Joni Thomas
Joni Thomas was born and raised in Chester, New York, a small rural farming town. She is the daughter of the late Joseph and Philomena Scandurra. Joni, along with her late sister Marie, grew up in a very close knit and loving Italian family. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Wagner College and a Master of Science in Reading from Southern Connecticut State University. She began her career teaching fifth grade language arts and math at the Branford (Walsh) Intermediate School. Upon the birth of her children, Joni made the decision to take a hiatus from her career and devote her full attention to her new career as a mom. She valued and cherished that time with her children. When they were of school age, Joni was offered a position to teach her daughter’s Pre-K class at the Mandana Armstrong Nursery School. Teaching four year olds the beginning skills for learning ignited Joni’s passion for teaching again. Several years later, she accepted a position as literacy paraprofessional at the Mary T. Murphy School and then transitioned to a part time role as a reading specialist. The following year Joni was offered a full-time 1st grade position at the John B. Sliney School. Throughout her career, Joni also taught kindergarten and 2nd grade. In the later part of her career, she transitioned back to being a reading specialist at Sliney and Tisko, helping children develop and acquire the skills necessary to be a successful reader. For the past two years, Joni was assigned the position of the Response to Instruction (RTI) Coordinator/Interventionist for language arts and math for grades K-4 at Tisko.
Joni approached each teaching experience as an opportunity to grow professionally and to create a positive and lifelong impact on student learning. As a teacher, her students reached their goals through individualized instruction and careful implement-
tation of assessments. She continually reflected on lessons and adjusted her instruction based upon student need and overall effectiveness of student learning. As a reading specialist, she developed and implemented lessons for small group instruction to help students strengthen their reading skills. She also designed and conducted professional development workshops to support teachers in their implementation of the reading and writing curriculum. Joni has instilled the belief that successful student progress requires a partnership between teachers and herself. The importance of this team effort and cohesiveness has always been a driving force in her ability to promote a positive learning environment. Her collaboration with R.J. Julia’s was instrumental in bringing well-known authors to Tisko to promote a love of reading.
As the RTI Coordinator/Interventionist, Joni is now responsible for RTI planning, assessment and record keeping for all Tisko students. She works closely with her paraprofessionals to ensure targeted instruction for their small groups. Joni also delivers individualized lessons for students who require more intensive reading instruction. She utilizes her technology skills by keeping careful records of student information and regularly updates student data. She effectively creates an environment of communication by conducting regular meetings with her administrator, instructional coaches and teachers to share student progress and goals.
In addition to her teaching accomplishments, Joni volunteered to produce the Branford High School musicals for five years. She utilized her strong organizational skills to manage and oversee all the committees necessary for a successful musical production. She enjoyed being a part of such an acclaimed program and working closely with Cathyann Roding and Toni Cartisano. Within the community, Joni was a Cub Scout Leader, taught religion classes for St. Therese Church and was active in her children’s PTA.
Joni has been married for forty years to her husband Paul, a retired music coordinator/teacher for the Madison Public Schools. They have three children, Jeffrey, Adam and his wife Elena and Jessica and her fiancé, Ronaldo. Joni will be retiring in June after twenty-five years of teaching in the Branford Public Schools. She plans to spend more time reading, doing Pilates and traveling. Although she is leaving a career that she loves and takes pride in, she looks forward to the next chapter in her life.
Joni approached each teaching experience as an opportunity to grow professionally and to create a positive and lifelong impact on student learning. As a teacher, her students reached their goals through individualized instruction and careful implement-
tation of assessments. She continually reflected on lessons and adjusted her instruction based upon student need and overall effectiveness of student learning. As a reading specialist, she developed and implemented lessons for small group instruction to help students strengthen their reading skills. She also designed and conducted professional development workshops to support teachers in their implementation of the reading and writing curriculum. Joni has instilled the belief that successful student progress requires a partnership between teachers and herself. The importance of this team effort and cohesiveness has always been a driving force in her ability to promote a positive learning environment. Her collaboration with R.J. Julia’s was instrumental in bringing well-known authors to Tisko to promote a love of reading.
As the RTI Coordinator/Interventionist, Joni is now responsible for RTI planning, assessment and record keeping for all Tisko students. She works closely with her paraprofessionals to ensure targeted instruction for their small groups. Joni also delivers individualized lessons for students who require more intensive reading instruction. She utilizes her technology skills by keeping careful records of student information and regularly updates student data. She effectively creates an environment of communication by conducting regular meetings with her administrator, instructional coaches and teachers to share student progress and goals.
In addition to her teaching accomplishments, Joni volunteered to produce the Branford High School musicals for five years. She utilized her strong organizational skills to manage and oversee all the committees necessary for a successful musical production. She enjoyed being a part of such an acclaimed program and working closely with Cathyann Roding and Toni Cartisano. Within the community, Joni was a Cub Scout Leader, taught religion classes for St. Therese Church and was active in her children’s PTA.
Joni has been married for forty years to her husband Paul, a retired music coordinator/teacher for the Madison Public Schools. They have three children, Jeffrey, Adam and his wife Elena and Jessica and her fiancé, Ronaldo. Joni will be retiring in June after twenty-five years of teaching in the Branford Public Schools. She plans to spend more time reading, doing Pilates and traveling. Although she is leaving a career that she loves and takes pride in, she looks forward to the next chapter in her life.