Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES

Danielle Fantasia’s journey at Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES began with “a little bit of chance and luck,” and 22 years later, she wouldn’t change a thing.

After seeing an advertisement for a part-time position, Fantasia began working at the daycare center as she earned her associate’s degree through Cayuga Community College, then her bachelor’s degree through SUNY Oswego. After completing her bachelor’s degree, she was appointed to a full-time position. Shortly after, the daycare center partnered with several local school districts to offer Universal Pre-kindergarten, which would be housed at Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES. Fantasia later completed her master’s degree through SUNY Albany.

Over the years, Fantasia has worked in many roles in the daycare center. In her early years, she worked with all the classrooms: infant, toddler, pre-school and school-age. Since being appointed to a full-time position, she has primarily worked with pre-kindergarten kids, and has also filled in as interim director of the daycare center. “I can’t imagine spending my days anywhere else.”

At the daycare center, she has seen some traditions stay, while others have evolved. When she co-taught with a colleague, the two coined Fridays “Fun Friday,” which meant a day of cooking, art, or science experiments. “Fun Friday” carries on to this day, with children recently making homemade Play-Doh. As she looks ahead to upcoming events, Fantasia reflected on the ways Halloween at the daycare center has changed over time.

“Our annual Halloween Parade and Sing-A-Long began with all the classrooms wearing orange, marching around the gym and singing a few songs. We now hold an event each Halloween morning and invite families to join. Classrooms still parade and sing, but we now fill three conference rooms with guests! Parents are invited to join their child for a fun activity and snack in their classroom after. It's a fun opportunity to have families on campus and be a part of our day.”

Working at BOCES provides opportunities to partner with different departments. Last year, Fantasia worked with seniors in the Career and Technical Education’s Criminal Justice program to organize a morning of hands-on math and literacy enrichment opportunities for the daycare children. When asked what makes BOCES a special place, she said: “the people.” She appreciates the support from her colleagues and considers it a privilege to form relationships with families.

“I love meeting and welcoming new families each year,” she said. “We create a little family and even though I send them all in different directions every spring, I'm grateful that I live in the same community I teach. I'm bound to hear my name in a random aisle at Walmart or see families at our local library. It's a treat to see kids after they've left my classroom, see how they've grown and catch up with parents.”  

When she’s not at BOCES, Fantasia enjoys family time with her husband and two children, Luca and Nora. They enjoy spending time at playgrounds and libraries and are on an ongoing quest to visit New York State parks—17 and counting.