SEA CLIFF SCHOOL COVID-19 ANGELS
“Since the first day of the COIVD-19 vaccine dissemination, I was hoping to be honored with the needle in my arm so I could freely do what I love, teaching. But, luck did not have it, and when Phase 2 of the dissemination began, I kept getting closed out of different vaccination sights,” said Mojdeh Hassani, teacher at Sea Cliff Elementary School.
Ms. Hassani continued, “Then my COVID Angel sent me a text that said, ‘Send me your info, we would like to help and get you an appointment for the vaccination.’ Cynically, I responded, "Who is we?" To which my COVID Angel simply said, ‘The upstairs girls!’ I asked no more and sent her all my info. Later that evening, I received another text from my angel saying, ‘You have a vaccination appointment on Saturday in White Plains, at 9:00 AM! Finally, I had a glimmer of hope…”
“How do I begin to thank the COVID Angels, a.k.a. ‘the upstairs girls’, at my beloved Sea Cliff School,” asked Ms. Hassani? This group of 10 Sea Cliff School teachers including Marnie Zidel, Beth Pipala, Meredith O'Donnell, Julie Uanino, Lori Weingust, Pam Loschiavo, Dorian Dahl, Kerry Robertson, Elyse Kushel, and Kelly Butler have been working so diligently before and after school hours since the vaccine dispersion initially began. They created a spreadsheet of all the available COVID-19 vaccination sites to the public and kept searching for appointments methodically by collaborating with each other until an appointment was successfully made for over 200 appointments for faculty, staff, retirees, and their families who are eligible. This amazing task continues even though appointments have become more and more scarce.
Ms. Hassani concluded by saying, “I was able to get my vaccine and am waiting for my second dose. May we all see the light at the end of this wretched pandemic tunnel, which will only happen by being there for each other. We commend these unsung heroes in our beloved Sea Cliff School who have given so much of their family time to bring some assurance to their colleagues and their families. I love you all and am so grateful to each and every one of you for thinking of others during this herculean task. I just hope that I can reciprocate this amazing act of kindness!
Your Eternally Grateful Colleague”
Article written with guidance from Ms. Mojdeh Hassani