17 months, but following surgery and treatment she seemed to be on the road to a full recovery. She returned to teaching and the classroom she loved.
Mrs. Balsari's condition deteriorated rapidly over a period of less than two weeks, stunning her fellow teachers and friends. After she passed away, the Associated Teachers of Huntington, the professional organization of the district's teachers, announced it would establish a $1,000 scholarship in Mrs. Balsari's memory and present it annually for the next decade.
ATH President James Graber presented the first Balsari scholarship last spring to Samantha Bindrim, who is now studying education at SUNY Cortland. "We lost a kind soul known for her dedication, patience and caring," Mr. Graber told the crowd. "Mrs. Joan Balsari passed away, never to teach again."
The second annual scholarship was presented last week to Huntington senior Alexandra Reinertsen, who knew Mrs. Balsari well after spending second grade in the teacher's classroom.
"I am thrilled to have won the scholarship in honor of Mrs. Balsari," said Ms. Reinertsen. The senior is headed to the University of Rhode Island to study early childhood education, with a focus on grades K-2.
"The scholarship has so much meaning to me personally because Mrs. Balsari is the one who inspired me to become a teacher," Ms. Reinertsen said. "She always brought a positive energy, a warm smile and a fun way of learning in her classroom. She was a fantastic teacher and a wonderful person."
Ms. Reinertsen intends to carry a college minor in Spanish and to participate in URI's color guard, an activity she excelled in at Huntington High School. "My senior year flew by," she said. "It's really unbelievable that my friends and I will be graduating in a few days. I've had a lot of fun this year. There has always been something going on!"
The highlights of Ms. Reinertsen's senior year include acting in The Sound of Music and singing in the concert choir. "It was such a fun show to do and it was the perfect ending to my years of drama club in the high school," she said about the spring musical. "This was my first year in concert choir and it was so much fun! Mrs. [Veronica] Mainville always makes class fun and she has taught me many things and is kind. She's always there for anyone who needs help. Her class is always a great way to start the day!"
As Huntington High School's 152nd commencement exercises approach, Ms. Reinertsen is whimsical. "Graduating is bittersweet," she said. "As excited as I am about URI, I will miss my friends and family a lot! Over this summer, I am traveling with some of my friends and classmates, as well as Ms. [Pamela] Piffard and Ms. [Camille] Tedeschi through Education First Tours. We are going to Berlin, Prague and Switzerland in July and I am very excited!"
Born to a Huntington family on July 16, 1950, Joan Marie Balsari attended elementary and secondary school here and graduated from Huntington High School with her future husband, Dennis in 1968. The couple's only child, Denielle graduated from Huntington in 2003.Today she works as a teacher in Commack.
Prior to coming to Washington School, Mrs. Balsari worked as a teacher aide and then as a short and long-term substitute teacher in the district from February 1989 through June 1996. She earned an AA degree at SUNY Farmingdale, a Bachelor's degree at SUNY College at Old Westbury and a Master's degree in reading at Dowling College. She obtained teaching certification in ESL through Adelphi University and secured certification as an administrator through Stony Brook University, where she received an advanced graduate certificate.
Mrs. Balsari was a gifted teacher and was adored by her students. As Ms. Reinertsen prepares head off to college and start down the road that leads to a teaching career, it is not difficult to imagine her second grade teacher looking down upon her former student and smiling, proud at how well the teenager has done since the pair first met at Washington School all those years ago.