Dr. Pierro’s Weekly Newsletter

Mrs. Norton alongside Mrs. DeGeorge, Mr. Raba, and Dr. Pierro celebrating her wonderful accomplishment

Just a few weeks ago Gateway named its 2023 Professional of the Year, Mrs. Norton. She is very grateful for the honor and was thrilled to participate in an interview highlighting her amazing career at Gateway thus far.

Mrs. Norton has been teaching at Gateway for eight years now, working previously for two years at Woodbury Heights Elementary. She has loved her time at Gateway and shared that her favorite part about her career is seeing her students mature and grow into confident and capable human beings. She especially loves following her students throughout their time at Gateway to see how they grow into the people that they are.

Mrs. Norton is one of the most adored professionals at Gateway and has certainly left an impact on both students and teachers alike. 

When asked what impact she hopes to leave on students she said, “Especially in the career readiness program, it is so fun to be able to teach them soft skills. I like to get to know them and figure out their skill sets. When they finish they go into jobs that pay, and it is great to see them take such a strong work ethic and take what they learned to put it into practice.”

The biggest lesson that Mrs. Norton has learned so far at Gateway is patience. Whether it be lessons, conversations, or plans of any kind, Mrs. Norton explained how patience is always key, as well as understanding that everyone has different strengths that should be appreciated. 

Besides working diligently with her students every day, Mrs. Norton’s passions include golfing, being outside, being a part of a dragon boat team, scuba diving, and spending time with friends and family. After a stressful school day, she loves to exercise or read to calm her mind.

Her Morning Meeting, which she adores, also brings her immense joy. She explained to me how she plans activities for each day, like Music Monday and Wordle Wednesday, that her students have the option of participating in. Mrs. Norton is certainly a fan of Morning Meeting and loves getting to forge relationships with the same students for four years.

Apart from teaching her students, Mrs. Norton is very involved in the Gateway community. The plays are what she looks forward to most since, “They are just so well done.”

You can often find Mrs. Norton selling tickets to the plays and musicals by the front door! 

Once again, Mrs. Norton is extremely grateful that she was chosen as Gateway’s 2023 Professional of the Year, “It is really nice that the school recognizes people every year. There are lots and lots of well-deserving staff. This award is much appreciated.”

Congratulations once again Mrs. Norton on an outstanding achievement!