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School Secretaries

Sheryl Pender

Sheryl Pender
School Secretaries

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to your School Secretaries Chapter web page. Leading this chapter of more than 3,000 school secretaries is an enormous responsibility and one I take seriously. Having served on the chapter's Executive Board for many years, I know many of you personally and I know the issues that concern you. This year is an especially challenging one, but I've seen you've surmounted the difficulties. Everyone knows the school secretary is the heart of the school, and I know you all have heart.

In the box to the left on this page, you can see useful links. Please use this section of our chapter's website for helpful resources. You can also click on the links to view our contract and Chapter Representatives. We work a 7 hour and 20 minute day. For our roles and responsibilities, we still follow the rules of Special Circular 31 from the New York City Department of Education.

I'm looking forward to working with you. You can also contact me from your non-DOE email address at secretarychapterleader [at] uft [dot] org (secretarychapterleader[at]uft[dot]org).

Sincerely,

Sheryl Pender
Chapter Leader

Photo Gallery

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walks 2024

UFT members took strides in the fight against breast cancer in all five boroughs of New York City and on Long Island to raise awareness and money for the union’s annual October fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Many wore pink and walked in tribute to colleagues who have battled the disease.

A group of UFT members at a Bronx breast cancer walk gather for a photo.

Members from PS 119 in the Bronx show up in full force to support the cause at the Bronx walk on Oct. 27.

Members from PS 100 in the Bronx smile for the camera in their UFT Making Strides shirts.

Members from PS 100 in the Bronx smile for the camera in their UFT Making Strides shirts.

UFT members on Staten Island take a group photo at a breast cancer awareness walk.

UFT members from Staten Island schools walk with Staten Island Borough Representative Sean Rotkowitz (center) on Staten Island on Oct. 27.

Members from PS 19 on Staten Island and their family members march to show their solidarity and their school pride at a breast cancer awareness walk on Oct. 27.

Members from PS 19 on Staten Island and their family members march to show their solidarity and their school pride.

UFT members from Queens take a photo with the Brooklyn Cyclones mascot at a breast cancer walk in Coney Island.

Members from PS/MS 183 in Queens meet Sandy the Seagull, the Brooklyn Cyclones mascot, at the Brooklyn Making Strides walk on Oct. 27.

Members from PS 46 in Brooklyn gather at the finish line on the Coney Island boardwalk at a breast cancer awareness walk on Oct. 27

Members from PS 46 in Brooklyn gather at the finish line on the Coney Island boardwalk.

Three UFT members wearing black and pink shirts pose for a photo at a Making Strides Walk in Queens on Oct. 20, 2024

Teachers (from left) Nadia Gomez, Sonya Quallis and Patrice Camejo of PS 160 in Queens show their support at the Queens walk on Oct. 20.

Erica Berger
Two UFT members at the Queens Making Strides Walk on Oct. 20, 2024 smile for a photo while walking.

Teachers Virginia Nunez (left) and Rene Jeffery-Dumas of PS 123 in Queens stroll with their colleagues.

Erica Berger
Hillcrest High School members pose for a group photo in front of the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Corona Park at the Making Strides Walk on Oct. 20, 2024

Members and staff from Hillcrest HS in Queens show up in force to honor their colleague Linda Biggs, a paraprofessional who died of breast cancer in June 2024.

Erica Berger
A teacher holds up a breast cancer awareness t-shirt while sitting on a large inflatable chair.

Teacher Candida Fermin of PS 75 in Brooklyn sits pretty in pink while taking a stand against breast cancer at the Queens walk.

Erica Berger
Two UFT members at the Manhattan Making Strides Walk on Oct. 20, 2024 smile for a photo while walking along with one of their dogs.

Teacher Helen Jason (left, with her dog) of PS 36 in Manhattan is all decked out in pink alongside a colleague for the Manhattan walk in Central Park on Oct. 20.

Katherine Slingluff
A teacher holds up a breast cancer awareness t-shirt while at a Making Strides Walk in Manhattan

Teacher Kattiusca Montalvo of PS 197 in Manhattan shows off her UFT Making Strides T-shirt.

Katherine Slingluff
UFT members sign in at the registration table during the Manhattan Making Strides Walk on Oct. 20, 2024

Members are greeted by Manhattan Borough Representative Servia Silva (right) as they gather at tables to sign in to walk in Manhattan.

