{"id":5061836,"date":"2024-12-06T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-06T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rilatinonews.com\/?p=5061836"},"modified":"2024-12-06T08:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-12-06T13:00:00","slug":"presente-maria-santonastaso","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/2024\/12\/06\/presente-maria-santonastaso\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00a1Presente! Maria Santonastaso"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CRANSTON\u2014At Glen Hills Elementary School, students learn through creation and exploration in Maria Santonastaso\u2019s vibrant classroom. Bright with colors and laughter, her room includes a reading nook, tables with multimedia art and handmade books, and a busy blocks-building corner, while another space has been transformed into a pond ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Santonastaso\u2019s kindergarten students are engaging in their second integrated unit of the school year: animals and habitats. Although it\u2019s a science-heavy unit, Santonastaso said her classroom also incorporates literacy, research, and creative components. She emphasized the importance of play-based learning, comprehensive learning, and classroom collaboration in her teaching.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe most important piece is really building that community at the beginning of the year\u2026everything else will fall into place,\u201d said Santonastaso. \u201cThey\u2019re eager to help each other, they support each other, they look out for each other and then the learning can happen after that.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: \u00a1PRESENTE! Mar\u00eda Santonastaso\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/episode\/2AEWCDfjHFsMdeuhDhqgBo?si=a10d2fab835f4b84&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This fall, Santonastaso was announced as a National 2024-25 Milken Educator Awardee in front of her dear students and colleagues. The ceremony officially launched the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.milkeneducatorawards.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Milken Educator Awards<\/a> season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt was really exciting to share that moment with the students\u2014my current students but also all the ones I\u2019ve had. As a kindergarten teacher, you know the students the longest,\u201d said Santonastaso.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About 45 educators will receive the Milken Educator Award this academic year. The prestigious award\u2014which comes with a $25,000 cash prize\u2014elevates early-to-mid-career K-12 educators throughout the nation for their impressive accomplishments so far and future teaching achievements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe applaud Maria Santonastaso&#8217;s commitment to providing her students with a strong foundation that prepares them for a lifetime of learning,\u201d said Milken Educator Awards Senior Vice President Dr. Jane Foley. \u201cAt such a young age, Maria&#8217;s students are fortunate to learn under her watchful eye as she ensures their continued academic growth, engagement in hands-on activities, and individualized instruction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In April, Santonastaso will travel to Los Angeles, California for a red-carpet event where she will be celebrated alongside her fellow 2024-25 Milken Educator Award recipients and officially receive the grand cash prize.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt opens up a whole new world that I never really expected to be part of\u2026So, I\u2019m excited for what\u2019s to come,\u201d shared Santonastaso.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"940\" height=\"788\" data-id=\"5061853\" src=\"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5061853\" srcset=\"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/1.png 940w, https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/1-300x251.png 300w, https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/1-768x644.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"940\" height=\"788\" data-id=\"5061854\" src=\"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5061854\" srcset=\"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/2.png 940w, https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/2-300x251.png 300w, https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/2-768x644.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"940\" height=\"788\" data-id=\"5061855\" src=\"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/3.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5061855\" srcset=\"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/3.png 940w, https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/3-300x251.png 300w, https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/3-768x644.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Santonastaso&#8217;s students drawing, reading, and working together on a Monday morning in November, 2024. Photos by Bel\u00e9n Dumont.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Coming from a big family with many younger cousins, Santonastaso said she loved spending time with children at an early age and always knew that she wanted to teach kindergarten. She has been teaching for 11 years\u2014she began in preschool special education and has specifically taught kindergarten for nine years. Santonastaso shared how she cultivates student collaboration and teamwork within her classroom while addressing the individual, specific needs of each child.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI always said that I wouldn\u2019t be the teacher I am without a special education background because all classrooms are diverse and every single student is different\u2014disability for not, everyone is unique.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Outside of the classroom, Santonastaso remains busy as an adjunct professor of early childhood education at Rhode Island College, a contributor to the college\u2019s early childhood STEAM curriculum, and a member of Glen Hills\u2019 improvement team, all while working the school&#8217;s before\/after care program, coordinating a cheer squad for sporting events, and more.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the years, Santonastaso has gradually developed strategies and boundaries to balance her busy schedule and personal life. She advises aspiring and early-career K-12 educators to invest time and energy into exploring the areas and practices within teaching that interest them most.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFollow your heart if there\u2019s something that you\u2019re passionate about\u2026find a way to make it work regardless of the curriculum. You know how students work best, especially if you\u2019re in early childhood and [think] about what\u2019s developmentally appropriate for five and six-year-olds,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s not sitting at a desk for most of the day\u2026a noisy classroom is a classroom that is learning and working and playing\u2014as long as they\u2019re on task.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"940\" height=\"788\" data-id=\"5061859\" src=\"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/5.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5061859\" srcset=\"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/5.png 940w, https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/5-300x251.png 300w, https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/5-768x644.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"940\" height=\"788\" data-id=\"5061860\" src=\"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/6.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5061860\" srcset=\"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/6.png 940w, https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/6-300x251.png 300w, https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/6-768x644.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"940\" height=\"788\" data-id=\"5061858\" src=\"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/4.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5061858\" srcset=\"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/4.png 940w, https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/4-300x251.png 300w, https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/4-768x644.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Photos by Bel\u00e9n Dumont.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Correction:<\/strong> A previous version of this story mentioned that Santonastaso teaches after-school yoga, however, she no longer does. The piece also incorrectly stated that Santonastaso is the 3,000th Milken Educator Awardee, although the network will reach 3,000 members with this cohort with awardees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cranston Kindergarten Teacher Maria Santonastaso was announced as a National 2024-25 Milken Educator Awardee this fall. The ceremony launched the historic Milken Educator Awards season, making Santonastaso the 3,000th Milken Educator in the national network.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5061837,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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Kindergarten Teacher Maria Santonastaso was announced as a National 2024-25 Milken Educator Awardee this fall. The ceremony launched the historic Milken Educator Awards season, making Santonastaso the 3,000th Milken Educator in the national network.\u00a0","authors":[{"term_id":6008,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"belen-dumont","display_name":"Bel\u00e9n Dumont","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/04\/BDHeadshot.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/04\/BDHeadshot.jpg"},"0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"mfb_rest_fields":["title","uagb_featured_image_src","uagb_author_info","uagb_comment_info","uagb_excerpt","authors"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5061836","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5061836"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5061836\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5061837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5061836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5061836"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5061836"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=5061836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}