Marisa Silva was nominated by her colleague, Chelsea Anderson.
Ms. Silva brought back "Townie Pride" to the East Providence High School program. She is always willing to work with teachers and students to make school-wide efforts possible. Her current effort to make online and in-person band classes take place is inspirational. It provides a sense of "normalcy" for the students. As a colleague, she is always willing to offer advice or ideas for the music classroom. She is a kind, professional teacher who brings so much to the East Providence School District.
She is a dedicated teacher and works hard everyday for her students :)
Marisa is one who needs to be seriously considered for this. She dedicates her life to her students in and out of the classroom. There is nothing she wouldn’t do for them. I was lucky enough to have a teacher like this in grade school and it makes so much of a difference. It can absolutely be life changing. She is someone who doesn’t consider this just her job - it is her passion. It is her life.
Mrs. Silva is a truly inspiring teacher and there is nobody better for this award than her. She has helped me so much in the past year and a half with my music and I'm so grateful. Mrs. Silva makes me want to continue my musical career in college as well as bettering myself right now. Congratulations Mrs. Silva!
Marissa is not only helpful and inspiring to the students she teaches, but a ray of hop to those she encounters. Having been a student at E.P.H.S before and into her tenure, I can recall a distinct boost in energy during football games and in kids wanting to join the band once she arrived. Marissa constantly puts her students before herself and embodies Townie Pride to the fullest.
Mrs. Silva is an excellent teacher and there is no better recipient for this award. The energy she brings to the school and the gap felt since the pandemic had worsened, and subsequently band events had been halted, is felt throughout the community. The reason she deserves this award is for powering through and trying to determine ways to continue entertaining, and to continue to give students a reliable and safe classroom where they know when they step foot into it, even in this altered world, there’s still gonna be an experience they get out of it. I’ve always enjoyed her classes, and she’s an excellent teacher, and the dedication she has to music and to the high school band is unparalleled. I’m grateful for the opportunities to have been in her classes, because whenever you’re in there it feels more like a family than a class. It is for these reasons, her commitment to the band, to Townie Pride, and to each and every student, along with the sense of safety and family she builds in every classroom she enters, that she deserves this award.
Marissa is not only helpful and inspiring to the students she teaches, but a ray of hop to those she encounters. Having been a student at E.P.H.S before and into her tenure, I can recall a distinct boost in energy during football games and in kids wanting to join the band once she arrived. Marissa constantly puts her students before herself and embodies Townie Pride to the fullest.
She is a dedicated teacher and works hard everyday for her students :)
Marisa is an amazing teacher. She consistently advocates for her students and her program. She is creative, forward thinking and a problem solver. She has done an excellent job with the band program. Students love being a part of the Townie Band and it is a source of pride for the community. She is truly deserving of this award!
Marisa is a genuinely amazing person and an outstanding teacher! She is truly dedicated not only to her profession but to all of her students as well. She always exemplifies Townie Pride and instills it in her students!
Marisa is a dedicated teacher who truly loves her students. I saw her playing her instruments in her tool shed in order to be prepared for her students on the first day of school. She wanted to find an out of the way place as to not disturb anyone. Though, her music was beautiful, she was considerate of others. Her students are blessed to have her. She is dedicated, disciplined and considerate. Her mastery of instruments is unmatched at the high school level. Marisa is a true life changer and I can’t think of a better nominee.
Marisa is well deserving of this award. She is an excellent teacher, you can see the enthusiasm in her when she speaks of her students. Marisa has taken the band to a higher level since she started at ephs. She is always there for her students no matter how big or small the issue is. She is a very caring and understanding teacher as
Marisa is a great role model for all her students, it takes a special kind of person to teach music and Marisa has shown that. An award well deserved, and she has a supportive husband ??
I can’t say enough about how amazing Marisa is and what a big impact she has had on so many students. I was a student of hers from eighth grade all the way through high school and having her as a band director made all the difference. She exemplifies what it means to have Townie Pride. She taught me responsibility, how to be a good leader, the value and importance of always giving my best effort, and the power of music. The band kids from my class adored her so much we actually often referred to her as Mom/Momtinez
She is a dedicated teacher and works hard everyday for her students :)
Marisa is so deserving of recognition!! She is a talented musician, a natural leader and a compassionate educator. She inspires her students to excel while instilling high standards of citizenship, maturity and responsibility. Marisa has restored Townie Pride to an outstanding band program.
Mrs. Marisa Silva is AMAZING! I am a former student of hers and the time I had her as a teacher was nothing but enjoyable. She always made students laugh, she got along with everyone. She always had her students playing energetic fun music. She’s a very dedicated woman. She most definitely deserves this award!
Marissa has brought new life to the Townie marching band and is dedicated to improving the program. Our community is fortunate to have her working in our community.
