10/22/2025
Hello everyone! At this publication, we are a month and a half into the school year. It just does not seem possible.
Yet again this year, we have welcomed some new folks who have become a part of the Weedsport Central School District.
This year, five individuals will be showcased in this article.
Please join me in welcoming Morgan Besner, Sarah Caporin, Amy Donovan, Cortney Rich and Lucas Smith.
Superintendent Gregory Stone stated, “We are excited to welcome our newest teachers and staff to the Weedsport family. As Weedsport Wolverines, we take pride in supporting one another and working together to provide the very best for our students. Our new team members bring talent, energy, and fresh perspectives that will strengthen our school community and help us continue to live our mission: Inspiring excellence. Ensuring success.”
Weedsport alumnae Morgan Besner has taken a position as a kindergarten through second-grade special education instructor within our elementary school building.
Born in Auburn, she grew up in Weedsport before receiving her bachelor’s degree from SUNY Brockport and her master’s degree from Western Governors University.
She also held positions in both the Troy and Cato-Meridian school districts.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending that time with her family, in addition to golfing, skiing and constructing puzzles.
When focusing on what she absolutely loves about her position, she told me that helping children develop confidence and a self-belief in their own capabilities is at the top of the list.
Sarah Caporin is our elementary general music and chorus teacher.
She was born in Syracuse and lived most of her life in Liverpool. She attended Syracuse University, where she received both bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Caporin worked for three years at the Doctor Weeks Elementary School within the Syracuse City School District in the same capacity she is in with us currently.
She enjoys playing video games, cuddling with her cat Mary, going on walks and spending quality time with your family and friends.
She told me that she “loves getting to know all of the students in our building as I teach them how to explore the music that they love, while introducing them to new things!
Memorizing names quickly is what she claims to be the most challenging part of her position, but she went on to tell me that she will learn all of them as soon as she possibly can.
Additionally, she wanted me to share that the staff and students have been exceptionally welcoming to her, and she is excited to have a great year with us at Weedsport Elementary School!
Joining our district as a custodian, in the latter part of the previous school year, Amy Donovan grew up in Auburn.
Before coming to us, she was a package handler for FedEx and worked at a local casino.
When filling her spare time, she told me that she enjoys going to Zoom Tan, watching TikToks, cooking, sleeping, and spending quality time with her family and her two fur babies Kehlani, which is a boxer, and Mila, an adopted pocket bully.
When asked to focus on the challenges that her job could bring, she said, “Nothing seems to be a challenge! Everybody helps, questions get answered, and we all work together. This all makes for a better day within the Weedsport Central School District!”
Cortney Rich has been hired as a long-term substitute teacher aide within the elementary school building.
Born and raised in Peoria, Illinois, Rich came to this area as a result of an employment move for her husband.
Before coming to us, she worked in the fields of both travel and nail manicuring.
Before coming here, she worked in Illinois at Peoria Heights Grade School as a teacher aide within the special education department.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending that time with family, in addition to going shopping and reading.
Not only does she love living in New York, she told me that she enjoys watching the children grow, while she helps them move through their struggles toward success.
Lucas Smith is our new technology director. We share his services with the Cato-Meridian School District.
Born and raised in Albion, New York, he received his undergraduate degree from Roberts Wesleyan College, before securing a master’s degree at SUNY Geneseo. His CAS was awarded to him at SUNY Owego.
Majoring in elementary education, literacy and educational administration, his master’s degree is in literacy B through 12 and his CAS is in an educational administration.
As I stated, he still works within the Cato-Meridian School District as a director of technology and before that, he was a 12:1:1 teacher at the Campbell-Savona Central School District.
In his spare time, Smith told me that he enjoys reading, hiking and playing with his son.
He loves getting to know the students and staff, while being part of the school spirit within our district.
After being with us last year as a student teacher within the elementary school, we happily welcome Kylie Vanacore back into our building, and this time, as a second-grade teacher.
Vanacore was born in Auburn and grew up in Locke. She went to the Southern Cayuga Central School District.
She graduated from SUNY Cortland with her bachelor’s degree, and she minored in inclusive early childhood education with a concentration in social sciences. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in childhood education.
Before coming back to Weedsport, she worked as an elementary school special education teacher at the William H. Seward Elementary School in Auburn.
In her spare time, she enjoys going to physical fitness classes, walking her dog, and spending time with her family and friends.
When I asked her what the best part of her job was, she told me, “It’s seeing the moment when something clicks for a student and they realize they can do something that once felt too difficult. Those moments of growth and confidence are what make teaching so rewarding. I also love building a positive classroom community, where students feel safe, valued, and excited to learn.”
She went on to tell me that the greatest challenge within her position is meeting the wide range of student needs while some are still building foundational skills and others are ready for enrichment.
She told me she looks at this as an opportunity to be creative and flexible in her instruction so that all students can grow.
I will close with a quote from our elementary school principal, Tim Cowin, who told me, “We are fortunate to have excellent teachers and staff, because we have great students and a high level of familial support. With this new group of people joining us, we again welcome professionals who will help our district grow and change with the times.”
I wish each new hire all of the very best, as each begins this special time in his/her professional career.
Hello everyone! At this publication, we are a month and a half into the school year. It just does not seem possible.
