A A teacher’s day doesn’t end when the classroom door closes. From coaching sports and advising clubs to offering extra help sessions, teachers at Lakeland Regional go beyond the classroom every day to serve as role models, cheerleaders, and sources of support for their students.
For Teacher Appreciation Week, which takes place from May 5–9, 2025, the Lancer Ledger staff took time to honor the educators who have gone above and beyond to make a meaningful impact on their day-to-day lives.
The Ledger Staff Appreciates…
Mr. David Harris, by Gianna Falconi
A teacher I think goes above and beyond is teacher Mr. David Harris, who is a special education at LRHS and in my science class. Mr. Harris is always willing to help any student. With his positive attitude and good humor, he always knows how to make a boring lesson an enjoyable one.
Ms. Tammy Ozdemir and Mr. Daniel Burkert, by Joshua Jaquez
For me, there are two teachers that have impacted me in ways beyond the textbook. The first one being business teacher and head of Lakeland FBLA, Ms. Tammy Ozdemir. From being a member of FBLA, Ms. Ozdemir has made a big impact on me through the organization. If I could thank Ms. Ozdemir for anything, it’s for helping create a new passion in my life that has done so much for me.
The second teacher that has majorly impacted me is my track coach, and cross country coach, Mr. Daniel Burkert. Mr. Burkert, who is a special education teacher at LRHS, has sparked a passion for both sports in my life and has always helped me and others around me strive to improve. If I could thank Mr. Burkert for anything it would be for always being there to help me and other members of teams and helping to shape us into better athletes.
Mr. Rudy Rodriquez, by Elliot Fudge
The teacher that has affected me beyond the classroom is Mr. Rodolfo Rodriguez. Mr. Rodriguez has taught math in a way that is both easy to understand and is applicable in the real world. The math that we learn in his class feels like it could be used in life after school, something that other math classes that I have had were not able to do. Mr. Rodriguez makes his lessons fun, engaging, and informative, while also helping every student in his classroom.
Mr. Joseph Cervino, by Aaleyah Keckeissen
This week is dedicated to thanking our teachers and showing how much love and support we have for them. I feel most impacted by my wrestling coach and physical education teacher Mr. Joseph Cervino. Mr. Cervino has pushed me to my true potential not only in school but also in sports. He has shown me what true improvement looks like and has helped me develop not only as a student but also an athlete. If Mr. Cervino was here I would tell him, “Thank you for your guidance and dedication to helping me and for believing in me.”
Ms. Donna Joseph and Ms. Angela Carnavale, by Domenic Miele
I appreciate my teachers Ms. Donna Joseph, foods, and Ms. Angela Carnavale, Italian. I appreciate Ms. Joseph because she has fun with the class and is a very chill teacher, and Ms. Carnavale is chill and fair about what she teaches. I want to thank both teachers for giving me a very fun sophomore year and making school fun.
Mr. Thomas McCormack, by Chase Murray
Mr. Thomas McCormack, room 400’s social studies teacher, is a teacher who has impacted me ‘beyond the textbook.’ Mr. Mac is funny and actually teaches in an interesting way so I can understand everything we learn. He’ll always say hi to you if he sees you, and he makes your day better every time you have his class. He’s also more laid back from other teachers but still knows when to be more strict. If he were standing next to me I would just say “Hi!” because I have him later.
Ms. Varsa Wilber, by Jazlene Pagan
A teacher that goes above and beyond for me is Ms. Varsa Wilber, who works in the LRHS special services department. Ms. Wilber is an amazing staff member as she always says hello to you, she knows how to make you smile, she always has a positive attitude, and, and she loves to mess around. Ms. Wilber is an overall great person in every way possible, and I appreciate her always making time for me when she can. I love how she pushes me to my full potential as well. No matter how bad of an attitude I have, she will always tell me I can do it and that I’ll be fine. I would love to thank her for everything she has done for me.
Ms. Gerri Batelli, by Nicholas Palmadessa
In my time at Lakeland, I’ve been grateful to be able to meet and learn from Ms. Gerri Batelli, special education teacher. Ms. Batelli is a fantastic teacher. She was able to make my new move from Bergen County to Wanaque nice and smooth as she was able to make me feel comfortable and safe. I’m very grateful to Ms Batelli and her kindness. She also creates work that makes my time in her class extremely enjoyable. Her class is a safe space from the horrors of the world as when you’re in her class, you are her student and her care for you goes beyond the classroom.
