Receiving tenure while working for an educational institution is a major milestone in an employee’s career. West Seneca Central School District is proud to announce Eve Roushey and Ashley Sorensen were approved to receive tenure at the board of education meeting held Monday, June 11, at West Seneca West Senior High School.
Roushey just completed her tenth year of teaching, five of which have been for West Seneca Schools. During the 2017-18 school year, she taught fourth and fifth grade strings and orchestra at Allendale Elementary, Clinton Street Elementary, East Middle and West Middle. She also previously worked at Northwood Elementary and Potters Road Elementary.
“Each week I traveled to my different schools and made beautiful music with 230-plus wonderful students,” Roushey said. She taught weekly group lessons for each student in fourth and fifth grade, with the fifth grade students also meeting for ensemble rehearsal once a week. All of the students perform in concerts throughout the year and a number of students met with Roushey before school to prepare solos for NYSSMA auditions.
As of the 2018-19 school year, Roushey will be working at West Middle and Northwood Elementary. “I am excited at the prospect of having such a large program over at West Middle. I can’t wait to dig in,” she said enthusiastically. At Northwood she will be with fourth grade string students as first year players.
“I’m excited to introduce them to the wonderful world of orchestra!” she continued, sharing how receiving tenure in this district means a lot to her. “I really enjoy my time working with the students and the faculty of the music department.”
Sorensen has been employed by the district for 10 years, starting as a French teacher at East Senior. After seven years she went back to school to receive her English as a Second Language (ESL) certification and was re-hired by the district to teach English as a New Language (ENL).
During the 2017-18 school year, Sorensen worked at East Senior in the morning, where she worked with English language learners in tenth and eleventh grade, taught small groups in English and U.S. history and co-taught ELA II and ELA III. In the afternoon she went to East Middle to teach two classes consisting of strictly ELL students.
“Being able to remain in the district has been a blessing to me and receiving my second tenure, first in French and now in ESL, has been especially gratifying to me,” Sorensen shared. “I couldn’t imagine teaching anywhere else. My students and colleagues have become an extension of my family and I am extremely grateful.”
She hopes through her tenure to not only help her English language learners develop their skills in English and their understanding of content areas, but to also help them adapt to a new culture and create a positive and welcoming atmosphere at West Seneca for all learners.
