Welcome the Inaugural ELA Advisory Council

As the ELA Honor Society grows, our team wants to ensure that Chapter Advisors have a key role in its continued development. To that end, we are very happy to welcome our inaugural ELA Advisory Council members, Bridget Colabello (Morgan Road Middle School in Liverpool, NY) and Elizabeth McLaughlin (Juan Pablo Duarte-Jose Julian Marti School 28 in Elizabeth, NJ).

Bridget and Elizabeth will be playing a key role in the expansion of chapter numbers, the development of programming, and the growth of opportunities for both student members and Chapter Advisors that are part of the ELA Honor Society mission.

Bridget Colabello

Teaching middle school is a best kept secret, according to Bridget Colabello. Throughout her 30+ year career she has cultivated appreciation for literacy and the Humanities among her energetic and enthusiastic students. She is a fan of Edgar Allan Poe and is known to wear different shirts throughout the month of October to honor the Master of Gothic Horror (she testifies to owning more than 30). She believes that providing extracurricular opportunities is paramount and is the school yearbook and literary magazine advisor. She has thoroughly enjoyed starting the Edgar and Abe Chapter of the ELA Honor Society with her co-teacher Kristi Carroll, Social Studies.

Elizabeth McLaughlin

Elizabeth McLaughlin is a twelve-year veteran middle school English Language Arts teacher. She prides herself on bringing social emotional learning to the forefront of her classroom as she uses the curriculum to bridge character education and literacy together. As well as being an avid reader herself, she works hard to share and promote her love of reading with her students by bringing new and relevant YA books into the classroom. Elizabeth has been her school’s AVID teacher for the past 12 years, where she promotes the importance of higher education and empowers students to strive for academic excellence. She is also the teacher in charge of her school’s yearbook, Student Council, buddy program, and peer mediation program. She firmly believes in teaching the whole child and that bringing a multitude of opportunities to her students helps achieve this.