Mrs. Zyskowski

About Me

Hello! My name is Catherine Zyskowski, and I am a sixth- and eighth-grade teacher at Henry H. Wells Middle School! This is my fifth year as a middle school ELA teacher. I am a dual-certified ELA and ENL teacher and a Level 2 Google Certified Educator.

I was born and raised in Putnam County; I lived in Brewster when I was very young before my family moved to Mahopac. After graduating from Mahopac High School, I went upstate to Siena College, where I majored in English Education and minored in Spanish and Educational Studies. After graduating from Siena, I attended Mercy College. There, I earned a master's degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and received the Excellence in TESOL award. While completing my graduate program, I honed my teaching skills at a middle school. This experience made me realize I wanted to be a middle school ELA teacher! I further prepared to meet the unique educational needs of middle school students by completing the NYS Middle School Extension Certification (grades 5-6) through the College of Saint Rose. 

I am passionate about using technology in the classroom to facilitate deeper learning and engage all students. I aim to develop students' digital literacies in conjunction with ELA content knowledge. In addition to being a Level 2 Google Certified Educator, I am also a matriculated student in SUNY Oneonta's M.S.Ed. Educational Technology Specialist program. Once I complete this program, I will also have NYS Certification as an Educational Technology Specialist (grades K-12).

Aside from teaching, I enjoy watching sports (especially basketball), doing just about anything outdoors (running, kayaking, paddle-boarding, swimming, hiking- the list goes on!), spending time with my fantastic family, curling up with a good book, and watching funny movies. I also love animals, especially my cat, Jeb, and my puppy, Baxter.

My future goals are to complete the EdTech program at SUNY Oneonta, become a Google Certified Trainer and Innovator, become fluent in Spanish, visit all 50 states, complete a half-marathon (I am planning to run one this fall!), and, most importantly, continuously improve as an educator.

To say that I love my job is an understatement. I am constantly thinking of ways to make each lesson more effective and each assignment meaningful for my students. In 2022, I received the Teaching Excellence Award from the Mid-Hudson School Study Council. This was an incredible honor, and I will continue to strive for excellence each time I step into the classroom.

Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions, concerns, or feedback. My ultimate goal is to provide my students with the best educational experiences possible this year. We will face any challenges together and undoubtedly become more resilient, creative, and knowledgeable as a result! I am approaching this year with a positive attitude and a tenacious spirit, and I look forward to making it the best year ever! 

Sincerely,

Catherine Zyskowski