Ohio community mourns loss of English teacher Shannon Wigfield

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Members of the academic community are mourning the loss of Language Arts teacher Shannon Wigfield, who perished in a horrific school bus accident. Photo credit: LinkedIn

Hearts are heavy in Bolivar, Ohio, this week as the community mourns the loss of English teacher Shannon Wigfield. She perished in a horrific school bus accident on Tues., Nov. 14. The beloved educator taught at Buckeye Career Center in New Philadelphia. She was 46 years old.

The group on the bus was on their way to the Ohio School Board Association Capital Conference at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, where the Tuscarawa Valley High School Band was scheduled to perform. Shannon had agreed to serve as a parent chaperone because one of her three children was a member of the band.

The horrific accident also claimed the lives of three students, Tuscarawa Valley High School mathematics teacher Dave Kennat, and fellow parent chaperone Kristy Gaynor. According to police authorities, the accident occurred when the bus the students were traveling in was hit by a commercial semitrailer traveling in the same direction, resulting in a five-vehicle chain reaction.

The loss of the beloved educator has been very difficult for those who knew her, according to Bob Alsept, Superintendent of Buckeye Career Center. He remembers Shannon as, “A wonderful teacher, but more than what she taught, she really made them feel special about themselves, wouldn’t let them fail, could be hard on them as she needed to be, but also let them know that she cared deeply about their success,” he says. “I never remember seeing her and thinking she was having anything but a great day because she had a smile on her face and just carried herself enthusiastically and you know what? That rubs off on students, they are drawn to that,” Alsept continued.

Shannon was born on May 10, 1977, in Dennison, Ohio. She graduated from Claymont High School in Uhrichsville, Ohio, in 1995. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Ohio University in 2000. Her career as an educator spanned 24 years.

Our sincerest condolences to Shannon’s family, friends, and colleagues.

Ohio teacher Dave Kennat perishes in horrific school bus accident

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Members of the academic community in Ohio are mourning the loss of high school mathematics teacher Dave Kennat. He perished in a horrific school bus accident on Nov. 14. Dave taught at Tuscarawa Valley High School in Zoarville. Photo credit: Solid Rock Photos

Members of the academic community in Ohio are mourning the loss of high school mathematics teacher Dave Kennat. He passed away in a horrific school bus accident on Tues., Nov. 14. The beloved educator lived in Navarre and taught at Tuscarawa Valley High School in Zoarville, Ohio, for the past 31 years. He was 56 years old.

The horrific accident also claimed the lives of three students and two parent chaperones. According to police authorities, the accident occurred when the charter bus the students were traveling in was hit by a commercial semitrailer traveling in the same direction. The adults were following the bus, and were in one of five vehicles that were also involved in the crash.

Dave instructed courses in College Placement Algebra II, Algebra II, and Introduction to Microsoft Office. “I take my mathematical thinking with me to every endeavor and believe that problem solving is one of the most important traits a person can have,” Dave once remarked. “I hope I can impart a sense of problem solving to my students as this may be the most important lesson they learn,” he continued.

In addition to his work in the classroom, Dave also served his school as the Ski Club Advisor. He once confessed that he thinks about skiing all year, and hoped to share this passion with his students. He also enjoyed camping, hiking,kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing, and gardening.

Dave also volunteered at Wanake Camp and Retreat Center in Beach City, Ohio, for 33 years. There he worked as a counselor, assistant director, photographer, and videographer.

The fallen educator will be sorely missed by students at the school. “I always loved him in class. He was always super energetic, made class fun. Really just an easy guy to talk to,” recalls student John Leffler, a senior. “Really unfortunate that he’s not going to be there anymore,” Leffler continues.

Dave earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics Education at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, in 1989. He earned his Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction of Computer Science in 1999 from Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio, 1999.

Our sincerest condolences to family, friends, and colleagues of all those who passed away and all those who were injured.

Educator, activist, and Japanese internment camp survivor Marielle Tsukamoto followed in her mother’s footsteps

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Longtime teacher and administrator Marielle Tsukamoto from Elk Grove, California, was five years old in 1942 when her family was removed from their California farm and sent to a World War II Japanese internment camp in Jerome, Arkansas. But she remembers the experience quite clearly. It was partly because of this experience that sparked an enduring passion for justice that set the Chalkboard Champion on her path as an educator, community leader, and civil rights activist.  

Once the war was over, her mother, Mary Tsukamoto, finally got to fulfill her long-time dream of becoming a teacher, a dream she had all but given up.” She had a way of looking at each child, reaching them and telling them, you know, you are important. And you are worthy, and I believe in you,” recalls Marielle. “That’s where I learned that I wanted to be a teacher.”

