Staff Spotlight: Theresa Morello
Theresa Morello, R.N. is the school nurse at Mayberry Elementary School. Serving 14 years with East Hartford Public Schools, including 13 at Mayberry, she brings an expertise to her job and a sense of comfort to her school community,
“It’s very fulfilling. When the little kids come in and you know that you make a difference for them. It just gives me a sense of gratitude actually that I can help them,” said Morello.
She started her nursing career working in orthopedics at a hospital. When she had children of her own, she transitioned to school nursing because she wanted to be on their schedule. Though she enjoyed the work from the start, Morello anticipated returning to the hospital once her kids got older.
“My kids are now 25 and 27, and I am still here. So I can’t picture doing any other job,” she said.
Her job changes day by day and is dictated by what the students need whether that’s their prescription medication, food, a change of clothes, or just a little bit of attention and care.
“I feel like school nursing is so much more than what a lot of people think it is. I think from the outside people think it’s just giving Band Aids and ice packs, but really if you walk the walk you would see that it’s so much more than that,” said Morello.
Mayberry Principal Joseph LeRoy says she’s an “under the radar hero” in his school.
LeRoy said, “What makes her special is just her ability to connect with people and show that she really cares. That resonates from our kids, obviously our first priority, but also our staff members.”
LeRoy said that became especially clear during the COVID-19 pandemic. She took on new responsibilities as the entire school community was looking to her for guidance.
“Her ability to really kind of wrap her head around all of the latest information, sometimes it was minute by minute or week by week, and give us the best sense of what to do next was really something that tied our team together and banded us to be under the safety net of Ms. Morello to make us feel comfortable,” said LeRoy.
When the time came, Morello stepped up as one of the nurses who worked with the town on vaccinations. She says it all comes back to just wanting to make people feel better.
She said, “I feel privileged to be able to be touching these children’s lives and hopefully making a difference.”