School is back in session, and Partners in Education is back with Academic All Stars and Teachers of the Month! Keep reading to see how we kicked off the school year and learn about our September recipients.
We kicked off this school year with our Partners in Education School of the Year celebration! Our 2017-2018 School of the Year is Wickliffe High School. The school's Band/Choir teacher, Pamela Graves, was Teacher of the Month in April. Her nomination by Judy D'Angelo led to Wickliffe High School's School of the Year Award.
Mrs. Graves has been a teacher for 36 years, and it is clear that she loves what she does. She is described as “a gem for the school district.” Students say that Mrs. Graves is “just amazing.”
For winning School of the Year, Wickliffe High School received a $500 Office Max gift card, a School of the Year trophy, and various items from professional sports teams across the state to use for fundraising efforts.
Wickliffe celebrated with a pep rally that included magic, mascots and dancing! You can see the celebration
here.
Our first September Academic All Star is Emma Lightner. She is an eighth grader at Milton-Union Middle School. Teacher Brett Barnes recognizes her hard-work and dedication to education. He says, “she continues to be focused and trust-worthy in class. I am very proud of her progress.”
Payton Sherry is a sophomore at East Palestine High School, and our second Academic All Star. Payton is active inside and outside of the classroom, and she is a wonderful role model for other students. She is a member of the Science Club and plays Varsity Basketball and Golf. She is an Honor Roll student, an Incentive Scholarship recipient, and is enrolled in college credit classes at Kent State Salem. Payton also volunteers at the elementary school and tutors middle school students.
Teacher of the Month, Josette Folk, teaches Physical Education at Louisville Middle School. She is described as hard-working and very supportive of her students. She has helped set up Olympic days, rallies, various after-school activities, and is the Program Advisor for Fuel Up to Play 60. Mrs. Folk is always available to talk to her students and she “motivates everybody to be the best they could possibly be.”
Chandra Juhasz teaches seventh grade Science at Rocky River Middle School. She is known for teaching very engaging lessons and reaching her students on a personal level. Mrs. Juhasz was selected by the Ohio Middle Level Association to present at a conference in October.
Our next recipient is Nicole Mathias. She teaches English, CCP Composition and CCP-Lit for grades 9-12 at Sebring McKinley High School. Math Teacher, Debbie Weibush, describes Mrs. Mathias as “a true leader among [the] faculty.” She challenges her students in the classroom, and her state test scores show continual improvement. She also helped organize staff into committees that focus on student improvement and helped create a successful reward system.
Jen Noble is an Intervention Specialist at Mark Twain Elementary. She is described as going above and beyond for her school and students. Amber Cristofaro, the Community Outreach Coordinator, says Jen Noble “works devotedly to keep the school a place where want to be and where everyone learns.”
Brooke Paxton is the last September Teacher of the Month recipient. She teaches seventh grade Language Arts at Circleville Middle School. Mrs. Paxton was nominated by Communications Director, Evan Debo, for her “indelible contributions to her field.” She has championed an initiative grounded in student kindness in the form of service projects, organized monthly school spirit events and a literacy fair, and wrote and attained a grant provide a copy of the book
Wonder by R.J. Palacio to every student in the school.
Congratulations to all of the Partners in Education September winners! Keep up the amazing work!
You can nominate an outstanding teacher or student for Teacher of the Month and Academic All Star by
clicking here. Nominations are due by 5:00 p.m. on the 10
th of every month.