Tag Archives: Secondary Teachers

Musical Theater teacher Brooke Berry-Wolf earns Big Apple Award

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Musical Theater teacher Brooke Berry-Wolf, shown here with students, has been named a recipient of a 2023-2024 Big Apple Award from New York City Public Schools. Photo Credit: Brooke Berry-Wolf

I always enjoy sharing stories about exceptional educators who have earned accolades for their work with young people. One of these is Brooke Berry-Wolf, a Musical Theater teacher from Harlem, New York. She has been named a recipient of a 2023-2024 Big Apple Award from New York City Public Schools.

The Big Apple Awards recognize and celebrate New York City teachers who inspire students to be their best selves; model equitable learning with high expectations for the diverse and dynamic needs of all students; affirm students’ identities, unique gifts, and genius; and enrich their school communities by partnering with families, community members, and community-based organizations.

Brooke teaches at Talent Unlimited High School (TUHS), a small performing arts public school. Admission is by audition and review of academic records. TUHS is widely recognized for its successful preparation of artistic, academically-proficient community of college-ready students.

In her classes, Berry-Wolf’s students complete a rigorous four-year curriculum of vocal, acting, and dance classes with an emphasis on acting through song and dance. Musical Theatre majors are provided the opportunity to perform each year. The degree of student input and choice increases each year and by their senior year, students will write, direct, choreograph, produce, and perform in a Senior Showcase performance.

Brooke helped to start Cake Productions, a female-founded off-off Broadway theatre company. Once the company was off the ground, she went on to produce, direct, and perform in numerous productions, including an annual presentation of It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.

While living in Colorado, Brooke earned her Bachelor’s degree in Musical Theater with an emphasis in Voice at the University of Northern Colorado. She earned her Master’s degree in teaching win New York City. She has taught at Talent Unlimited HIgh School since 2015.

Virginia’s Symone Jenkins earns 2024 First Year Teacher Award

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Symone Keolani Jenkins of Alexandria, Virginia, is such a phenomenal first-year educator that she has earned a 2024 Outstanding Secondary School Teacher Award. Photo Credit: Fairfax County Public Schools

Like most professional educators, I really struggled to stay on top of things during my first year of teaching. But there are some first-year teachers who, from the very beginning, are so exceptional they even win awards! One of these is Symone Keolani Jenkins, a high school teacher from Alexandria, Virginia. She is so phenomenal that she has earned a 2024 Outstanding Secondary School New Teacher Award from Fairfax County Public Schools.

Symone teaches English and Language Arts courses to sophomores and juniors at West Potomac High School in the Fairfax County Pubic School District. In the classroom, this outstanding educator has a reputation for creating an environment where her students thrive, not only academically but also socially and personally.

Symone embraces diversity and inclusion, and she recognizes the value of considering a variety of different perspectives to the learning environment. In the future, she hopes to offer elective courses in Black Perspectives in Literature and LGBTQ+ Perspectives in Literature. These courses are intended to “assist with having an open mind and open perspective moving forward by looking at the struggles of others in our society and history,” the honored teacher explains.

In addition to working as a teacher, Symone has also devoted her energy to young people by serving them as a volleyball coach for the local Evolution Volleyball Club. In fact, she has served as the Head Coach there since 2021.

Symone earned her Bachelor’s degree in English and Cultural Studies in 2021 and her Master’s degree in Secondary Education and Teaching English in 2022, both from George Mason University, a public research university located in Fairfax, Virginia, not far from Washington, DC.

Congratulations, Symone!

Mandy Vance named Oregon’s 2024 Teacher of the Year

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Middle school teacher Mandy Vance of Portland, Oregon, has been recognized as her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: North Central Education Service District

I am always excited to share the story of an exceptional educator who has earned accolades for her work with young people. One of these is Mandy Vance, a middle school teacher from Portland, Oregon.

Mandy earned her Bachelor’ degree in Social Studies Education from Corban University in Salem, Oregon in 2008. There she earned honors for her leadership and athletic achievements. She earned her Master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2011, also from Corban. She earned her PhD in Education from Concordia University in 2019. There her research centered on the specific needs of students who are also athletes.

After earning her degrees, Mandy inaugurated her career as a professional educator in the Oregon Trail School District. In the District she taught at Boring Middle School for 15 years. Currently, she develops curriculum for courses in sports management, academic success, and creative science at Cedar Ridge Middle School in Sandy, Portland. She also serves on her school’s Site Council Leadership Team, in her local union, and as a mentor teacher. And as if all that were not enough, she also works as an adjunct professor for Eastern Oregon University.

Mandy says she believes her personal educational philosophy is paramount to their success. “I have discovered that what matters most isn’t what I do,” she declares. “It’s not the strategies I use, the standards I teach to, the technology I utilize, or the instructional methods I employ. It’s the quality of my presence, the state of being I bring to my students,” she continues.

