February 18, 2026
Last week at faculty meetin, Genevieve Palestino was awarded this year's Crystal Apple Award. Here are some things the faculty said about her:
Genevieve has been my co-teacher for the last few years. She is always working to improve her curriculum to include more choice and research based methods. I appreciate how flexible she is as a coteacher. Additionally, she is always pushing me to be a better teacher. Whenever we encounter problems with a lesson or students, she is solution minded, always looking for a positive way forward. I love working with Genevieve!--Sara
She just takes on so much with fervor and ambition and then holds strong -- she never let's things get her down and still works hard every day! --Ethan
Genevieve is a super choice for the Crystal Apple Award winner. Genevieve is super passionate about her job and helping students. She often comes in to talk to me about things that are almost always based around how to best help students and putting them in the best situation for success. She is also doing such an amazing job advocating for our ML students and using her skills and knowledge to support them and set them up in life. --Keith
Genevieve was one of the first faculty members I met at Salem Jr., and she made me feel welcome from the very beginning. Collaborating with her this year has been so good. I am continually impressed by her genuine concern for students and her commitment to ensuring their success. She is a hard worker and an excellent example of an outstanding teacher.--Todd
Genevieve is a fantastic part of our English Department. She keeps us focused and productive and is a great listener. She goes above and beyond for her ML kids, and they have learned so much from her. It's a joy to watch her interact with those kids and to see how far they've come. She's the best!--Vanessa
Genevieve is a rockstar teacher who wears many hats here at our school. I love working with her on the ML Team because she is so patient with me as I learn about WIDA testing, ML classes, and the cultural awareness traditions we have at Salem Jr. She does a wonderful job leading the English department, and she is always a joy to talk to while completing her lunch supervision. She is competent, funny, and always has a smile for everyone.
Way to go, Genevieve!
Genevieve has been my co-teacher for the last few years. She is always working to improve her curriculum to include more choice and research based methods. I appreciate how flexible she is as a coteacher. Additionally, she is always pushing me to be a better teacher. Whenever we encounter problems with a lesson or students, she is solution minded, always looking for a positive way forward. I love working with Genevieve!--Sara
She just takes on so much with fervor and ambition and then holds strong -- she never let's things get her down and still works hard every day! --Ethan
Genevieve is a super choice for the Crystal Apple Award winner. Genevieve is super passionate about her job and helping students. She often comes in to talk to me about things that are almost always based around how to best help students and putting them in the best situation for success. She is also doing such an amazing job advocating for our ML students and using her skills and knowledge to support them and set them up in life. --Keith
Genevieve was one of the first faculty members I met at Salem Jr., and she made me feel welcome from the very beginning. Collaborating with her this year has been so good. I am continually impressed by her genuine concern for students and her commitment to ensuring their success. She is a hard worker and an excellent example of an outstanding teacher.--Todd
Genevieve is a fantastic part of our English Department. She keeps us focused and productive and is a great listener. She goes above and beyond for her ML kids, and they have learned so much from her. It's a joy to watch her interact with those kids and to see how far they've come. She's the best!--Vanessa
Genevieve is a rockstar teacher who wears many hats here at our school. I love working with her on the ML Team because she is so patient with me as I learn about WIDA testing, ML classes, and the cultural awareness traditions we have at Salem Jr. She does a wonderful job leading the English department, and she is always a joy to talk to while completing her lunch supervision. She is competent, funny, and always has a smile for everyone.
Way to go, Genevieve!