ROCHESTER — Roberto Clemente School No. 8 received the Patriot Award last month from a group affiliated with the National Guard for its support of a teacher during his recent service in Iraq.
The award is presented by the Employee Support for the Guard and Reserve. Soldiers nominate employers who demonstrate exemplary support for their employees who serve in the guard.
Staff Sgt. Stephen Zdunczyk, who has worked at School No. 8 as a special-education teacher, nominated the school because of all the cards, pictures, poems, scrapbooks, DVDs and gifts he received from students while serving as part of the 328th Engineer Supply Company. Many of the gifts that the school’s students and families sent were shared with the other members of his company.
Zdunczyk will return to his teaching job in the fall now that his tour is complete.