Jude Magnotti ‘26
EE Staff Writer
Every school year, teachers work themselves to the brink of insanity to provide the best possible learning environment for their students. As tough as it is for students in school, it is even more difficult for teachers who have to juggle countless kids and responsibilities each day just to keep up. While all teachers are dedicated to the pursuit of their students’ academic excellence, certain teachers manage to rise above the crowd and go above and beyond for their students and colleagues alike.
The district recognizes these rare individuals each year by awarding one special individual in the Trumbull school system with the “Teacher Of The Year” award. This time around, the recipient of this award happens to be none other than our very own math teacher, Ms. Kelly Ascone!!
Ms. Ascone was surprised during her second period geometry class Friday May 17th by Superintendent, Dr. Martin Semmel, and Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Susan Iwanicki. Together, they informed her that she had officially been selected not just as this year’s best teacher at Trumbull High School, but the best teacher in the entire district of Trumbull.
For the past eight years, Ms. Ascone has been an integral part of the Trumbull teaching community. After teaching at Hillcrest for 4 years, she moved up to Trumbull High where she has remained for the last 4. In just these four years alone, Ms. Ascone has already become renowned as one of the most popular and helpful teachers at the school.
She is understanding, kind, and never afraid to help a student out who is having trouble. When it comes to teaching Math especially, these traits are absolutely vital in order to help students learn to the best of their ability.
“Mrs. Ascone is the best math teacher–best teacher I have ever had,” said sophomore Anthony Elliano,
This sentiment rings true not just among Ms. Ascone’s beloved students, but her colleagues as well.
“I want to say congratulations to Ms. Ascone, it is so well deserved,” said English teacher Ms. Spalla. “I know for a fact that the students love her; she has a true gift for kids.”
As someone who has had Ms. Ascone for the past two years myself, I can 100% confirm that the legend surrounding her is true. Not only is she a die-hard Dolphins fan (which already puts her above most teachers), but she is one of most thoughtful and passionate teachers I have ever learned from.
She jumps every hurdle, crosses every path, and dodges every obstacle students throw at her. She is the very embodiment of what a great teacher should be and has helped not just myself, but tons of other students significantly improve at math in a relatively short period of time.
This award is without a doubt well-deserved and it is encouraging to see great teachers like Ms. Ascone recognized for their efforts. However, this goes beyond just one teacher. The award is not to just recognize one teacher for their excellence, but every teacher in the school community as a whole.
Teachers play vital roles in the lives of almost every student they teach and are far too often brushed to the side or taken for granted. As someone whose mom is a teacher, I can tell you first hand that teachers often put more into their teaching then they sometimes get back.
That’s why we need to let our teachers know that we appreciate them, that we are grateful for the effort they put in every day to come to school and work their butt off just to help us learn. Ms. Ascone is not the first teacher to win this award nor will she be the last, but she will without a doubt stand as a beacon of education that represents everything we strive to be at Trumbull High for years to come.