And that’s how Marielle came to follow in the professional footsteps of her mother. She attended Sacramento State in 1956 before graduating from University of the Pacific. She served first as a teacher, then as a vice principal and principal of C.W. Dillard Elementary in Elk Grove Unified School District. And before she retired, Marielle also served as the Principal of the Elk Grove elementary school named in honor of her mother.

In addition, Marielle has volunteered for the Elk Grove Regional Scholarship Foundation, the Elk Grove Multicultural Festival, and the Time of Remembrance Educational Program, an annual event that originated in Elk Grove and is now held at the California Museum in Sacramento.  

Now 86 years old, Marielle enjoys traveling in retirement and volunteers at the California Museum. There, Uprooted: An American Story, shares the experiences of the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans. “All of us that are now volunteering at the museum, we do it because have an obligation to the next generation, because of what the last generation did for us,” asserts Marielle.

 

Christina Melly named Missouri’s 2023 Teacher of the Year

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High school English teacher Christina Melly of St. Louis, Missouri, has been named her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Christina Melly

It is always my pleasure to share the story of an exceptional educator who has earned recognition for their work in the classroom. One of these is Christina Melly, an English teacher from St. Louis, Missouri. She has been named the 2023 Missouri State Teacher of the Year.

Christina teaches at Ritenour High School, where she haas worked for 13 years. The school just happens to be her high school alma mater. She has also coached her school’s speech and debate team, served as the Chair of the English Department, and , And as if all that were not enough, she is also a Gateway Writing Program teacher-consultant.

In addition, Christina is active in her local teachers’ union. She has served as the President of the Ritenour National Education Association. There she holds the position of the Missouri Resolutions Committee. Recently she was elected to a fourth term as a delegate on the National Resolutions Committee.

As a first-generation American, Christina understands the value of using writing to amplify her students’ voices, including publishing their experiences with writing through the National Council of Teachers of English’s English Journal. “I am the best teacher on the days I learn from students,” Christina declares. “It takes a lot of practice and courage to reach those days, but the lessons that define me as a teacher have student choice, voice, and experiences at the center; this creates shared ownership of our learning,” she continues.

Christina earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and a second Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2010. She earned her Master’s degree in English and a graduate certificate in the teaching of writing from the same university in 2015.

To read more about Christina Melly, click on this link to an article published about her by UMSL Daily.

 

NJ math teacher Riley Gartland earns prestigious 2023 Milken Award

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High school mathematics educator Riley Gartland of Cinnaminson, New Jersey, has garnered a prestigious 2023 Milken Educator Award. Photo credit: Milken

Hearty congratulations go out to Riley Gartland of New Jersey! She has garnered a prestigious Milken Educator Award for 2023. She has been a mathematics teacher at Cinnaminson High School in Burlington County for the past eight years.

Riley sets high standards for her students, but she works diligently to make sure they have a path to success. She creates individualized achievement plans for each student by pre-testing each one to determine their current level, and then she schedules one-on-one meetings with them to provide individualized support. These efforts have led to notable achievement growth among students of all abilities, with many consistently outperforming the county and state. Also, Riley uses real-life applications of mathematics to bring her classroom to life. Her students create board games, make Sierpinksi triangles, and use current math technology like Desmos to create art.

In addition, Riley serves as her school’s advisor for the National Honor Society, planning the induction ceremony and reception, and chaperoning the prom and a senior class trip to Disney World. She serves as the freshman class advisor, mentoring students during all four years at Cinnaminson. She plans fundraisers, spirit week, and the school blood drive. She also fills the role of co-advisor for the school’s Future Educators Association.

Riley’s leadership extends beyond her classroom. She collaborates with the Math Department, sharing her data analysis resources with colleagues and helping to develop curriculum for students so they can build strong ties to state learning standards. During district professional development sessions, she has been instrumental in training colleagues on new technology and resources, including helping colleagues implement remote instruction during the pandemic. As if all this were not enough, Riley is active in professional development and committed to a positive school environment. She leads the Sunshine Committee, an on-campus faculty club that helps to improve teacher morale.

Riley earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education and Mathematics from Rowan University in Voorhees, New Jersey, in 2016.

The Milken Educator Awards are hailed by Teacher magazine as the “Oscars of Teaching.” For more than 35 years, the program has recognized excellence in the world of education by honoring top educators around the country with a $25,000  cash prize. The honor includes membership in the National Milken Educator Network, a group of more than 2,700 exemplary professional educators from all over the country. To learn more, click on Milken Educator Awards.