Below were the remarks delivered by Mexico Board of Education President James Emery as he honored Mrs. Andrea Barry as the district’s Proud to be MACS honoree for December 2025 at the December Board of Education Business meeting.

The word “change” elicits different responses from different people. For some, they resist it, for others, they accept it, for still others, they embrace it. I think after hearing the following remarks for our Proud to be MACS recipient for December from New Haven Elementary School, Andrea Barry you will agree that she falls into that last category.

Andrea grew up on Duke Road in the Town of Scriba attending New Haven Elementary, the Mexico Middle School, and the Mexico High School graduating in 2005. A fun fact that Andrea shared with me was that Connie Douglas was her school bus driver before Connie launched her career in finance and joined the MACS Board of Education.

Andrea attended SUNY Oswego majoring in Human and Child Development because she planned to pursue a career in counseling. She liked the one-on-one connection as a counselor and she liked helping people. I asked her what steered her toward education and she jokingly replied that, in her family, you either worked in the medical profession (she did not like the sight of blood), the highway department (she gets kidded for her driving skills), or education. For her, it was an easy choice.

Once she decided on education, Andrea began subbing for the District starting with Melissa Stevenson’s 3rd grade class. During this time, former New Haven Principal Dan Packard advised Andrea to consider special education.  As a result, Andrea earned her Masters from Syracuse University in Early Childhood Special Education.

While pursuing her Masters, Andrea filled a couple AmeriCorps positions: one was with the Oswego City School District with its Before and After School program; the other was with CiTi BOCES in a counseling position assisting students at Central Square and Mexico to consider healthy lifestyle choices.

Andrea would join the District in 2013 at New Haven Elementary. She vividly remembers that the interview committee consisted of 14 people. Needless to say, it was a bit intimidating.

Andrea would be hired for 3rd grade, which is the grade level where she began subbing several years before. Andrea would remain at 3rd grade for five years, but her heart always yearned for working with the younger students, so she applied for the District’s newly created Transition-Kindergarten program at Palermo Elementary School. Working in that program never materialized for Andrea, but she was offered a pre-K position at Mexico Elementary School. Andrea only stayed for one year as it was a 1/2 day program with 40 students. As luck would have it, a Kindergarten position opened up at New Haven. Kindergarten was Andrea’s ultimate dream position, so she was very happy when she was awarded it. She has been there ever since until this year. So, what happened?

This is where that word “change” enters the picture. You see Andrea’s family, consisting of Derek and daughter Everly, would be blessed with another daughter, Maeve. Andrea planned to return to her classroom following a maternity leave. Discussion, however, had taken place last year about the potential need for an additional 1st grade classroom at New Haven. While on maternity leave, the decision was made to add another section. It was proposed that if the long term substitute for her maternity leave, Abigail Walker would continue with Andrea’s Kindergarten class, Andrea would assume the new 1st grade classroom and that is what happened.

Andrea returned the first week of November and, in four days, set up a new 1st grade classroom with 12 students. As it turned out, Andrea had three of the 12 students for Kindergarten last year.

So far, the feedback has been positive. Andrea gives kudos to the students for adjusting to the new classroom and to her teammates, Mrs. Palmer and Mr. Teifke. To minimize the impact of forming a new class, it was decided that Mrs. Palmer’s and Mr. Teifke’s former students would attend their specialty classes with their former classmates.

Knowing that changing grade levels would not be for everyone, I asked Andrea why she opted for it.

One reason was that she believes that teaching 1st grade will make her a better Kindergarten teacher in that she will be able to help the kids that need the extra support and challenge the ones that like to be challenged because she has now been exposed to the 1st grade curriculum.

Her other reason is her belief that the students will ultimately benefit from smaller 1st grade class sizes.

These reasons are amplified in the sentiments of New Haven Principal, Brian Carnes when he writes, “When reflecting on how to best describe Andrea Barry as a person and colleague, the phrase “whatever it takes” comes to mind. All of us as educators spring into action when presented with the challenge of meeting a student’s needs and ensuring their success. What sets Ms. Barry apart is that she has likely already done “whatever it takes,” and has left the rest of us scrambling and playing catch up.”

Brian continues by writing, “To the casual observer, this seems to come effortlessly because of the joy Andrea takes in her job and the success experienced by her students. But to those who perceive a broader context, it is with the knowledge and understanding that it is a result of what makes her exceptional: sacrifice, a relentless work ethic, and a commitment to giving her best for her students each and every day.”

Melissa Stevenson adds, “I remember when Andrea started at New Haven as
AmeriCorps and worked in my classroom. Her kindness, love for children, and love of learning shined through from the very first day. From that experience, I knew she was made for the classroom! She is one of the most dedicated teachers that I have worked with. There are many nights when she is at school well after hours to ensure that she is prepared and creating things to go along with the lessons that make learning fun for students, whether it was for 3rd grade, Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st grade. She is a team player who is always full of great ideas and will go the extra mile to make sure things go perfectly. I am lucky to call her my family, but I am so grateful to call her a great friend and coworker! She is well deserving of this recognition.”

Andrea’s new 1st grade teammate, Sarah Palmer writes, “Andrea is a dedicated teacher with a big heart. She brings patience, passion, and purpose to every lesson. Her classroom is a place where curiosity is welcomed, confidence is built and every student feels seen, valued, and loved. Her dedication to student growth is evident. She gives 110 percent with everything she does. First Grade at New Haven is lucky to have her as part of our team this year and we wish we didn’t have to give her back to kindergarten, but her gentle guidance helps young learners build confidence, spark curiosity, and discover the excitement of learning.”

As for her favorite part of the job, Andrea enjoys several aspects of it like the relationships that she has made, the new world that opens for her students when she teaches reading to them, the teaching of social skills to her young students, and the Senior Walk through the building by former New Haven students that occurs at the end of every school year.

Andrea’s favorite memory involves working with the challenging students and celebrating when their pathway to success is discovered.

Returning to Brian Carnes’ remarks, he perfectly sums up what Andrea means to New Haven Elementary when he writes, “Andrea is adored by her students, respected by families, and appreciated and esteemed by her colleagues. One of the most rewarding aspects of working with Andrea is her dedication and selflessness. She is a constant and consistent source of fresh perspective, problem solving ideas, contextual advice, and creative inspiration for teammates, colleagues, and relatively green principals. Quite simply, in an environment that is ever changing and increasingly challenging, Andrea exemplifies the very best of our profession.”

And so Andrea, for choosing the family profession of education over medical or the highway department, for subbing at an early age and getting known within the District, for embracing change by setting up an additional 1st grade classroom, for your “whatever it takes” attitude, for your sacrifice, relentless work ethic, and commitment to giving your best to your students each and every day, for your kindness, love for children, and love of learning, for making learning fun for students, whether it was for 3rd grade, Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st grade, for being a dedicated teacher with a big heart, for bringing patience, passion, and purpose to every lesson, for making your classroom a place where curiosity is welcomed, confidence is built and every student feels seen, valued, and loved, but, most importantly, for exemplifying the best of your profession, it is with great pleasure that we, the Board, recognize you as our Proud to be MACS recipient for December of 2025.