The Vineland Board of Education voted unanimously on Wednesday to name the new K-5 portion of the Vineland Community Learning Complex in honor of Gloria M. Sabater, a Vineland High School North Spanish teacher who died of cancer in 1994.
The vote followed a 90-minute special board meeting that included presentations by supporters of the 10 nominees who met the criteria:
● Deceased for a minimum of five years;
● An individual with a long time commitment to the Vineland community and dedicated to fulfilling the mission and vision of the Vineland School District; and
● An individual who made a significant contribution to the educational process of Vineland Public Schools.
The other nominees were: Joseph Acosta, Jennie Bisconte, Salvatore Ciarlante, Casey Dallago, Carmen Gonzalez, Bolviar Guadalupe, Carmelo Ramos, Juan Vargas, and Luis Velez.
Following three-minute public presentations for each candidate, the board conducted a selection process of three rounds. During the first round, each board member nominated five contenders on a form and read into the record their list of names of recommendation. The five nominees with the most votes advanced to round two. In that round, the list was narrowed to three names. The nominees receiving the most votes were then the subject of a formal motion by one of the board members to name the elementary school in name of that individual.
Ms. Sabater, a 1968 graduate of Vineland High School, returned as a Spanish teacher in 1972 and continued working there until the year she died. In addition to her teaching duties, she was a Tiny Tim volunteer and served on the Juvenile Conference Committee, and Cumberland County Hispanic Academic Alliance Steering Committee.
“Gloria was an exemplary and dedicated teacher until the infamous disease of cancer took her from us,” wrote her mother, Gloria, to the school panel. The written material included copies of newspaper articles “that will give you an idea of how much she was respected, loved and esteemed by her co-workers, students, and the community in general, and about her involvement in the community.”
“I also must point out her dedication to her profession and to her students,” the letter said. “During her illness, she continued going to her classes hardly missing a day, to the extreme, that she would go to get her radiation before class started in the morning, and then go to teach for the rest of the day. She would arrange to get her chemotherapy after school on Fridays and be at school early Monday mornings. In the last September of her life, while already walking with a cane, she went to the school to prepare for the beginning of the class year, and on opening day, attempted to go to class, but fell upon getting in her car, and realized, much to her sorrow, that it was impossible for her to continue. She died a few months after.”
“In my opinion, Gloria is meritorious for her name to be chosen for the elementary school in the Vineland Community Learning Complex, and I greatly hope you will agree with me,” she wrote.
“Children, education, and community were the main focus in my sister’s life,” said Francesca Sabater in her presentation to the board. “She was a devoted mother, teacher and citizen.”
“From her childhood as a Girl Scout and member of the pigtail softball league, to a Junior High School cheerleader, and then officer of her high school class, she involved herself with full energy.
“As an educator, she passed that energy on to her students,” she said. “She was at the forefront of education doing things that today’s classroom see as standards; bringing her guitar to sing, cooking Spanish foods, making marionettes for a puppet show. She brought fun to the classroom while maintaining strong educational standards. She had an open-door policy. Her home was the community and community was her home.”
“During her funeral service, a woman approached me,” said Ms. Sabater. “She had come in place of her son because he was away in college and could not be there to pay his respects to her himself. She proceeded to tell me that her son would never had gone to college had it not been for Gloria. This was not a special story. This story had been repeated to me many times that evening and continued for many years afterward. My sister inspired her students to want more, work to their best ability, and follow their dreams.”
“I am certain that all the nominees for this honor are fine candidates, but no one name will ever inspire community and education like my sister, Gloria M. Sabater,” she said.
Also speaking on behalf of the nominee were Vincent Martino, former VHS South assistant principal, Carrie Valentino, world language department chair at VHS South who first knew Ms. Sabater as a student and later as friend, colleague and mentor, and Brenda Cucukov, a classmate and friend.
The other nominees were described by their supporters as follows: Joseph Acosta, a fine citizen with a long-time commitment to this community; Jennie Bisconte, attended Vineland schools and taught in the district for 43 years; Salvatore Ciarlante, a teacher and coach in Vineland for 17 years; Casey Dallago, a lifelong resident who served as president for three terms on the Vineland Board of Education; Bolivar Guadalupe, an active member of the community of Hispanic descent; Carmelo Ramos, assistant principal at VHS North, principal of Mennies Elementary School and teacher and involved member of the community; Juan Vargas, an active member of the community of Hispanic descent and Luis Velez.