Hehnly Teacher Wins NJ School Boards Award

This release was provided by the Clark School District.

Nicole Parlavecchio, special education teacher at the Frank K. Hehnly School in Clark, is the recipient of the highly prestigious “Innovations in Special Education” Award through the New Jersey School Boards Association.  Ms. Parlavecchio is one of only eight awardees throughout the entire State of New Jersey.

Each year the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) solicits program nominations for what they deem the most effective, innovative, and successful programming ideas currently in practice in special education classrooms and programs from each district throughout the State.  As a recipient of the 2013 “Innovations in Special Education” Award, Ms. Parlavecchio was selected from a pool of 55 nominations and is one of only eight winners in the State.

Ms. Parlavecchio’s award winning program is titled “Teaching, Technology, and the Tennessee Titans,” it features educational lessons that are skyped between the special education students and players and coaches from the National Football League’s Tennessee Titan football team.  Ms. Parlavecchio’s Father, Chet Parlavecchio, is the Linebackers Coach of the Tennessee Titans team.  Titan players read to the students, participate in interactive learning activities, engage students in higher level thinking skills, and provide homework assignments. Among the Tennessee Titan players who have participated in the program include Linebacker Gerald McRath, Wide Receiver Marc Mariani, Linebacker Zac Diles, Linebacker Kevin Malast, and Linebackers Coach Chet Parlavecchio.   Ms. Parlavecchio develops lesson plans and shares them in advance with the team, who then prepare materials and coordinate the lesson with her. The program has been valuable in developing enhanced student self-esteem, building speaking and listening skills, and promoting higher level thinking skills.

Clark Superintendent of Schools Kenneth Knops was delighted to hear of Ms. Parlavecchio’s selection for an “Innovations in Special Education Award, “Nicole and her Dad have done a wonderful job planning, coordinating, and developing this state of the art program.”  I had the pleasure of working on many graduate school projects with Chet Parlavecchio who was my classmate at Montclair State University about 22 years ago, and now to supervise his daughter, Nicole.  Both Parlavecchios are cut from the same mold:  they are visionary educators who think outside the box to motivate young people to strive to better themselves.  I have had the pleasure of attending a few skyping sessions, the  program is a tremendous innovation as the Titan players involved as well as Coach Parlavecchio are wonderful guiding lights, role models, and mentors to our impressionable students.  This program truly touches on the theme of Special Education Week in New Jersey which is “Journey Into the Future of Education.” 

Miss Parlavecchio will be honored at a reception next month in Princeton during Special Education Week in New Jersey on May 13th at which time she will create a display to highlight her program and subsequently present this program at an awards ceremony sponsored by the New Jersey School Boards Association to which Governor Chris Christie has been invited.

Photo Caption:   In the photograph above,

Photo Caption 2:  During a recent visit to the Clark School District to address the Crusader Football Team, Tennessee Titans Linebackers Coach Chet Parlavecchio poses for a picture assistant football coach Anthony Delconte, Supervisor of Athletics Gus Kalikas,  Crusader Most Valuable Player Anthony Travisano,  football head coach Michael Mancino, and assistant coach Chris Dreschel.