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New Milken Educators in RI, CT, NJ

This week's notification in New Jersey marked the 300th time our own Dr. Jane Foley has welcomed a new Milken Educator into the family. Thank you, Jane, for creating so many memorable moments for outstanding educators!

Dear Milken Educators and Champions of Education,

We're celebrating our 30th anniversary.

Our 30th anniversary season continued this week in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey, as we added three more outstanding teachers to the Milken Educator family. Keep reading to meet the newest Milken Educators.

Emily Caldarelli (RI '16)

We started the week in Providence, Rhode Island, where we welcomed Emily Caldarelli (RI '16) to the Milken Educator family. Emily, a fourth-grade teacher at public charter Paul Cuffee Lower School, is known as a "master facilitator" who teaches students to advocate for themselves and voice their opinions. She gathers children who wear glasses for special lunches and meets with fourth-grade girls to talk about non-academic issues on their minds. "I like to know their lives outside of the classroom," Emily told the Providence Journal after her surprise notification.

• See Emily Caldarelli's notification photos
• Watch Emily Caldarelli's surprise notification video
• NEW! Watch 30 years of Rhode Island Milken Educator highlights

Manny Zaldivar (CT '16)

Our next stop: New Britain, Connecticut, where Dr. Jane Foley named first-grade teacher Manny Zaldivar (CT '16) the state's 2016-17 Milken Educator. Eighty percent of Manny's students speak little to no English when they enter his class, but by the end of the year many of them move out of ELD classes altogether. An English language learner himself, Manny often tells his young students "This is hard, but you can do it" — the same words his aunt used to motivate him when he first came to the U.S. from Honduras at age 18.

• See Manny Zaldivar's notification photos
• Watch Manny Zaldivar's surprise notification video
• NEW! Watch 30 years of Connecticut Milken Educator highlights

Lindsay Frevert (NJ '16)

Colleagues lined up to hug second-grade teacher Lindsay Frevert (NJ '16) after her surprise Award notification at Van Derveer Elementary School in Somerville. A graduate of Somerville High School, Lindsay is a fixture in the Van Derveer community, spearheading large extracurricular events for both students and teachers like the school's Strawberry Festival and the FISH (Fostering and Instilling Staff Happiness) committee. In an interview after her surprise notification, Lindsay praised her colleagues and students: "I'm accepting this award on behalf of everybody here in Somerville," she said.

• See Lindsay Frevert's notification photos
• Watch Lindsay Frevert's surprise notification video
• NEW! Watch 30 years of New Jersey Milken Educator highlights