Phone: 914-739-0682
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
BS- Music Education- Five Towns College MS- Music Education Western Connecticut State UniversityCertified NYS Music K-12
Mrs. Crystal Hernandez
Peekskill’s Uriah Hill Elementary School welcomed a new addition to their building early this month, but this familiar face was one that was already known quite well to many at the school and in the District.
On January 8, the Pre-Kindergarten building became the new home for Woodside and Hillcrest’s music teacher Crystal Hernandez, who will be on leave from her position as a music teacher while she is working at Uriah Hill as a Teacher Leader until June. Hernandez will be helping Ms. Sherri Goffman,who oversees the school and serves as the Interim Director of Educational Services in the District, with the school’s day-to-day operations.
“It’s been great being [at Uriah Hill] and I feel very welcomed,” Hernandez said. “The teachers are happy I am here and I’m trying to be as helpful as I can. I really want to be an asset to the teachers and Ms. Goffman so that together, we can get Uriah Hill to be the best it can be. We’re off to a great start and we are doing wonderful things for a generation that really needs more preschool.”
Hernandez has been a music teacher for seven years and has a Pre-K background that has been in the making since she started volunteering at Woodlot Christian Preschool in Tuckahoe when she was only 12 years old. She remained at Woodlot throughout her high school and college career, and still works at the school during the summers as an administrator.
In addition to her lifetime of work in the Pre-K sector, Hernandez has also attended Five Towns College where she majored in music education. After graduating from Five Towns, she went on to Western Connecticut University where she earned her Master’s Degree in music education. Currently, Hernandez is at the end of earning a degree in administration from Mercy College, which is what brings her to Uriah Hill.
Hernandez, who had previously interned at Woodside Elementary, says she received a call from Peekskill administration last December inviting her to continue her internship capabilities as a Teacher Leader at Uriah Hill.
“I’m excited to be here and work in a different role,” Hernandez said. “I believe everyone has different talents and abilities – one of my talents and abilities is music, but one of my other talents that others have seen in me is leadership and I’m hoping to learn as much as I can from Ms. Goffman while I’m here so I can become a better leader to help our students receive the best education possible.”
And Ms. Goffman is just as excited to have Hernandez in the building as Hernandez is to be there. While at Uriah Hill, Hernandez will work with teachers to help make the most out of the new Common Core curriculum and will also be taking a managerial standpoint at the school to make sure operations in the building are working efficiently, and that the school’s children, classrooms and busses are safe. Goffman says that Hernandez’s presence at the preschool will help free up some of her own time so that she can focus on her other responsibilities as Interim Director of Educational Services.
“I’m happy to have someone to help take on the day-to-day operations at Uriah Hill, so I can concentrate on curriculum work,” Goffman said. “I’m trying hard to get the ELA curriculum aligned for grades Pre-K-5 and I haven’t had as much time as I need to be working on that. I’ve started working with The Elementary ELA Curriculum Council, but it takes a lot of structure, organization and coordination to work with a council that involves over 30 people who are all in different schools. Having Crystal on board here at Uriah Hill provides coverage for the school, while I take the time needed to work on the elementary curriculum for the District, which is one of the major goals that I was hired to achieve this year.”
Though happy to be working in her new position, Hernandez does note that she misses working with her students from Hillcrest and Woodside.
“I miss my students very much,” Hernandez said. “My job is very special because I get to work with the young ones and the older ones. The younger students bring a lot of joy and love into the classroom, and while I get that here [at Uriah Hill], I don’t get it as much as I’m used to, which is something I’m going to have to get accustomed to.”
“I miss my fellow teachers at the other buildings too,” Hernandez added. “But the staff at Uriah Hill used to be the staff at Woodside, so it’s made the transition a little easier because I get to work with people I haven’t seen in quite a while.”
Hernandez will return to Hillcrest and Woodside for the 2014-2015 school year. While on leave from the two elementary schools, Hernandez’s position will be filled by a certified K-12 music teacher.
On January 8, the Pre-Kindergarten building became the new home for Woodside and Hillcrest’s music teacher Crystal Hernandez, who will be on leave from her position as a music teacher while she is working at Uriah Hill as a Teacher Leader until June. Hernandez will be helping Ms. Sherri Goffman,who oversees the school and serves as the Interim Director of Educational Services in the District, with the school’s day-to-day operations.
“It’s been great being [at Uriah Hill] and I feel very welcomed,” Hernandez said. “The teachers are happy I am here and I’m trying to be as helpful as I can. I really want to be an asset to the teachers and Ms. Goffman so that together, we can get Uriah Hill to be the best it can be. We’re off to a great start and we are doing wonderful things for a generation that really needs more preschool.”
Hernandez has been a music teacher for seven years and has a Pre-K background that has been in the making since she started volunteering at Woodlot Christian Preschool in Tuckahoe when she was only 12 years old. She remained at Woodlot throughout her high school and college career, and still works at the school during the summers as an administrator.
In addition to her lifetime of work in the Pre-K sector, Hernandez has also attended Five Towns College where she majored in music education. After graduating from Five Towns, she went on to Western Connecticut University where she earned her Master’s Degree in music education. Currently, Hernandez is at the end of earning a degree in administration from Mercy College, which is what brings her to Uriah Hill.
Hernandez, who had previously interned at Woodside Elementary, says she received a call from Peekskill administration last December inviting her to continue her internship capabilities as a Teacher Leader at Uriah Hill.
“I’m excited to be here and work in a different role,” Hernandez said. “I believe everyone has different talents and abilities – one of my talents and abilities is music, but one of my other talents that others have seen in me is leadership and I’m hoping to learn as much as I can from Ms. Goffman while I’m here so I can become a better leader to help our students receive the best education possible.”
And Ms. Goffman is just as excited to have Hernandez in the building as Hernandez is to be there. While at Uriah Hill, Hernandez will work with teachers to help make the most out of the new Common Core curriculum and will also be taking a managerial standpoint at the school to make sure operations in the building are working efficiently, and that the school’s children, classrooms and busses are safe. Goffman says that Hernandez’s presence at the preschool will help free up some of her own time so that she can focus on her other responsibilities as Interim Director of Educational Services.
“I’m happy to have someone to help take on the day-to-day operations at Uriah Hill, so I can concentrate on curriculum work,” Goffman said. “I’m trying hard to get the ELA curriculum aligned for grades Pre-K-5 and I haven’t had as much time as I need to be working on that. I’ve started working with The Elementary ELA Curriculum Council, but it takes a lot of structure, organization and coordination to work with a council that involves over 30 people who are all in different schools. Having Crystal on board here at Uriah Hill provides coverage for the school, while I take the time needed to work on the elementary curriculum for the District, which is one of the major goals that I was hired to achieve this year.”
Though happy to be working in her new position, Hernandez does note that she misses working with her students from Hillcrest and Woodside.
“I miss my students very much,” Hernandez said. “My job is very special because I get to work with the young ones and the older ones. The younger students bring a lot of joy and love into the classroom, and while I get that here [at Uriah Hill], I don’t get it as much as I’m used to, which is something I’m going to have to get accustomed to.”
“I miss my fellow teachers at the other buildings too,” Hernandez added. “But the staff at Uriah Hill used to be the staff at Woodside, so it’s made the transition a little easier because I get to work with people I haven’t seen in quite a while.”
Hernandez will return to Hillcrest and Woodside for the 2014-2015 school year. While on leave from the two elementary schools, Hernandez’s position will be filled by a certified K-12 music teacher.
