Author Archives: Terry Lee Marzell

About Terry Lee Marzell

Terry Lee Marzell holds a bachelor's degree in English from Cal State Fullerton and a master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Cal State San Bernardino. She also holds a certificate for Interior Design Level 1 from Mt. San Antonio College. She has been an educator in the Corona Norco Unified School District for more than 30 years.

Author Terry Lee Marzell to make author appearance at Chino’s Bark Around Ayala Park

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Author Terry Lee Marzell will make an author appearance with her fur baby, Kurby, at the Bark Around Ayala Park event in Chino on Sat., Nov. 9, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Photo Credit: Hal Marzell

Terry Lee Marzell will be making an author appearance at the Bark Around Ayala Park event to be held on Sat., Nov. 9, 2024, from 9:00 am to 12:00 am at Ayala Park, 5575 Edison Avenue, Chino, 91710. At the event, Terry will feature her book, Unleashed! The Dog Park Chronicles.

The novel shares the story of Bowser, based on the true-life experience of Kurby, the little terrier mix that Terry and her husband, Hal, adopted after he was rescued from an abusive former owner. Their fur baby is even depicted on the front cover of the book!

But that’s not all the book is about. The narrative features a charming cast of animal characters and their human companions who live in or visit the dog park. Each event which takes place holds an essential message about kindness, community, inclusion, and personal responsibility. There are also messages about anti-bullying and anti-prejudice.

In addition, the narrative includes commentary about how young people can appreciate nature, even if they live in a suburban environment. For example, Marzell explores themes related to the migratory patterns of Canada geese, the natural instincts of the animal characters, and the progression of the seasons.

Come to the Bark Around the Park event to meet Terry Lee Marzell and Kurby! Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing. The book is also available in both paperback and ebook versions from amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

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LA teacher Janet McCrevan named 2024 State Teacher of the Year finalist

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Elementary school teacher Janet McCrevan has been named a 2024 State Teacher of the Year Finalist by the Louisiana State Department of Education. Photo Credit: Louisiana State Department of Education

There are many outstanding educators who work in American public schools. Janet McCrevan, an elementary school teacher in Louisiana, is one of them. In fact, in 2024 she was named a State Teacher of the Year Finalist by the Louisiana State Department of Education. The honor is to recognize educators who are making exceptional gains with students, guiding them to achieve at the highest levels of achievement in the state.

Janet teaches second graders at South Highlands Elementary Magnet School in Shreveport, Caddo Parish. Curriculum at the school emphasizes academics and performing arts.

Janet has always known she would pursue a career in education. “Teaching is in my blood,” declares Janet, “as my mother is a retired teacher. Because of this early exposure to the classroom, I learned to love teaching at an early age,” she continues. “As a young child, I developed a love for teaching and I knew that teaching is what I was born to do,” she concludes.

Originally, Janet is from Wagarville, Alabama. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education from the University of Montavallo in Montavallo, Alabama, in 1989.  She earned her Master’s degree from the University of Montavallo in Elementary Education and Early Childhood in 1992. Since 1990, Janet has taught kindergarten, first, and second grades in the states of Alabama, Florida, Texas, and Louisiana.

Each year the Louisiana Department of Education in partnership with Dream Teachers acknowledges competent, qualified, and motivated teachers through its Teacher of the Year Recognition Program. This year, Janet was honored with other Teacher of the Year finalists at the 17th Annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Awards Gala held at the World War II Museum on July 22, 2023.

Teacher and principal Nelson Bartram was also a Civil War Veteran

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Teacher and principal Nelson Bartram fought on the Union side during the Civil War. Photo Credit: Library of Congress

Many hardworking educators have served their country well during times of war. One of these was Nelson Bartram, a teacher and principal who fought during the Civil War on the Union side.

Nelson was born in Westport, New York, on January 7, 1832. While still a child his family relocated to Manhattan. At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Nelson was working as a teacher managing a night school on Nineteenth Street. At the same time, he was employed as a principal at the public school on West Twenty Fourth Street.

