Staff Spotlight: Henryetter Singh

The newest member of the EPIC team, Henryetter Singh, joins us to fill the crucial roles of Administrative Support Staff and Physical Education Teacher. Read on to learn about her wide-ranging experience in education, the many responsibilities she’ll be juggling at EPIC, and her hopes for this unique school year.    

How did you get your start in the education field? 

I started as a part-time after school tutor. It was definitely something I found interesting, so I ended up being a full-time paraprofessional, which pushed me into a classroom role and made me realize I could take it to the next level. I ended up getting promoted and became a certified teacher’s assistant with the DOE. 

What have you learned from past experiences in education? 

As a tutor, I was working with someone who got really sick, and I had to take on a lot of her responsibilities. I ended up becoming a step teacher, which is something that was really out of my realm. It made me jump into my creative side, and I used it as a gateway to connect with students. 

In my paraprofessional role, I started doing more administrative work, dealing with IEPs and data to make sure all my students’ goals were taken care of. When I was promoted to teacher’s assistant, I got to work hand-in-hand with the head teacher and get experience in lesson planning. I was doing some before with after school tutoring, but that gave more structured experience in an educational facility. 

What’s your philosophy in working with students? 

My biggest goal is to meet children where they are. I had to learn that as a tutor because I had a group where some students had IEPs and some didn’t, and the lessons they gave us were for the general education population. When I first got into that role, I thought I was ready to go, but then I ended up meeting the students and learning their individual personalities and challenges, and I realized my plan needed to change. Overall, you have to meet a student where they are and bring them to where they need to be at their own pace. 

What are your responsibilities at EPIC? 

As administrative support staff, I’m doing a lot of data-based research and entry. I’m trying to optimize how many visitors we get to our website and working on a marketing outreach list. I’m making sure our resources are organized and up to date so that parents can have whatever they need to help their children grow and succeed. 

I’m also teaching physical education this year, which I have a background in outside of special education. I was director of basketball operations for a D1 school for three years. That was a great experience. In high school I did a lot of management of sports teams and ended up getting a scholarship for it, so that was my original path before I ventured off into something else.

What are you looking forward to in your first year at EPIC?

I’m definitely excited to work with the students and to get fresh ideas and perspectives on how to handle situations with children. I’m also looking forward to seeing how this unique school year goes. It’s not just a unique year for us, but for the entire world, so I’m looking forward to seeing what creative solutions we find. I’m excited to be part of a new team. I already feel like I’m in a space where I’m growing. 

What else should the community know about you? 

I’m a big fan of Mickey Mouse. My favorite color is orange. Apple juice is the way to go. I love candles.