The district anti-bullying coordinator, middle school reading specialist and more share their New Year’s resolutions
The New Year is a time to start fresh, enjoy a clean slate, and — for some — make a resolution. While many resolve to eat healthier or go to bed earlier, some Cinnaminson residents and employees had unique resolutions.
Cinnaminson Township Public Schools Anti-Bullying Coordinator Stephen Cappello says he has made the same resolution every year for the past 12 years — to spend more time with his family and to be the best dad he can be. Cappello is also the director of curriculum and instruction in Cinnaminson schools and a former principal at Howard Yocum Elementary School in Maple Shade.
“[My resolution is] to do at least one random act of kindness per day, whether I know the person or not, and to always remember when I see something I feel I ‘must have’ to be grateful to have the basic necessities in life that some may not have,” Cinnaminson native Brian O’Sullivan said.
O’Sullivan is the founder of Letters from Santa — a campaign he started in 2013 to bring joy into the lives of children while benefitting Special Olympics New Jersey.
“So many people were there to help me. Now I want to be one of the people helping others,” O’Sullivan said, referencing his past struggles with addiction.
Cinnaminson High School senior Charnae Payne’s New Year’s resolution is to display more acts of kindness and to be the best version of herself. She’s also focusing on resting before starting college in the fall. Payne competed for and won Miss New Jersey Teen USA in 2016.
Cinnaminson Township Public Schools Superintendent Salvatore Illuzzi has made and broken the same resolution for the past 30 years — to stop buying lottery tickets.
“I even make it a resolution on my birthday,” Illuzzi said. “Folks who know me are quite aware of it being broken in no time whatsoever.”
Illuzzi will be retiring in 2017 after more than 17 years serving as superintendent of the district. Board of Education President Jean Cohen announced Illuzzi’s retirement at the Dec. 20 board meeting.
Cinnaminson Middle School Reading Specialist Kate Laskowski says while she hates to be a cliche, she’s really hoping to make it back to the gym.
“I kickbox and I have not been there in two months and I’m just feeling it,” Laskowski said.
In addition to being a reading specialist, Laskowski is also the Battle of the Books club advisor at the middle school. Battle of the Books is a reading incentive program that fosters a passion for reading and involves students from various schools reading the same books, then coming together to compete on who knows the books better. The idea of the competition is to keep reading fun for students, as it can often start to seem like a chore when it’s a school requirement. Laskowski has been in charge of the club since 2009.
Elaine Mendelow, Cinnaminson schools educational consultant and organizer of the annual Water Festival, says she likes to keep her resolutions tangible to increase her chances of sticking to them.
“My New Year’s resolution is to continue the annual Water Festival for another year and to encourage Cinnaminson students to conserve our precious resource — water,” Mendelow said. “I will try to find new ways to motivate middle and high school students to attempt the invention process, as I believe it is a valuable way of learning to do research and problem-solve.”
Dominick Camillo, founder of Kindness Kits, is also making a New Year’s resolution. Kindness Kits is an organization based out of Cinnaminson, Palmyra, Riverton and Philadelphia that provides winter necessities for the homeless during the colder months.
Camillo’s resolution is simple: to make more time for his loved ones, be a bigger part of their lives and make all the memories he can.
