Kathleen Whitley Boyd

Kathleen Whitley Boyd was born in Brooklyn, NY, but grew up in northeastern New Jersey. She has two siblings, Roberta and Rich, who are here tonight to help celebrate this honor. Kathy and her husband, Dick, have been married for forty years. They have two beautiful daughters, Allison and Meghan.
Kathy graduated from New Milford High School, New Jersey, in 1966 and from East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, in 1970 with a teaching degree/certification, nursery school through eighth grade. Kathy obtained her Master's degree from Southern Connecticut State University with a dual special education major in learning and emotional disabilities.
Her teaching career began in September of 1970 in the basement of the First Baptist Church, which was a temporary classroom with two first grades. After that, Kathy spent the next six years at Stony Creek School teaching both first and second grades. Here, she and Nancy Graves developed learning stations that were utilized in both of their classrooms. As a result of this unique approach to learning, they were invited by then principal, Tom Grosh, to share and facilitate at a weekend-long teaching conference in upstate New York. Kathy was transferred to Short Beach School, team teaching in a converted cafeteria. Here, she and Nancy offered multi-aged first and second graders diverse, hands-on program of learning stations, collaborative teaching, monthly field trips, cooking classes and culminating projects to highlight both science and social studies units in the open-spaced classroom. While at Short Beach School, Kathy was teaching principal for two years. Her sense of humor, solid teaching strategies and the promotion of self confidence in students made her perfect for this appointment. During this time, she looped with her second graders and transitioned with them to third grade. In 1984, she teamed with Pat Dickinson, a special education teacher, to run a 3rd grade modified classroom. It was designed to partner special education students directly with regular education well before mainstreaming became commonplace. In 1991, Kathy returned to Sliney School and collaborated with Robin Axtell and Dianne Spignesi. While at Sliney School, Kathy developed and implemented the "guest reader program," whereby parents of students came in to read aloud and share a book with the class while their child sat beside them. This afforded every student a special time to be in charge of the class, help choose a book with a family member and gain self-confidence speaking before their peers. Kathy remained at Sliney until she retired in 2005.
Kathy taught for thirty-four years, working side by side with colleagues to best teach all students. She served on several curriculum committees, including math, language arts and science. Kathy always organized field trips for the second grade classes. She embraced all children that she came across with extreme patience, kindness, wonderful sense of humor, energy and willingness to accept all challenges.
Kathy currently works at the James Blackstone Memorial Library. Here, she greets former students and parents by name and with strong recollections and personal stories of time spent in her classroom.
Kathy graduated from New Milford High School, New Jersey, in 1966 and from East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, in 1970 with a teaching degree/certification, nursery school through eighth grade. Kathy obtained her Master's degree from Southern Connecticut State University with a dual special education major in learning and emotional disabilities.
Her teaching career began in September of 1970 in the basement of the First Baptist Church, which was a temporary classroom with two first grades. After that, Kathy spent the next six years at Stony Creek School teaching both first and second grades. Here, she and Nancy Graves developed learning stations that were utilized in both of their classrooms. As a result of this unique approach to learning, they were invited by then principal, Tom Grosh, to share and facilitate at a weekend-long teaching conference in upstate New York. Kathy was transferred to Short Beach School, team teaching in a converted cafeteria. Here, she and Nancy offered multi-aged first and second graders diverse, hands-on program of learning stations, collaborative teaching, monthly field trips, cooking classes and culminating projects to highlight both science and social studies units in the open-spaced classroom. While at Short Beach School, Kathy was teaching principal for two years. Her sense of humor, solid teaching strategies and the promotion of self confidence in students made her perfect for this appointment. During this time, she looped with her second graders and transitioned with them to third grade. In 1984, she teamed with Pat Dickinson, a special education teacher, to run a 3rd grade modified classroom. It was designed to partner special education students directly with regular education well before mainstreaming became commonplace. In 1991, Kathy returned to Sliney School and collaborated with Robin Axtell and Dianne Spignesi. While at Sliney School, Kathy developed and implemented the "guest reader program," whereby parents of students came in to read aloud and share a book with the class while their child sat beside them. This afforded every student a special time to be in charge of the class, help choose a book with a family member and gain self-confidence speaking before their peers. Kathy remained at Sliney until she retired in 2005.
Kathy taught for thirty-four years, working side by side with colleagues to best teach all students. She served on several curriculum committees, including math, language arts and science. Kathy always organized field trips for the second grade classes. She embraced all children that she came across with extreme patience, kindness, wonderful sense of humor, energy and willingness to accept all challenges.
Kathy currently works at the James Blackstone Memorial Library. Here, she greets former students and parents by name and with strong recollections and personal stories of time spent in her classroom.