School News THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS OF ‘09
AHISD HONORS CAMPUS TEACHERS OF THE YEAR, NAMES DISTRICT TEACHER OF THE YEAR Alamo Heights ISD announced the Campus Teachers of the Year for each of the district’s five campuses. Honorees were selected by their peers and will represent their campus throughout 2021. Honorees included: Bryan Stanton, Alamo Heights High School; Michael McElrath, Alamo Heights Junior School; Carly Leech, Howard Early Childhood Center; Mariana Medaris, Cambridge Elementary; and Barbara Iverson, Woodridge Elementary. The district honored these outstanding teachers during the board meeting in February, announcing the district-level Teacher of the Year, Bryan Stanton, in an announcement also presented live on Facebook and YouTube. The district honoree will move on to compete for the Trinity Prize and Region 20 ESC Teacher of the Year and be recognized as the Principle Auto Car-4-All-Seasons Outstanding Teacher. Meet AHISD’s extraordinary Campus Teachers of the Year: CARLY LEECH Campus Bilingual Coordinator/Bilingual Interventionist, Howard Early Childhood Center “I became enthralled by the idea of bilingual education, which eventually led me to San Antonio in pursuit of a career helping English learners reach high levels of achievement, bilingualism, and biliteracy in English and Spanish. In addition to my passion for supporting emerging bilingual students, I have become deeply involved in weekend volunteer work supporting families seeking asylum in the United States. I work with the Interfaith Welcome Coalition (IWC) to help immigrant families who were approved by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to plead their cases in court to be released from Texas family detention centers to travel to their sponsors. These parents, mostly women, and their children are fleeing extremely violent and unstable living conditions from many countries. Some have been separated from their children by ICE. When I first learned that most families leaving the immigration detention centers are dropped off at the bus terminal with next to nothing, having exhausted their travel funds, there was no turning back for me. I had to help them in any way I could; it doesn’t even feel like a choice. Just like the way my students bring me joy and strength, the families I help bring me strength and perspective.” Principal Susan Peery shares, “As an Interventionist, Carly has embraced our children with special needs and persevered to provide extra support in reading from a general education perspective. She demonstrates passion and persistence and seeks help and support from her colleagues in special education to best serve the children. When identifying her core values, Carly embraces love and advocacy. She leans into these two values in all that she does. She has a gentle strength and a loving heart for children, their families, and her colleagues.” MARIANA MEDARIS Campus Bilingual Coordinator/Bilingual Interventionist, Cambridge Elementary “An outstanding teacher seeks to understand and know their students. An exceptional teacher creates a culturally inclusive classroom learning environment where students become compassionate, confident citizens with a strong sense of identity and worth. An exceptional teacher inspires lifelong learning by offering engaging, challenging, and culturally relevant experiences where students feel successful and empowered.” Principal Jana Hawkins shares, “When we have new EL families that register at Cambridge, Mariana spends time with them and helps develop their sense of belonging. Starting with her very first introduction, she builds a relationship with the family. She makes great classroom placement decisions based on student abilities that ensure the student the best start to their learning at Cambridge. She has taken a personal interest in ensuring that all of our EL Families are fully informed and feel comfortable with their child’s learning. Her heart for helping students, teachers, and families is genuine. She has a passion for making sure that there is equity in their opportunities and learning.” 30 APRIL 2021 | 78209magazine.com