Katherine Slingluff
Central Park East II members hold up a banner at the Making Strides Walk in Manhattan on Oct. 20, 2024.

It’s a banner day for (from right to left) Chapter Leader Clarissa Lynn of Central Park East 2 in Manhattan and her colleagues paraprofessional Andrea Gallo and teachers Jesse Baldoria and Diana Kaplen.

Katherine Slingluff
Manhattan UFT members take a group photo at the Making Strides Walk in Central Park on Oct. 20, 2024

Manhattan UFT members gather for a group picture before the walk in Central Park.

Katherine Slingluff
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A group of UFT members at a Bronx breast cancer walk gather for a photo.

Members from PS 119 in the Bronx show up in full force to support the cause at the Bronx walk on Oct. 27.

Members from PS 100 in the Bronx smile for the camera in their UFT Making Strides shirts.

Members from PS 100 in the Bronx smile for the camera in their UFT Making Strides shirts.

UFT members on Staten Island take a group photo at a breast cancer awareness walk.

UFT members from Staten Island schools walk with Staten Island Borough Representative Sean Rotkowitz (center) on Staten Island on Oct. 27.

Members from PS 19 on Staten Island and their family members march to show their solidarity and their school pride at a breast cancer awareness walk on Oct. 27.

Members from PS 19 on Staten Island and their family members march to show their solidarity and their school pride.

UFT members from Queens take a photo with the Brooklyn Cyclones mascot at a breast cancer walk in Coney Island.

Members from PS/MS 183 in Queens meet Sandy the Seagull, the Brooklyn Cyclones mascot, at the Brooklyn Making Strides walk on Oct. 27.

Members from PS 46 in Brooklyn gather at the finish line on the Coney Island boardwalk at a breast cancer awareness walk on Oct. 27

Members from PS 46 in Brooklyn gather at the finish line on the Coney Island boardwalk.

Three UFT members wearing black and pink shirts pose for a photo at a Making Strides Walk in Queens on Oct. 20, 2024

Teachers (from left) Nadia Gomez, Sonya Quallis and Patrice Camejo of PS 160 in Queens show their support at the Queens walk on Oct. 20.

Erica Berger
Two UFT members at the Queens Making Strides Walk on Oct. 20, 2024 smile for a photo while walking.

Teachers Virginia Nunez (left) and Rene Jeffery-Dumas of PS 123 in Queens stroll with their colleagues.

Erica Berger
Hillcrest High School members pose for a group photo in front of the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Corona Park at the Making Strides Walk on Oct. 20, 2024

Members and staff from Hillcrest HS in Queens show up in force to honor their colleague Linda Biggs, a paraprofessional who died of breast cancer in June 2024.

Erica Berger
A teacher holds up a breast cancer awareness t-shirt while sitting on a large inflatable chair.

Teacher Candida Fermin of PS 75 in Brooklyn sits pretty in pink while taking a stand against breast cancer at the Queens walk.

Erica Berger
Two UFT members at the Manhattan Making Strides Walk on Oct. 20, 2024 smile for a photo while walking along with one of their dogs.

Teacher Helen Jason (left, with her dog) of PS 36 in Manhattan is all decked out in pink alongside a colleague for the Manhattan walk in Central Park on Oct. 20.

Katherine Slingluff
A teacher holds up a breast cancer awareness t-shirt while at a Making Strides Walk in Manhattan

Teacher Kattiusca Montalvo of PS 197 in Manhattan shows off her UFT Making Strides T-shirt.

Katherine Slingluff
UFT members sign in at the registration table during the Manhattan Making Strides Walk on Oct. 20, 2024

Members are greeted by Manhattan Borough Representative Servia Silva (right) as they gather at tables to sign in to walk in Manhattan.

Katherine Slingluff
Central Park East II members hold up a banner at the Making Strides Walk in Manhattan on Oct. 20, 2024.

It’s a banner day for (from right to left) Chapter Leader Clarissa Lynn of Central Park East 2 in Manhattan and her colleagues paraprofessional Andrea Gallo and teachers Jesse Baldoria and Diana Kaplen.

Katherine Slingluff
Manhattan UFT members take a group photo at the Making Strides Walk in Central Park on Oct. 20, 2024

Manhattan UFT members gather for a group picture before the walk in Central Park.

Katherine Slingluff