When the War Between the States broke out, Nelson mustered into service with the Seventeenth Infantry as a captain, Company B, on May 22, 1861. He was promoted to major of the regiment in December of that year, and lieutenant colonel in May, 1862. He mustered out of service with the regiment in June, 1863. He was then appointed lieutenant colonel of the new 15th New York Cavalry. In September, 1863, he resigned that post to accept a commission as colonel of the 20th US Colored Troops (USCT) organized on Riker’s Island in February, 1864. While serving in the military, Nelson was a witness to all the major engagements that the Army of the Potomac fought in until December 1863. This Chalkboard Hero mustered out with 20th USCT in October, 1865.

After the war, Nelson went to work as a clerk in the New York Customs House. That was in 1870. He also served as the Deputy Collector there until his passing on December 25, 1886, in New York City. On Sept. 26, 1900, a bronze statue was erected in his honor at Port Chester, New York.

To learn more about this heroic teacher and US veteran, see this article published by Adventures in History.

Making Waves with Colorado’s 2024 State Teacher of the Year

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A few months ago, I wrote a blog post about educator Jessica May. She was named the 2024 Colorado State Teacher of the Year. Today I stumbled across this video of her, and I thought it was so inspiring that I wanted to highlight this amazing teacher again. Jessica teaches courses in family and consumer sciences at Turner Middle School in Berthoud, Colorado. Her curriculum is focused not only on cooking and sewing, but also on self-care, social emotional learning, life skills (including personal finances), child development, and school to career. Here is the video:

Henrietta Szold: Teacher, activist, founder of Hadassah

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Teacher and activist Henrietta Szold at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, circa 1920. Photo Credit: Jewish Museum of Maryland

I love to tell stories about exceptional educators who have made significant contributions to the world community. One of these is Henrietta Szold, a Baltimore teacher and activist who worked tirelessly with an organization that helped save thousands of Jewish children from the Nazis.

Henrietta was born on December 21, 1860, in Baltimore, Maryland, the eldest of eight daughters. Her mother was Sophie (Scharr) Szold, and her father was Benjamin Szold, a local respected rabbi. As a young girl, Henrietta attended Western Female High School, where she graduated in 1877.

After her high school graduation, Henrietta taught courses in French, German, botany, and mathematics at both Miss Adam’s School and Mrs. McCulloch’s School at Glencoe. She taught in these schools for 15 years. When Henrietta saw a need to educate newly-arrived immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe, she urged the Hebrew Literary Society to sponsor a program to teach them English. As a result, the first evening adult classes in Baltimore were established. This was the beginning of adult education in the city, and the program became a model for adult education in other American cities. Henrietta also taught courses in history and Bible studies for adults at Oheb Shalom Religious School.

In addition to her classroom duties, Henrietta served as her father’s literary secretary for many years. She became the secretary of the editorial board of the Jewish Publication Society (JPS), a position she held until 1916. She translated works, wrote articles, edited manuscripts, and oversaw the publication schedule. In 1899 she was instrumental in producing the first American Jewish Year Book, of which she was sole editor from 1904 to 1908. She also collaborated on the compilation of the Jewish Encyclopedia.

Henrietta is probably best known, however, for founding the international volunteer organization known as Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America. With the Nazis rise to power in Germany, Henrietta recognized the extreme danger the party presented to European Jews. In 1932, a plan called Youth Aliyah was developed to send German Jewish Adolescents to Palestine to complete their education. Youth Aliyah was able to save between 22,000 and 30,000 Jewish youths from World War II death camps.

Sadly, Henrietta passed away from complications from pneumonia on February 13, 1945, in Jerusalem, Israel, at the age of 84. She is buried in the Jewish Cemetery on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Following her death, Israel issued a coin and a stamp in her memory, the first American woman to be featured on Israeli currency. Inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2007, Henrietta Szold is truly a Chalkboard Champion.

You can read more about this remarkable teacher in the Jewish Virtual Library.org.