GST BOCES congratulates      

Dave Dallaportas

Principal, Center Street School

 

Dave Dallaportas has served as principal at Center Street Elementary School for many years and has vigorously advocated for arts programming during his tenure.  He has found it to be the perfect means for students to learn about other areas of the curriculum, including the language arts and natural sciences.  There are many murals throughout the building which include depictions of animals throughout the world - many of whom are endangered.  Students studied about the animals and their habitats,  then wrote about them from a scientific and literary perspective, making Center Street arts programming a truly interdisciplinary learning experience for the students.

 

 

 

The cut-paper mural in the photo above was completed under the tutelage of GST BOCES artist, Aleta Yarrow. When Aleta came to work with the children on the mural,  she was asked to do a mural for each character trait.  Aleta thought that it would be more prudent to focus on just one trait.  They decided to focus on "respect,"  a trait Aleta claims best exemplifies Mr. Dallaportas.  Aleta asked the kids,  "How can you make a metaphor of respect?  Their idea was to use the water cycle - the rain,  the river and water - and the way each part of the cycle respects the earth.  (Stay tuned next fall as Aleta will be featured on our Artist in the News page.)

Dave takes his character traits to heart - as principal,  respect is his favorite character trait. 

A few encounters with this beloved principal demonstrates that Dave Dallaportas gives respect to all he meets - faculty and parents alike...

Irene Peterson is one such parent who has a son who attends Center Street School.  She had only accolades for Dave Dallaportas and the arts programming at Center Street,  including the school's year long participation in the Chemung River School project at the Arnot Art Museum,  a wonderful program that includes "Riverwalks" with poets and naturalists at Tanglewood Nature Center, visits by regional artists to their classrooms,  trips to the Arnot Art Museum and Chemung Museum of Natural History, a visit by representatives from the Cornell Cooperative Extension to talk about the water cycle and participation in the Riverfest at the end of the year.

Irene wanted to express her gratitude to Dave Dallaportas for being such a dedicated principal:

I wanted to thank Dave Dallaportas for his outstanding work as principal of Center Street. He made the school a wonderful place for my two children.  He was deeply involved in every aspect of educating the children, and demonstrated a very broad philosophy about education,  which included not only academics and the arts, but also development of social responsibility.  He showed his personal dedication by encouraging and attending numerous school activities outside of school hours, including special events at the school and PTO meetings. 

(Stay tuned to hear more about Irene next fall as we initiate our very first  GST BOCES Arts in Education Parents in the News Page).

Dave Dallaportas will be truly missed by faculty, staff, parents and students.  His passion for education,  the arts and the environment are apparent the moment a visitor enters the building. His  students are certain to have felt his influence as well as his own daughter who is now making the world a better place in her own way as she works as an environmental scientist! Below are examples of the plaques displayed in the corridors of the school. 

 

 

Many thanks to Dave Dallaportas for always going the extra mile for your students.  Your legacy of caring will surely continue through all the lives you have touched. 

 

 

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