Classrooms around the world look entirely different than they did back in 2019. This academic year has shown many challenges, but teachers everywhere have faced them with grace and for that, we cannot thank them enough. A teacher on the SouthCoast is one of many who have proven that if ever there was a time to step up and help when no one else can, it is during a pandemic.

Mrs. Sharon Arena-Zanghi is loved by all of her first-grade students in her virtual-learning class within Dartmouth Public Schools. What makes this educator so special is that she came out of retirement to instruct these pupils during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her nomination for the SouthCoast Teacher of the Month award was so touching that we just have to share it with everyone.

“Miss Arena', as her students in her VLA (virtual learning/full remote) classroom call her, deserves this recognition for the true care and extra effort she puts in for her students. She came out of retirement to take this position in a time where many other educators would not have made that choice, to put students and education first. Having to learn all this technology ‘on the fly’ as she teaches the children has been nothing short of extraordinary.

And the time and dedication she puts in to help her students and families in this fully-remote platform has been a blessing to us in particular. Our daughter Madison loves school, and even though it's fully-remote for her due to the pandemic, she's always saying how she loves Miss Arena, her class, and wishes the school day could be longer. Considering the times we are in, for a child to still have that sort of love for school and learning is a direct reflection of the kind of devoted teacher Miss Arena has been for her and her classmates.

As an example, one evening before Christmas on her own time, she arranged a special Google meet to read the class a special bedtime story, where the children all excitedly joined the meet in their pajamas. We have a teacher who loves her job so much that she goes above and beyond to make the kids feel loved and special in a very difficult time for learning and social engagement. That's why I believe she should be awarded Southcoast Teacher of the Month.”

Congratulations to Mrs. Sharon Arena-Zanghi for being Fun 107's SouthCoast Teacher of the Month for January of 2021. As the winner of this month’s award, "Miss Arena" will receive a gift card for $100 to Amazon so she can continue to make this virtual classroom a fun place to learn. A special thank you to our sponsor Spindle City Auto Glass for helping to make this classroom even better.

Michael and Maddie wish to share this video with Mrs. Sharon Arena-Zanghi:

If your child’s teacher is one of those amazing human beings that goes above and beyond for their students and deserves some recognition this year, nominate him or her for the SouthCoast Teacher of the Month award HERE. They may be as lucky as "Miss Arena."

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