Mr. Daniel Burkert, by Alan Quinn
The teacher that has really impacted me beyond the classroom is my coach, Mr. Daniel Burkert. Mr. Burkert, who is also a special education teacher, is the head coach for spring track and field, and is always helpful whenever you have questions or need help. He is also an awesome coach for motivating the athletes for meets or helping you reach any of your goals.
Ms. Angela Carnavale, by Dalia Salem
As we celebrate teacher appreciation week, I would like to give my thanks to my Italian teacher, Ms. Angela Carnavale. I have had Ms. Carnavale my freshman and sophomore year, and I’ve grown to like her more and more. Ms. Carnavale is very easy to talk to because she is always willing to listen no matter what the conversation is about. She is also always willing to help me with my school work when I may be struggling with something. Ms. Carnavale is very funny,; she tends to come into class with a new joke or story to tell because she likes to keep all of her students interested and engaged even if it is outside of the topic she is teaching. She tries to stay updated on what teens are doing and talking about on social media so that she can connect better with her students. Overall, Ms. Carnavale is a great teacher by keeping all of her students involved and doing the best that she can to help students achieve the best grades possible in her class. If Ms. Carnavale was next to me right now, I would definitely thank her for being one of the best teachers I’ve had and for always lightening my mood after a long B-day.
Mr. Brian Brzozowski, by Rylee Thomas
There are a lot of teachers every day who go above and beyond for their students. Speaking for myself, a teacher who made an impact on me is math teacher, Mr. Brian Brzozowski. Not only is Mr. Brzozwski a good teacher, he is also a good coach (he coaches me in fencing.) Everyone who has had him as the coach always says he is positive, helpful, and always tries to have a good attitude when coaching. When he is teaching, he keeps the same attitude and always tries to help students. He goes above and beyond every day to help every student both in and out of the classroom. We are truly grateful for having such a good teacher and coach here at LRHS.
Mr. David Harris, by Natalie Thompson
A teacher that I really appreciate is Mr. David Harris. Mr. Harris is in the special education department at LRHS, and he is such an amazing teacher. He is always willing to help a student in need, and his encouragement motivates me to push myself harder. Something I would like to thank him for is for helping me during tests, quizzes, and other assignments.
Mr. Richard Wiley, by Hope Walker
A teacher that has made an impact on my life outside of the textbook is Mr. Richard Wiley. I am just about to finish his two year long course, A.P U.S, History (A.P.U.S.H), and the way he taught this class has made a huge difference in my academic life. Although A.P.U.S.H is an incredibly challenging and rigorous course, Mr. Wiley always makes it enjoyable with his meme filled notes or unique group work activities. Mr. Wiley is a dedicated teacher who influences his students to be just as dedicated as him. A notable example of his dedication is the handful of times where he told the class about a week in advance that a “class speaker” would be coming in. In reality it was really just him pretending to be notable people in history that we had to ask questions to in order to understand the curriculum better. His class has been so enjoyable that it is one of the factors that makes me want to study political science in college. I owe lots of thanks to Mr. Wiley for giving me a class to look forward to learning from, especially during periods of the year when I was swamped with homework and studying.
LRHS Students Appreciate…
Ms. Angela Carnavale
Jillian Ricci, sophomore, feels a great amount of appreciation for Ms. Angela Carnavale, her Italian World Language teacher. Ricci says that Ms. Carnavale is her favorite teacher because “she talks about stuff other than school and knows how to make a class fun while still being able to teach.” She continues to talk about Mrs. Carnavale’s empathy and generosity. Ricci goes as far as saying that if she were here, she would tell her, “You’re a great teacher.”
Mr. Chris Chouljian
Sophomore Jack Gibson shares, “The teacher who affected me the most is Mr. Chouljian.” Mr. Chris Chouljian is a social studies teacher at LRHS who also helps run the Ultimate Frisbee Club that Gibson is involved in. When asked how Mr. Chouljian has affected him beyond the textbook, Gibson says, “He always gets people excited and ready to play ultimate frisbee.”
Senior Isabella Constant also says that Mr. Chouljian is an outstanding teacher. She tells the Ledger that if she were to say anything to Mr. C, it would be, “I appreciate you getting me through my sophomore and junior years with interesting topics.” Constant shares that Mr.Chouljian goes beyond the textbook by explaining topics whenever she was having trouble understanding them.
