Tag Archives: Elementary Teachers

Retired special ed teacher Phyllis Ehrenthal succumbs to Covid-19

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Covid-19 has claimed he life of yet another educator. Retired elementary special education teacher Phyllis Ehrenthal of Connecticut succumbed to the disease on April 16, 2020.

With sadness, we report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another educator. Retired elementary special education teacher Phyllis Ehrenthal of Connecticut succumbed to the disease on April 16, 2020. She was 84 years old.

Phyllis was born on August 13, 1935 and raised in the Bronx borough in New York. As a young girl in the Great Depression, she was a talented and dedicated student. She attended Music and Art High School in New York City. She studied the visual arts there. Upon her graduation, she enrolled at Hunter College in New York City. There she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English.

As a teacher, Phyllis worked at several schools. Eventually she landed at Fox Run School in Norwalk, Fairfield County, Connecticut, where she worked with special education students for 25 years. During her years at Fox Run, Phyllis earned a reputation for encouraging every child to live up to their potential. She encouraged each one to choose their own life goals.

Once Phyllis retired from the teaching profession, she pursued a career as a family therapist. She worked diligently to strengthen the relationships between parents and their teenage children. During this time she also revived her childhood passion for art. She produced many fine oil paintings as a member of a cohort of artists at Weir Farm in Wilton, Connecticut.

To read more about Phyllis, see this online article at Legacy.com.

Elem special ed teacher Katya Robinson named one of five California Teachers of the Year 

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Elementary special education teacher Katya Robinson of Sebastopol in West Sonoma County has been named one of five California 2020 Teachers of the Year  (Photo credit: The Press Democrat)

I love to share stories about teachers who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One such teacher is Katya Robinson, an elementary school educator from Sebastopol, California. She was named one of five of California’s 2020 Teachers of the Year.

Katya teaches special education for kindergarten through third grade at West Sonoma County Consortium School in Sebastopol. Her instructional program emphasizes interaction between her special education students and regular education students. “I believe it’s the educator’s job to open doors for our students, especially during their early years,” Katya told Sonoma West Times & News. “I spend a lot of time creating opportunities to learn and breaking down boundaries to their learning,” she continued.

Katya graduated from Piner High School in Santa Rosa, where she had played varsity soccer and basketball. Once she began to work with her special education students, she quickly noticed a lack of athletic and recreational opportunities for her kids. In 2012, she founded Epic Athletes, an organization which offers free basketball and soccer programs for special needs children.

Katya lost her house in the devastating Tubbs Fire in 2017. The call from California State Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond to tell her she had been selected as she was conducting a walk-through of her newly rebuilt home.

The other three honored educators from California include Sean Bui of Fremont, Brenda Chavez-Bararras of Perris, Gus Myers of Burbank, and Mandy Kelly of Saddleback. To read more about Katya, see this article at The Press Democrat.

Georgia educator Ernestine Miles Mann succumbs to Covid-19

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The educational community is saddened by the passing of Georgia educator Ernestine Miles Mann, who succumbed to Covid-19 on March 29, 2020.

The educational community is saddened by the passing of another educator lost to Covid-19. Ernestine Miles Mann, a retired teacher of Georgia, passed away on March 29, 2020, in Atlanta. She was 83 years old.

Ernestine was born June 15, 1936, in Atlanta, Georgia. As a youngster, she attended the Spelman College Nursery School and Ogelthorpe Elementary School located on the campus of Morris Brown College. In 1953, she graduated from at Booker T. Washington High School. As a young woman, she earned her Bachelor’s degree from Spelman College in 1957 with a major in English and a minor in Elementary Education.

The longtime educator devoted 26 years of her 30-year career teaching at the elementary level in the Atlanta Public School system. Upon her retirement, she was appointed by Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell to serve as the Chair on the Civil Service Board for the City of Atlanta. She was later re-hired by the Atlanta Board of Education to observe and evaluate first-year teachers.

