Teachers are often and usually, besides being educators and leaders, parents in their communities. They have a keen interest in the welfare of children and look forward to going to work each day to ignite their students’ intellectual fires- and keep them stoked. They hope to build lifelong learners and readers.
Teachers and librarians do lots with very little. They bring new ideas to the classroom and develop innovative programs that help students learn. They are models of focus and determination- and from up close observation: stamina. Teachers are the world’s great collaborators as they build lesson plans, seek one another’s counsel and develop fresh ideas in a traditional framework.

I see their passion and commitment- and it’s no accident- whether New York City or Virginia or Ohio or Illinois or California- and I could keep going here- our nation’s great talents are found in education. Thank you, Donna Neglia, Rosanna LaFroscia, Andrea Ceretti, Michelle Glorioso, Batya Schulman Paras, Catherine Mercado, Cathy Pontecorvo, Daniella Butrico, Domenica Palumbo, Nancy Melchiorri, Josephine Leone, Lorraine Reed, Phyllis Bombino, Dina Vasquez, Regina Festa, Hannah Golub, Cecilia Galarraga, Dan Feder, Mr. Charles, Diane Cipriano, Danielle Minetti, Gina Delollio, Lisa Gigoux, Diane Dingham, Tara LaRosa, Kim Semidei, Megan Lonigro, Maria Sena and Mrs. Nasti for making my visit to PS 216 so wonderful.

I was inspired to share this recipe after visiting the kitchen at PS 216. There’s nothing like dropping off a treat for your favorite principal, teacher, librarian or crossing guard. (Thank you, Karen and Lynn at PS 216!)
BLUEBERRY YOGURT BUNDT CAKE
5 large eggs
1 cup of plain yogurt
2 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 tsp. Lemon extract
1 ½ cups of sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts
2 tsp. Baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 cups all purpose flour
3 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup vegetable oil
½ stick of sweet butter
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bundt pan and set aside.
Beat the eggs, vanilla and lemon extract and 1 ½ cup of sugar in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the oil, baking powder, salt and flour until the batter is smooth. Don’t stop whisking until the batter has no lumps! Gently toss in the walnuts and fold them through the batter. Add the blueberries, but don’t break them up before quickly transferring the mixture into the bundt pan. Sprinkle extra sugar on top of the batter and bake for 70 minutes or until the cake is golden brown. Let it cool, place the cake on a platter. Melt the butter on the stove. Prick tiny holes in the top of the cake with a skewer, pushing the skewer into the cake without breaking up the surface. Pour the melted butter over the top of the cake.
Deliver the cake to your favorite teacher!
Continue reading about PS 216 in Part Six: Let Gratitude be your Attitude.