As a resident of East Providence, I have been extremely impressed by her love of music and students. She has managed through difficult times to bring music to the schools, but has also allowed the community to enjoy great performances.
Marisa is AMAZING! Both my children have benefited from the music program at EPHS. My oldest is continuing at the University of New Haven in their band based completely on what she learned in HS, as she played no instruments before 9th grade. I am also blessed to be her colleague, and she is a joy to work with.
Everything in the above description and ENERGY and MOTIVATION!
She is a great teacher, she deserves this award.
She is a dedicated teacher and works hard everyday for her students :)
Mrs. Silva belongs to a family that breeds fantastic teachers. She’s passionate about her profession and deserves this award.
Mrs. Silva is very deserving of this award. She is an amazing teacher and a positive role model for her students.
Marisa is the definition on Townie Pride! She goes above and beyond and brings the best out of the students and the school itself! If anyone deserves this, it is her! Keep up the good work!
Marissa is constantly changing lives of the young minds she teaches in school on a daily basis!
Mrs. Silva deserves this award! She puts her students first and loves her job.
Marisa is a very kind and compassionate person and highly deserving of the lifechanger award. She is my sister in law. I would like to share a period of time in which my dad her father in law suffered a stroke. My dad could not live alone and needed to be looked after and cared for. My dad sold his home and moved into my brother Mike and Marisa's home. My dad was put on palliative care for his prostate cancer. I personally witnessed the love and kindness that Marisa gave to my dad through the years fulfilling my dad's wish to die at home surrounded by his loving family members. Marisa continued to teach and band direct while giving up so much of her personal life for the good of her family. Thank you Marisa.
Mrs. Silva is a dedicated and dynamic educator. "Townie Pride" is more than words, it is actions. Mrs. Silva demonstrates this phrase everyday with her enthusiastic teaching style, her ability to help her students reach their potential, and her exposing her students to the musical world at large.
Very kind, selfless person who is always laughing and smiling. Her commitment to her students and her passion of teaching is unparalleled. Continue to strive for greatness Mrs. Silva, your students and peers are very fortunate to have someone like you in their corner. Keep up the great work.
Our expression, “TOWNIE PRIDE” reverberates throughout the halls of East Providence High School. Yet, if there was a person who sincerely embodies the true essence of this phrase, it is Mrs. Marisa Silva. She recognizes the importance of a strong work ethic, persistence, and confidence through her ability to make the complex seem “do-able.” She has developed a great rapport with faculty, parents and students. She is respected and held in high regards by her colleagues.
As multi-sport coaches, we hear and see the behind the scenes of what it truly takes to make the East Providence band of of the best in the State. She deftly motivates and challenges her students through a fusion of popular, innovative music and precise, synchronized choreography. We find ourselves and our players dancing during our down time or in between practices sessions. We have seen Marisa transform musically-talented individuals through the dogs days of the summer months into a melodic, make you want to get out of your seat, inspirational half-time celebration of sounds and sights.
Life changer is certainly a phrase that is synonymous with Marisa. It is our honor to write this letter of behalf for Mrs. Marisa Silva.
Respectfully,
Stacie and Angelo R. Pizzi, Jr.
Mrs. Silva's personality and energy are infectious and through those, she is able to develop strong, meaningful, and inspiring connections with her students. I know this because whenever Mrs. Silva's name or the band comes up in conversation during class, any student who knows her says how "awesome" she is and how much they love the program. Marisa has also brought back "Townie Pride" to our marching band. We happen to be building a new high school here in East Providence and due to construction (pre Covid), Marisa and the band had to move practice from the field to our very visible front lawn. Not a day went by that I didn't see students and faculty pausing at the windows, or hear cars beeping as they passed by, all enjoying what she has recreated. Marisa has a "can do" attitude and is hard working, energetic, dedicated, and so deserving of this honor.
Mrs. Silva is easily one of the best teachers I’ve had. She always supports her students in their endeavors and is happy to help them along the way. I can’t imagine what the band would be like without Mrs. Silva. Her dedication and positivity inspires everyone to be better musicians and better members of the community. I will always be grateful for the opportunities she has provided me with since I moved to East Providence.
Mrs. Silva is an incredibly supportive teacher of each and every one of her students. She supports them in and out of the band room and pushes them all to be the very best that they can be. Mrs. Silva works to give her students opportunities that I never would have been able to experience without her work and dedication. I got to take trips, meant people, and see performance from all over the state and country. She doesn't just want her students to be good musicians, she wants her students to be good people. She teaches us to be leaders and work together. She shows us the importance of music in our lives and how to reach our communities through music and service. Some of my greatest friends and memories come from my band experience and I couldn't have asked for a better band director and teacher to have shared it with and learned from.