Ernestine was a member of the Atlanta Chapter of the National Alumnae Association of Spelman College. She served as chapter president from 1966-1968. For this work, she received the Distinguished Alumnae Award in 2012. She was also a member of the Executive Board of the National Alumnae Association of Spelman College. In 2007, she was honored by the Atlanta Chapter for her dedication and leadership to the organization. In addition, Ernestine was a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Atlanta Alumnae Chapter, and served as chapter adviser for the Eta Kappa Chapter of Spelman College. For her work in education, Ernestine garnered the Delta Torch Award and, in 2017, she earned the Spelman Founders Spirit Award.

To read more about this amazing Chalkboard Champion, see this link at Spelman College.

Dutch kindergarten teacher knits dolls to represent her students

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During shelter-at-hme directives, Dutch teacher Ingeborg Meinster-Van der Duin of Banick School in Haarlem, the Netherlands, knitted a doll to represent each child in her class.

Teachers everywhere have expressed repeatedly how much they miss their students since the coronavirus pandemic forced school closures worldwide. But no one can doubt the sincerity of Dutch kindergarten teacher Ingeborg Meinster-Van der Duin at the Dr. H. Bavinck School located in Haarlem, the Netherlands. She actually knitted a doll for each one of her students!

Ingeborg got the idea to knit the dolls when she saw a knitted doll on Pinterest one day. Without any previous lessons, she decided she was going to knit every one of her students a personal doll.

The creative teacher knitted 23 dolls, one for each of her students. Each doll took three to four hours to create, and each resembles the child it represents. She made sure every student who wore glasses or had freckles had these features represented on the dolls she made. She didn’t leave out any detail. When her students asked if there was a doll to represent the teacher, Ingeborg created one to represent herself.

During recent school closures due to coronavirus pandemic, Ingeborg Meinster-Van der Duin, a teacher at the Bavinck School in Haarlem, the Netherlands, knitted a doll to represent each child in her class.

To read more about this creative teacher, see this link at Shared.com.

Coronavirus claims life of Virginia teacher Susan Rokus

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Retired first grade teacher and reading tutor Susan Rokus of Loudoun County, Virginia, succumbs to coronavirus.

The professional community is mourning the loss of yet another educator who has been lost to the coronavirus. Retired teacher and reading tutor Susan Rokus of Loudoun County, Virginia, passed away on March 25, 2020. She was 73 years old.

Susan inaugurated her career as an educator in 1969 when she accepted a position as a first-grade teacher for Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS). During her career, she served at the old Arcola Elementary School, Little River, Liberty, and Pinebrook elementary schools. She retired in 2014. In retirement, Susan continued to serve her students as a part-time tutor for struggling readers. She tutored at two elementary schools in her district.

Susan was revered by those who knew her. “She is someone who poured her whole self into contributing to our community,” recalled LCPS Superintendent Eric Williams. In fact, just last year, Susan was recognized by Little River Principal Kevin Murphy as one of the core leaders of the school when it first opened 20 years ago.

Parent Rachel Hill shared memories on Facebook of her friendship with the fallen teacher. Hill remembered the days her son was a student in Susan’s class, going on class field trips together, and walking around the running track at a school together. “I will also never forget her spunk and sense of style,” Hill wrote. “That woman loved to dress and always looked stunning. She reminded me of my grandmother with her love for clothes and fashion and shopping.” Susan also had a reputation for her flare for distinctive decor, especially the leopard-print chair, shaped like a stiletto, that she kept for years at the front of her classroom.

“Her heart was so big. I’m not sure she realized how many children she helped,” wrote mourner Lisa Mitchell. Paul Pack, Principal of Liberty Elementary agreed.  “Her legacy in Loudoun is unlike anything I’ve ever seen because it’s generational,” he remarked.

To read about other educators who have succumbed to the coronavirus, see this article at Education Week.