Rainbow Academy Director Serves as Guest of DEA Administrator

RUTHERFORD, NJ. – Dina Duffy, a resident of Union Township and owner/director of Rainbow Academy (www.rainbowacademy.com) in Rutherford, N.J., traveled to Quantico, VA on December 15 to serve as a special guest at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Basic Agent graduation, where her students’ hand-made flag served as a backdrop for the ceremony.

The children created the flag in preparation of Memorial Day to honor one of her students’ parents, Special Agent Frank Tarentino, of Clark, N.J., and his fellow soldiers stationed in Afghanistan. The flag arrived at Tarentino’s base on July 4, 2005.

Duffy received a special invitation from Jodi Avergun, chief of staff to Karen Tandy, the Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). In the letter, the chief of staff said the DEA Administrator had viewed the flag while visiting Afghanistan this past summer and was so impressed that she decided to feature it at the December 15 graduation ceremony.

The flag had been produced by children enrolled in Rainbow Academy’s Cranford center, where Duffy worked before opening the Rutherford center this fall. The cotton flag is made with blue paint and yellow felt to symbolize the stars. Each student used red paint to make stripes with their handprints. Under each handprint was the child’s name.

Duffy, who was accompanied by her husband, Tom Duffy, and Special Agent Tarentino’s family, said she was honored to be a guest at the graduation.

“I am very proud of my students’ compassion, creativity and patriotism,” Duffy said. “Their dedication and hard work in making this flag has been an inspiration to me, our troops overseas and now to the newest class of drug enforcement agents.”

Guy Falazarno, president and CEO of Rainbow Academy, said he is thrilled that Duffy was invited to the graduation, adding it is gratifying that students from one of his child care centers helped play such a patriotic role in a national event.

“Ms. Duffy’s class exemplifies all that we strive to promote at our centers – creativity, cooperation, team work and compassion,” Falzarano said. “We are thrilled these children were recognized as representatives of Rainbow Academy Child Care Centers.”

For more information about Rainbow Academy and its eight locations throughout New Jersey, please visit the company’s website at www.rainbowacademy.com.


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