Mrs. Silva has never failed to motivate my peers and I. She always goes the extra mile and has provided one of the best high school experiences I could of ever asked for. I am proud to be a member of the East Providence Townie Band and without Mrs. Silva keeping music alive in all of our hearts, I don’t know where any of us would be. On behalf of all students past and present, I’d like to thank Marisa Silva for her dedication to the band and to our community.
Mrs. Marisa Silva embodies all that’s great about our community here in East Providence. She works tirelessly advocating for our school’s music program and its most important component; The students of our city. Since the beginning of Mrs. Silva’s tenure as Band Director here at our city’s only high school, the band, our music program, and our students have benefitted tremendously. While Marisa does not and would never seek any official recognition, she is more than deserving of all the accolades.
Mrs.Silva is such a hard working person, she puts her all into whatever she does. Weather it’s band related or not , Mrs.Silva is always a heartbeat away for absolutely anyone.
Each and one of us at the band are super thankful to have a great band director like Marisa Silva.
Walking into the band room makes My days so much better, and with Mrs Silva’s positivity, and great vibes she makes the band feel like home and one big family. She’s a mother to us band kids and we love her very much!
Mrs. Silva is one of the best teachers at EPHS. She is always energetic to teach and loves to be around us. She is not like an ordinary teacher, Mrs. Silva takes the time to connect with each student in one way or another. She knows how to have fun, especially at Friday night football games. She is passionate about her work and it shows. She wants each one of us to succeed and nothing less. Mrs. Silva deserves this award and so much more.
Marisa is an exceptional person and an exceptional educator. She is an inspiration to her students. Her students strive to meet her high expectations, and not surprisingly her students surpass those expectations. Most importantly, Marisa is a nice person.
Marisa is a class act. A music enthuiast, she shares her passion with all her students. As a school counselor working with students, I get a lot of feedback regarding their experiences with their classes. In all the years Mrs. Silva has been a music instructor as well as band director, I have never heard a student complain about her or the classes she teaches. To the contrary, I have heard students praise her for her patience and compassion. She has worked to create opportunities for her students and has arranged several band trips -- including destinations such as Disney World and New Orleans. Mrs. Silva works tirelessly to fundraise so that ALL of her students can share in these opportunities. The amount of time Mrs. Silva dedicates to her students is commendable. Weekend parades, evening concerts, school musicals, color guard, band camp -- These are just a few examples of the 'extra curricular' commitments Mrs. Silva has made to the students of East Providence High School. One incident that specifically comes to mind regarding Mrs. Silva occurred several years ago when I was the adviser to the National Honor Society. As part of the program, a student would perform a musical interlude. That particular year, the student was an academically and musically gifted student. When I approached her to perform during the ceremony, she was honored but anxious about performing alone. Mrs. Silva selflessly offered to perform alongside her and arranged practice sessions with the student. The performance at the cereomony was breathtaking and was well received by the audience. That example defines Mrs. Silva and I was delighted to hear that she was honored by the National Honor Society a few years later as outstanding faculty member of the year. The philosopher Plato said “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” Mrs. Silva lives and models these words every day.
A tremendously dedicated professional educator whose students refer to her as "mom". There is no greater testament to who she is than that. She is a the perfect example of the teacher/role model.
Marisa always goes above and beyond for her band students, and continues to move the Townie Band program in a positive direction. She is an exemplary role model for what it means to be a dedicated educator, and works tirelessly for her students. She is fondly referred to as "Mom" by so many of the band students because they know she would do anything for them - but will also keep them all in line when necessary! It is clear to everyone who knows her that Marisa loves her job, her students, and her community.
Without question Marisa Silva revitalized the band program at East Providence High School. Her energy, enthusiasm and expertise has touched the lives of her students and changed them for the better. She is dedicated, organized and charismatic.She has turned her students into life long musicians.. Marisa has brought joy to our community with countless concerts, competitions, banquets and trips. She has changed her students, colleagues and community by bringing out the best in them.
Wow, my first born niece. She was and continues to be the apple of our eye. As a toddler she was already following her own path. Her grandmother, my mom Elida always commented, “You always know when Marisa gets home from school because the house comes alive!”
I am so extremely proud of her and all of her accomplishments. The love of music runs deep in our family roots and she inherited all of those talents!
She is so caring with her students and watching their interaction when I visited one year makes my eyes water!
We are in awe and admiration for one very successful, beautiful, (inside and out) woman she has grown to become!
When we found out Marisa was nominated for this honor, we were very happy and proud. Since Marisa was born she would always be at ease with all people , strangers and relatives alike. This was the beginning of a journey she has taken to be where she is today. A successful career, a great husband, and a fantastic family supporting her all the way. Her one quality that has always stood out, is her compassion for people and her students. She teaches this way and lives her life this way. As you can tell by now, she is our daughter. In our eyes and that of everyone she touches, she already is a winner.
