Jul 18, 2022
Stacey Derhay Named Nut Swamp School Teacher of the Year
By Les Pierce
Nut Swamp School Teacher of the Year Stacey Derhay
Stacey Derhay has been named Nut Swamp Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year. She has been a special education teacher at the school for 13 years. Currently she is an In-Class Resource and Pull-Out Resource teacher for English language arts and math. She has been in the district for 18 years and began her career as a Learning Language Disabilities teacher at Middletown Village Elementary.
She was born in Staten Island and lived in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn for the first three years of her life. The family then moved to Middletown where she attended Ocean Avenue Elementary School, Thorne Middle School and Middletown High School North.
Derhay earned Teacher of the Handicapped and Elementary School Teacher undergraduate degrees at Monmouth University. She went on to obtain a master’s in reading at Georgian Court University.
She currently resides in Middletown with high school sweetheart and husband Andrew and their three children, Marianna (age 12), Nolan (age 10) and Violet (age 5). Phoebe, a 2-year-old pooch, completes the family unit.
According to the Derhay, work and caring for her family keeps her quite busy. Her free time is dedicated to reading, long walks, and socializing with friends and family.
“Something that is on my mind today is how grateful I am for my students and their families,” she said. “I know that sometimes teachers and public education do not always get the credit they deserve. I feel beyond fortunate that the families at Nut Swamp have only shown their gratitude for my dedication to their children. I take a tremendous amount of pride in what I do, and it feels amazing to be recognized for it.”
Nut Swamp Principal Neil Leone said, “Stacey Derhay is a master teacher as well as a teacher-leader. Her contributions to the students and staff are unparalleled. She is an excellent teacher who is loved and respected by all. Mrs. Derhay deserves to be the Teacher of the Year because of her dedication to her students and her willingness to go above and beyond.”
