Weston Awards: Meet Northeast's Kristine Greenhalgh-Checchetto

This is the latest in our series spotlighting the winners of the 2025 Judy Weston Awards for Inspired Teaching. Follow along each week to learn more about the impact these educators are making in the Montclair Public Schools.

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Northeast third grade teacher Kristine Greenhalgh-Checchetto knows how to make learning fun, and understands what motivates students and keeps them engaged.

From her cartwheeling spirit to a generous policy allowing Squishmallows in the classroom on special occasions like “Sleepover Day,” she connects with her students in meaningful ways. She remembers their interests, friendships, and hobbies, even years later. And she acknowledges the very real challenges of a student who is a fellow Boston Red Sox fan living in enemy territory.

Ms. Greenhalgh challenges her students to think in new ways. For example, she got one child to see writing in a whole new light.

"[My son] used to loudly declare that he HATED writing, but an essay assignment in Ms. Greenhalgh’s class changed his tune. He really wanted a new family cat, so he used his essay to lay out all the benefits this new pet would allegedly bring to our lives. Ms. Greenhalgh then asked parents to respond to their child’s essay," a nomination letter said. "So, we read his passionately argued points, and we made him a counteroffer: If he learned how to clean the litter box, we had a deal. And when we brought home this new, fuzzy friend from the animal shelter, Ms. Greenhalgh let my son triumphantly share pictures on the smart board. He was super proud. Because of this assignment, he internalized that writing could be an effective means to an end. To this day, he will tell you that his third-grade essay 'convinced us' to get a cat.”

This is just one way Ms. Greenhalgh has made her students feel seen, supported, and empowered. She leads with kindness in her classroom – encouraging ‘bucket filling’ and celebrating when kids do things to be good citizens or uplift one another. She's had a lasting impact on hundreds of children in her more than 20 years of teaching at Northeast. For all these reasons, Ms. Greenhalgh is an inspired teacher. Congratulations.