Mr. Damiano Conforti and Mr. Daniel Burkert
Senior Catherine Wiley shares that the teachers that made the biggest impact on her were her cross country and track coaches, Mr. Damiano Conforti and Mr. Daniel Burkert. When asked about their impact, Wiley said that Mr. Conforti was always there to cheer her up and make her laugh anytime she saw him in school. When it comes to Mr. Burkert, she shares that he supported her in a more academic way by helping her edit her college essay. Wiley said, “Mr. Burket is always there for me with academic guidance whenever I need it.” If she could tell these two teachers anything, she would thank them for always supporting and encouraging her to be the best person she could be on and off the track.
Mr. Ronald Etzkorn and Mr. Cole Lankford
Kyle Allison, sophomore, appreciates his teachers Mr. Ronald Etzkorn and Mr. Cole Lankford, his social studies and business teachers. Allison appreciates Mr. Etzkorn because he is funny and gives a very calming experience, and Mr. Lankford for giving him a chill class. Allison wanted to thank both teachers for “giving him a good A-Day.”
Mr. David Falcon
Junior William Lopez shares that Mr. David Falcon, special education teacher, has impacted Lopez beyond the textbook on the soccer field. Lopez says, “Mr. Falcon has greatly helped me improve as a player on the soccer field… He knows the right things to say, he is always positive, and he pushes me to do better everytime.” If he could thank Mr. Falcon right now for anything, it would be for being a “great role model.”
Ms. Heather Lazoff
Joshua Diaz, freshman, shares that Ms. Heather Lazoff, math teacher, has impacted him. He says that it improves his day when he sees her because she is funny, has a good personality, and makes math more interesting and not as bland. He says, “Thank your Ms. Lazoff for always putting a smile on my face and making math easier to learn.”
Ms. Kory Mellon
For Teacher Appreciation Week, sophomore Kendall Loweth gives thanks to her past Ceramics and Sculpture teacher, Ms. Kory Mellon. Ms. Mellon is a teacher in the art department who also coaches the Lakeland field hockey team. Loweth had taken Ceramics and Sculpture her freshman year, and shares that Ms. Mellon was a big part of making the class enjoyable. Loweth says that Ms. Mellon is a teacher that she appreciates because “she talks to me and checks up on me.” Ms. Mellon is a favorite among students for her fun personality and descriptive way of teaching. Loweth said that if she happened to be standing next to Ms Mellon at the current moment, she would find herself saying, “Thank you for being nice to me.”
Mr. Rudy Rodriquez
Freshman Luis Rodriguez says that math teacher Mr. Rudy Rodriquez has helped him beyond the textbook. Luis Rodriguez says, “He tries to make the class fun and interactive and is there for everyone.” Mr. Rodriguez, who always has a happy and cheerful attitude, cracks jokes in class and makes the classroom have a happy and healthy atmosphere. To Mr. Rodriguez, Luis Rodriguez says, “Thank you for being a great teacher, for teaching us well, for taking care for all the students, and making the class fun.”
Mr. Matthew Testa
A freshman at LRHS says a teacher who made a great impact on her is band teacher, Mr. Matthew Testa. She says that Mr. Testa always tries to make everyone laugh and always tries to help students when help is needed. She also shares that she has learned a lot in band from Mr. Testa and has improved every day in playing her instrument. She continues by saying, “Mr Testa always tries to make us laugh in class and always tries to teach us the right way to do things.” She is grateful to have Mr. Testa as her band teacher.
Mr. Giorgi Tchubabria
For teacher appreciation week, senior Kaelyn Barbosa wants to appreciate Mr. Giorgi Tchubabria, science teacher. She shares that he helps her stay disciplined, stable and grounded in his class. She said every time she fails a test, he motivates her to do better. Barbosa wants to thank Mr. Tchubabria for being so motivating to her and giving such great advice; she appreciates it entirely and wouldn’t want to have another chemistry teacher.
Mr. Richard Wiley
When asked about what teacher has impacted him the most, junior Zachary Raider gave AP United States History teacher Mr. Ricard Wiley. Raider says, “He’s got a great personality, way of teaching that makes his class both fun and informative.” When asked what he would thank Mr Wiley for, Raider would says it would be for making the class fun.