The Oregon Teacher of the Year program is administered by the Oregon Department of Education in partnership with the Oregon Lottery. As part of her recognition, Mandy will receive a $10,000 cash award. In addition, $5,000 is also awarded to Oregon Trail School District. She says she plans to use the money to help set up a scholarship fund for students who want to become teachers.

 

Pennsylvania coach Sue Butz-Stavin inducted into the 2023 National High School Hall of Fame

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Field hockey coach Sue Butz-Stavin of Emmaus, Pennsylvania, was inducted into the 2023 National High School Hall of Fame. Photo Credit: Lehigh Valley News

I always enjoy sharing the story of an outstanding high school athletic coach. One of these is Sue Butz-Stavin, an exceptional field hockey coach from Emmaus, Pennsylvania. In 2023, she was inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame.

Sue holds the record for most wins for a field hockey coach in the history of the sport in Pennsylvania. Nationally, she is at the top of the list by nearly 200 victories. In her 47-year career at Emmaus High School, Sue has compiled an impressive record of 1041-83-35. That record includes a 69-game winning streak in 2023. According to the NFHS National High School Sports Record Book, her nearest competitor has 839 victories.

Sue’s field hockey teams have made 37 appearances in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) State Championship. There they have won 14 titles, in addition to two runner-up finishes and nine final four appearances. Her teams have won a total of 40 district titles, including 34 in a row.

As the daughter of a physical education teacher, Sue remembers that as a child she was always taken along to sporting events. She joined the first field hockey program at her alma mater during her junior year in 1969, and she began coaching while teaching abroad in Australia. She was hired to coach at Emmaus  in 1976, 16 years after the founding of the school’s field hockey program.

For her work as a high school athletic coach, Sue has been inducted into the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame. She has garnered with numerous state and national Coach of the Year titles. In 2021, she was named the PIAA Field Hockey Coach of the Year. Her teams at Emmaus have been ranked No. 1 in the nation on four different occasions. Over the years, many of her players have played field hockey at the NCAA Division I level. And her athletic program has even been featured on TV’s The Today Show and ESPN.

The National High School Hall of Fame was founded in 1982 by the National Federation of State High School Associations in an effort to honor high school athletes, coaches, officials, administrators, and others. The Hall of Fame was organized as a means of recognizing, preserving, and promoting the heritage of interscholastic sports in the United States.

To read more about Sue Butz-Stvin, click on this link to Lehigh Valley News.

NJ Social Studies teacher Edward Graf earns 2024 VFW Award

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Social Studies teacher Edward Graf, a US military veteran, has earned a 2024 Smart/Maher National Citizenship Education Award from the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).  Photo Credit: VFW

It is always a pleasure for me to shine a spotlight on an outstanding classroom teacher who has also served in the United States military. Today, I spotlight Edward M. Graf, a high school teacher in Bridgewater, New Jersey. He has earned a 2024 Smart/Maher National Citizenship Education Award from the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars).

Edward, a veteran of the US Army, teaches social studies teacher at Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School (SCVTHS) in Bridgewater, New Jersey. His candidacy for the VFW honor was sponsored by Bernardsville Memorial VFW Post 7858 in Bernardsville, New Jersey. The outstanding educator was chosen for the continued passion and energy he brings to his classroom, and for the dedication he shows with regards to honoring America’s service members, veterans, and Gold Star families. He does this through multiple student-led community events, including the organizing of Proud to be an American Day, an event which honors the service and ultimate sacrifice paid by our nation’s armed forces.

The Proud to be an American Day, which is celebrating its 10th year at SCVTHS, and its 17th year overall, was inaugurated by Edward as a way to reinforce his classroom curriculum about citizenship. Over the almost two decades that he has run the program, Edward and his students have raised over $170,000 from local businesses and community groups to sponsor this event. Last year, the event featured representatives from almost every branch of the military, five military aircraft, Civil War cannon demonstrations, performances of patriotic music, memorial presentations, and a variety of speakers, including generals and admirals. The event was attended by students from 13 schools from five counties.

While he was in the service, Edward served as a radio operator and Infantry Team Leader in the US Army, 25th Infantry Division. He served from 1997 through 1999. While there, he earned an Army Achievement Medal and Army Service Ribbon.

Each year, the VFW selects one elementary, one middle school, and one high school teacher to receive the Smart/Maher VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher award. The honor recognizes outstanding teachers for their exceptional commitment to teaching Americanism and patriotism to their students through promoting civic responsibility, flag etiquette, and patriotism in the classroom. Edward will receive a check for $1,000 which he can use for professional development and another $1,000 for his school during the 125th VFW National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, July 27-Aug. 1, 2024.

To read more, click on this link to VFW website.