Mrs. Christi Abbate

Getting to Know Me . . .

Favorite Prayer

I Said a Prayer for You Today-
I said a prayer for you today, and know God must have heard. I felt the answer in my heart although He spoke no word! I didn’t ask for wealth or fame, (I knew you wouldn’t mind). I asked Him to send treasures of a far more lasting kind! I asked that He’d be near to you at the start of each new day: to grant you health and blessings and friends to share your way! I asked for happiness for you in all things great and small. But it was for His loving care I prayed most of all!

Favorite Saint
       Saint John Paul II

Favorite Educational Quote
      “What a teacher is, is more important than what she teaches.”

Favorite Activities
       Spending time with family and friends, celebrating holidays, waterskiing, and basketball.
 

It is an honor to be teaching class 3-2 at St. William the Abbot Roman Catholic School for the 2023-24
school year. For my second year at SWS, I bring enthusiastic, positive energy to room 14 each day. Through my first year at SWS as well as my previous professional placements in a second-grade, fourth-grade, and high school life skills class, I gained valuable knowledge and experience in meeting the needs of individual learners. I developed my teaching philosophies at Touro College where I completed my certification and Master of Science in Childhood Education and Special Education for Grades 1-6. As an undergraduate, I attended Binghamton University where I was captain of the Women’s Basketball Team. Upon graduation, I coached Division I Women’s College Basketball for several years. I am still very active with basketball as Director of the CYO Travel Basketball Program at my parish, Our Lady of Lourdes in West Islip which is where I reside with my husband, our two daughters (ages 17 &12), and our two dogs. 

As an educator, my beliefs include a student-centered classroom; teaching the whole child, especially social-emotional learning and character trait development; a positive classroom environment that promotes student engagement, participation, comfort, and learning; and incorporating opportunities to connect our curriculum to my student ' daily lives and apply learned knowledge to ensure success beyond the classroom. My focus is on facilitating learning by guiding students through the learning process while promoting positive learning habits including building problem-solving and organizational skills. These core beliefs align with the mission of SWS as the SWS learning community and I am dedicated to spiritual development, the traditions of the Catholic Church, academic excellence, as well as the development of

students as critical thinkers and lifelong learners. In accordance with SWS values, we will work hard to learn and grow as individuals who are responsible, appreciative of diversity, accountable, collaborative, confident, respectful, polite, and well-rounded. To achieve this, our two main classroom rules are to always do your best and to be respectful. 

As a lifelong learner who has a passion for shared learning experiences with students, families, and colleagues, I cherish the opportunity to collaborate with the SWS community I have found to be incredibly welcoming, caring, supportive, thoughtful, and generous. I wish to thank my parents and students for all that you bring to SWS, for choosing SWS, and for all that you do to make SWS the wonderful school that it is. Our theme, Living the Fruit of the Spirit, will guide us throughout this school year. As SWS third graders, we will highlight one fruit, in particular, generosity, and focus on the various ways we can promote a generous spirit in our world.

Contact Mrs. Abbate