Mrs. Terpos
has been a fourth grade teacher at William N. DeBerry Elementary School for fifteen years! She is forever grateful to the Springfield Public School System for giving her the opportunity to become an educator, one of the most rewarding careers a person can have 😊.
Mrs. Terpos grew up in Westfield, MA with her loving family, which included her mom, dad, and brother Bobby. After graduating from the Westfield Public School System, she attended Westfield State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master of Education.
Outside of school Mrs. Terpos loves spending quality time with her family and friends. Her favorite place to visit with her husband Jeremy, son Jackson, and dog Samps is Otis, MA (where she spent a lot of time as a child). Mrs. Terpos grows a vegetable garden every summer, and she uses her tomatoes to make salsa and cucumbers to make pickles!
Mrs. Terpos is excited to work with DeBerry’s amazing students, families, and staff this upcoming school year!
Mr. Foley
is excited for his first year as a fourth-grade teacher with the amazing students, staff, and families of William N. DeBerry Elementary School! He started teaching back at the end of the 20th century in Chelsea, Massachusetts, and then taught at elementary and middle schools in Connecticut during this century.
Mr. Foley grew up in southeastern Massachusetts and moved to Connecticut when he married his wife, Alison. They have two daughters, Heather who is in middle school, and Lana who is beginning fourth grade. Mr. Foley loves learning and has degrees from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Northeastern University, Boston University, University of Hartford, and Goodwin University.
Recently, Mr. Foley has worked as a registered nurse, but he missed teaching and was thrilled to find a position at DeBerry. He loves tospend time with his family, travelling, hiking, kayaking, and swimming.(In the winter, he mostly reads books and builds snowmen.)
Mr. Foley is looking forward to a fantastic school year with everyone at DeBerry!
Mrs. Prairie
I am currently an ESL teacher at DeBerry. ESL is an abbreviation for English as a Second Language. I work with students who speak a language other than English at home. Many times, this includes students that are new to the United States. I love welcoming students to our country and providing them with a safe and comfortable environment in which to get acclimated. Unfortunately, I do not speak another language. I wish that I did! I encourage all my students to be sure to keep their first language as they learn English. Being fluent in two languages is very special.
I was born and raised in Springfield and our City will always hold a special place in my heart. I attended Washington Street Elementary School in Springfield. Two of my three children attended Talmadge Elementary School. All three were born in Springfield and lived there for a while. We now live in Wilbraham. I live with my husband, Jeff, my three children Michael, Richie and Ann Marie and our dog, Teddy. Except for Teddy, all of my family has visited DeBerry from time to time and love to meet my students. Many of my students all know my mom, as well. We call her Mee Mee. She sometimes reads with my students and loves them as much as I do.
I wanted to be a teacher when I was a little girl. As I got older, I changed my mind. I went to Western New England College (now it’s called Western New England University) and studied political science. I worked for a State Representative for 7 years. I went on to serve as Director of Government Relations for the City of Springfield from 1997-2000. I stopped working when my second son was born. When my boys attended Talmadge, I was president of the PTO and loved being in the school. I started to substitute teach a lot. I really wanted to become a teacher. I went back to school to receive my Master’s in Education from Cambridge College. I am so happy that I did! I am proof that it is never too late to achieve your dreams!
When I am not teaching, I enjoy reading and planning travel for my friends and family.
Ms. Murphy
I am new to the Deberry family. I will be working with the fourth-grade team as a Paraprofessional. Prior to Deberry, I worked for Holyoke Public Schools for the past seven years. While there I had many roles from a Behavior Interventionist, Long Term Substitute, Instructional Paraprofessional, High Need ABL Paraprofessional, as well as Lead Teacher for the ESY program. I have always had a strong passion for working with children and youth.
I was born and raised in Springfield. I attended Deberry for kindergarten and first grade before going to Pottenger to finish elementary school. I then attended Forest Park for middle school followed by Putnam High School where I graduated in 2003. For college I attended Springfield Technical Community College, where I obtained my Associates Degree in Criminal Justice. I then went to Elms College where I received my bachelor's degree in Social Work. I am looking forward to returning to school for my masters soon. I am pleased to be at Deberry and looking forward to working with the staff and students.
Mrs. Nuñez
is working as Paraprofessional at DeBerry school for 25 years. Most of them Between Kindergarten, First grade, Fourth grade and Fifth grade. Mrs. Nuñez enjoys working with the students to reach their academic and social goals. Mrs. Nuñez loves to plan educational and extracurriculars activities to engage the students to reach their potential and take pride of their work. Mrs. Nuñez is very excited to work and learn along with the students.
Mrs. Rurak
is a Special Education Teacher who loves to support students as they learn reading, writing, math, social studies, and science. Mrs. Rurak grew up in Springfield and attended Springfield Public Schools. She went to Western New England University and American International College, where she earned a bachelor's degree in Social Work and a master's degree in Education.
Mrs. Rurak is married and is the proud mother of two grown children. In her spare time, she loves hanging out with friends and family. She also enjoys reading, hiking, and shopping!
Mrs. DaSilva
began her career with Springfield Public Schools in 2006. She has taught 4th and 5th grade at William N. DeBerry Elementary School ever since. Education: Mount Holyoke College MATL 2006; Elms College MAT as Reading Specialist 2012; Westfield State College University BS in Education as Elementary Education 2006. Special interests include visual arts, music, hiking, and classic muscle cars.
“All teachers are learners and all learners are teachers. Together we can make this world a wonderful place.”