Joshua Smith, Superintendent of Region 15 Public Schools, has announced that Yvette Lomaro, a Special Education Instructional Assistant at Pomperaug High School and 13-year educator in the district, has been chosen to serve as Region 15’s 2022-23 Paraeducator of the Year.

Mrs. Lomaro first began working in the district in 2009 working as a Special Education Instructional Assistant at Long Meadow Elementary School, moving with a student to Gainfield Elementary School (GES) for years and then assuming a full-time position that became available in 2016 at Longmeadow Elementary School (LMES). She then moved from LMES, to Memorial Middle School (MMS) and then to her current position at Pomperaug High School (PHS).

Her position as a Special Education Instructional Assistant, falls within the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) category of a Paraeducator, whose job is to assist certified teachers in the classroom and who plays an integral role in developing students’ academic, social, and emotional skills.

Mrs. Lomaro is caring, thoughtful, patient and compassionate. Her genuine care for all students and staff comes across in all her interactions, from her daily greetings to remembering everyone’s birthdays to saying special words of encouragement to students and staff

Her hard work and intuitive nature lends itself to making sure that all students she works with are cared for, understood and are receiving the best education possible. During the school day and during out-of-school functions, there’s never a moment when she’s not helping someone, as she is a consistent supporter of the Pomperaug Theatre Company, assists with Unified Sports and Best Buddies, and serves as the co-advisor to the Gender and  Sexuality Alliance (GSA) club and new Black Student Union (BSU) at PHS.  She also serves on the Middlebury & Southbury Equity and Inclusion Council.

“Yvette is an exemplary paraprofessional. She is intelligent, intuitive, compassionate, organized and extremely hardworking. For the past 13 years, she has shown up every day for her job with a fresh perspective. She is proficient in behavior intervention, is always willing to help, is flexible and understands what it means to be part of a team,” said Dr. Jessica Sciaretto, Director of Student Services in Region 15.

She is committed to making her students’ days as productive as possible, and staff, students and families share that you will not find anyone with more patience and understanding than Mrs. Lomaro.

A member of our school community shared, “there is nothing that Mrs. Lomaro doesn’t make better at PHS. We are truly blessed and lucky to have such a caring individual to remind us that we all can be more caring towards each other.”

“Mrs. Lomaro’s genuine care, unwavering commitment to our student's success, and efforts to make sure each student is valued and reaches their potential is extremely impactful to our entire community. Our Region 15 family is proud to have her represent our district,” said Joshua Smith,  Superintendent of Region 15 Schools.

This recognition is through the Connecticut State Department of Education’s (CSDE) Anne Marie Murphy Paraeducator of the Year award.  CSDE recognizes Paraeducators selected each year by their districts for their accomplishments and contribution to the students they serve, their schools and their communities.  Each year, one of these honorees is selected by the CSDE as the recipient of the Anne Marie Murphy Paraeducator of the Year Award. This individual serves as the spokesperson and representative of the paraeducator profession in Connecticut during the following year.   In March 2013, the CSDE and the School Paraprofessional Advisory Council renamed the Connecticut Paraeducator of the Year Award to the Anne Marie Murphy Paraeducator of the Year Award in honor of Anne Marie Murphy, a special education paraprofessional who lost her life during the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012. 

Photo L-R: Joshua Smith, Superintendent of Region 15 Public Schools, Yvette Lomaro, Region 15’s Paraprofessional of the Year, Dr. Jessica Sciaretto, Region 15’s Director of Student Services, Don Rapuano, Region15’s Assistant Director of Student Services, Michelle Hayes, Academic Chair Special Education at Pomperaug High School, Dr. Paul Jones, Principal of Pomperaug High School.