Julia Garetano Captures Joan Balsari Scholarship
Joan Marie Balsari was one of a kind. She had an opinion about everything and she didn’t hesitate to tell you what it was. But, she also loved to her what everyone else thought, too.
A Washington Primary School teacher, Mrs. Balsari passed away in October 2011 after a 17 month long battle with breast cancer. After surgery and follow-up treatment, the veteran educator appeared destined for a full recovery. She had returned to her classroom and the school life she cherished.
Mrs. Balsari’s condition deteriorated rapidly over a period of less than two weeks, stunning her colleagues. After she passed away, the Associated Teachers of Huntington, the professional organization of the district’s teachers, announced it would establish a $1,000 scholarship in Mrs. Balsari’s memory and present it annually for the next decade.
ATH President James Graber presented the first Balsari scholarship in 2012 to Samantha Bindrim, who went on to study education at SUNY Cortland. The second annual scholarship was given the following year to Alexandra Reinertsen, who knew Mrs. Balsari well after spending second grade in the teacher’s classroom. She has been pursuing early childhood education studies at the University of Rhode Island with a focus on grades K-2.
The 2014 scholarship went to Evelyn Brandon, who is studying elementary education at Morgan State University in Baltimore. Last year’s recipient was Darya DeSimone, who just finished her freshman year at Indiana University where she is also studying elementary education.
Mr. Graber returned to the microphone in the Huntington High School auditorium for senior academic awards night earlier this month. He announced that this year’s Joan M. Balsari scholarship recipient is Julia Garetano, one of the top members of the Class of 2016. The teenager is headed to Manhattan College where she plans to study early childhood education.
Known for her perseverance, Ms. Garetano has a strong work ethic. She meet challenges head-on and remains focused on her goals. A member of the English Honor Society, the teenager was honored as a Distinguished Senior at a dinner this past spring.
Ms. Garetano considers Huntington High School to be her second family. She played on the softball team and even found time to coach a Huntington Bulldogs cheer team.
A Huntington girl
Born to a Huntington family on July 16, 1950, Joan Marie Balsari attended elementary and secondary school here and graduated from Huntington High School with her future husband, Dennis in 1968. The couple’s only child, Denielle graduated from Huntington in 2003. She is currently a teacher in Commack.
Prior to coming to Washington School, Mrs. Balsari worked as a teacher aide and then as a short and long-term substitute teacher in the district from February 1989 through June 1996. She earned an Associate of Arts degree at SUNY Farmingdale, a Bachelor’s degree at SUNY College at Old Westbury and a Master’s degree in reading at Dowling College. She obtained teaching certification in ESL through Adelphi University and secured certification as an administrator through Stony Brook University, where she received an advanced graduate certificate.
Mrs. Balsari was a no-nonsense educator who was adored by her students. During quiet reading or writing time in her room, the gifted teacher was known to play classical music to put her students at ease. At the end of the school day she should would often go home for a few hours and then return to her classroom to work on projects or plan lessons late into the evening.
Known for her laughter and overall sense of humor, had a way of cutting through all the fluff and getting to the point. She’d sometimes let her students teach the class, putting them up at the blackboard and encouraging them to explain concepts to one another. She continues to be missed by the colleagues she left behind.