BULLETIN BOARD
Safari named Teacher Of The Year
Argine Safari , amusic teacher at Pascack Valley High School , was named New Jersey ’ s 2016 Teacher of the Year , an honor bestowed by the state . The 47-year-old Fort Lee resident has taught at her school for more than adecade . She grew up in Armenia and came to America in 1994 , eventually finding her way to a career in education after working some other jobs . She was partly inspired by working with the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and helping astudent , who had lost her father in the 9 / 11 attacks , prepare for the admissions process for the famed LaGuardia High School of Music and Performing Arts in New York City . “ None of my performing experiences compared to the feeling Ihad when Ilearned about her success ,” she told The Record .“ Iknew Ihad to turn my passion for music into acareer of teaching .” She has been spending a six-month sabbatical traveling around the state making presentations on behalf of the New Jersey Department of Education .
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Yakoff does ceremonial coin toss at US Open
Fort Lee resident Stephanie Yakoff , 111 , was chosen by the United States Tennis Association to do the coin flip for the 2016 US Open women ’ s singless finals . She ’ s pictured with the participants , Angelique Kerber , left , and Karolina Pliskova , at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens , where Yakoff trains . She is the top ranked player in the USTA ’ s Eastern section 12-and-under division .
Yakoff found out she would do the coin toss while competing in a tournament in Georgia , but didn ’ t realize it was a big deal . She was much more excited about her upcoming 11th birthday . It wasn ’ t until her family received their tickets that it hit her . “ My 25-year-old brother Stan , who also plays tennis and goes to the US Open every year , looked at the tickets and said that he never ever had seats like that and that it is an honor to do the coin toss at the US open , more so for the women ’ s final ,” Yakoff says . “ Only at that moment did we all realize what that meant .”
She watched coin toss ceremonies on YouTube to prepare and was alittle nervous thinking about the thousands of people watching . “ My mother told me the night before , ‘ Steffi , don ’ t be nervous . Just be yourself . You worked hard like all the other girls and boys who play sports and go to school . Alot of kids will be watching that final and would start playing tennis too .’”
She reminded Yakoff that she trains there so often so the stadium is really her second home . When it came time to do the toss , she was fine . “ Standing there next to Angelique Kerber and Karolina Pliskova and shaking their hands was adream come true for me . I was so proud . Iwasn ’ t nervous anymore ,” Yakoff says .
As she continues her career with her dedicated team in Queens , Yakoff knows that was amemory that she will always treasure . “ I was the luckiest girl in the whole entire world !”
SAFARI : HANNAH ADELY ; CAMPUS CUBE : COURTESY OF CAMPUSCUBE ; YAKOFF : COURTESY OF GAVIN JOHNSON
4 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2017 | ( 201 ) FAMILY 201magazine . com