“从你还是保利学生的时候开始, 敬爱的LS老师, and respected baseball coach you have modeled all that is good at Poly,” said former Director of 可靠的网堵平台 Mildred Piscopo in a tribute to 马特·杜兰多96年，P ' 30. “I am a better person for knowing you as a student, teacher, and coach. 祝贺你!”

Poly was proud to honor Durando with the 2020 校友会 精神奖 during a virtual celebration on Saturday, 10月24日.

校友关系 导演Donna Muoio P ' 13， ' 17 welcomed everyone to what became a lovefest for Durando with memories shared by fellow alumni and colleagues. She pointed out the virtual tribute message board as evidence of the widespread affection for Matt.

中学院长 彼得·索托01年，31年，35年, representing the 校友会 Board of Governors, said that he and Durando began their Poly teaching careers together 14 years ago as PE teachers at the 较低的学校. 当时, the building was undergoing renovation and 较低的学校 PE classes were held outside in Prospect Park much as 较低的学校 is doing this year. Despite the challenges of cold wet days in the park, “Matt pointed out the beauty around us and was always positive,索托说. It was Durando who would buy bagels and coffee for colleagues and patiently answer the “whys” of a three-year-old.

Durando is “our Poly guy” and makes everyone else around him better.

杜兰多的"二年级以来最好的朋友" 奥斯汀·佩里，96年 recalled how Durando posted inspirational quotes for his Poly baseball teammates and how together they served as “beverage engineers” pulling a wagon of Gatorade around 夏天 Experience. Perilli said Durando is “our Poly guy” and makes everyone else around him better.

Durando played Varsity 棒球 at Poly and went on to earn an MBA from Long Island University. 9/11事件后, he decided to make a career change and has been a 较低的学校 PE teacher since fall 2006. 他是校棒球队的教练 马特·罗文蒂尼，92年，20年，25年 in the two previous seasons and still serves as assistant coach.

“他是我认识的最好的人. 这是事实.”

教练Roventini was next up to pay tribute to Durando. “He makes me look good,” Roventini said, “Matt is 保利预科. 没有人比我更想在我身边了. 他让我们都变得更好.” Not only is Durano a friend, he said, but family. “他是我认识的最好的人. 这是事实.”

教练Roventini, 谁了解他?, 张贴这个致敬, “Matt not only brings a wealth of knowledge about baseball but he is always the first coach to support a player or fellow coach when they need it. Whenever I am having ‘one of those days’ as a coach Matt is always there to remind me that it’s going to be OK.  Not a moment goes by without Matt standing by my side encouraging his players to be the best they can be.  His wealth of knowledge and kind heart make him the perfect Assistant Coach.  更不用说他还会说钓鱼, 食物, 电影, 需要从棒球中解脱出来的时候听音乐.” 

杜兰多发言的时候, he shared a glimpse of the actual 精神奖 as his son, 乔纳森, 骄傲地看着. Durando went on to thank family and friends starting with his grand父母, 父母, 妻子, 蒂娜, 和儿子, 乔纳森和克里斯蒂安. “I am truly blessed to spend every day at a place I adore,” he said of Poly. 杜兰多讲述了一个来自 教练比利·麦克纳利 把他带回了保利，在棒球营工作. “我觉得自己又像个孩子了.但他补充道, “Saying ‘yes’ to Matt when he asked me to be assistant coach changed the future of my life.” And then becoming a PE teacher at 较低的学校 in 2006 was “the chance of a lifetime.在他慷慨的, 卑微的方式, Durando went on to thank just about every colleague he had the pleasure of working beside or coaching with at Poly.

父母[Kippy Joseph, 24、26年级的学生] shared this tribute to Durando on the message board, “当我第一次参观下保利时, 是先生. Durando who sold me on the school in a chance encounter in the hallway when I got separated from the tour. We chatted for several minutes and I said to myself, ‘If all the faculty and staff at Poly are as great as this guy, 我知道我的孩子们会得到很好的照顾.“从那时起，他们就一直是这样!”

When asked earlier to name those at Poly who had inspired him, 电池的说, “The list is incredibly long and I can speak for days about the wonderful people associated with this place. Among my favorite coaches when I was a student were Ed皱, 迈克尔Junsch, 威廉·麦克纳利, 杰拉尔德的石头真正的绅士们. Teachers who greatly impacted my growth as a learner were 玛丽Corkhill, 巴特。莫, 哈罗德Bernieri, 萨拜娜Laricchia, 小河弗里曼 (艾瑞卡的丈夫)，还有 家伙Devyatkin, among many others who taught me to be persistent and.致力于学习. 作为一名教师，我受到同事们的启发 艾莉森·弗兰纳里, 瑞秋Olinyk, 彼得·索托以及我在下保利学院的专家团队. All care for each individual in the class and seek to reach them where they are as learners. I have learned and will continue to learn from each one of them.” 

“作为一名教师，我希望, 每个学生都将学习体育的基础知识, 展现良好体育精神的重要性, 以及在友好竞争中找到的快乐,杜兰多在颁奖典礼前说. “I believe the acquisition of a skill is useless unless a student applies it within a game setting. 作为教练, I hope my players will better understand that mechanics of hitting a baseball is a career-long learning process and there is no exact science that works for all. 我相信要成为一个完整的棒球运动员, the mental side of the game is equally as important as the skill side.” 

在精神奖获奖感言的最后, Durando recalled the words of a 1973 Billy Joel song, “You Are My Home” that expressed his feelings about Poly. “Thank you, Poly,” 电池的说, “for being my home.”

另一位保利校友和保利家长 亚历克斯·马雷斯卡·艾萨拉，2000年，第33届 said it well in her message board tribute, “Matt, it is clear how much you love Poly.  我只希望你知道保利有多爱你.  每天都有那么多的笑容是你带来的, 不只是孩子们, 还有父母和同事.  You wear a lot of Poly hats but you wear them so well.  I am thrilled that you are getting the recognition you deserve.  Thank you for your incredible Poly Spirit and dedication to our school.” 

Head of School Audrius Barzdukas P’20 congratulated Durando and thanked him “for lifting our hearts.”