2 minute read
We Are MEA
by Maineea
Donna Colello
Lewiston Education Association
Lewiston Education Association receives award from Lewiston City Council
The Lewiston City Council selected the Lewiston Education Association as its 2021 Spirit of America award winner!
Lewiston Education Association members delivered half a million meals to students from last March through the summer! The MEA is proud of all its members! Congratulations, LEA!
School Library Success Custodian of the Year Finalist
Arts Department Chair Named Thornton Teacher of the Year
During School Library Month, the Maine Association of School Libraries (MASL) announced the recipients of the 2021 Awards. MASL’s annual awards recognize exemplary school library support staff, administrators, and library media specialists.
The 2021 Walter J. Taranko School Librarian Award winner is Jennifer Stanbro, South Portland TA, of Skillin Elementary School in South Portland. Megan Welter, SPSD Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, credited Ms. Stanbro’s vision and leadership for evolving the South Portland school libraries into “dynamic learning commons where students discover, think, and create.”
Award winners received a commemorative plaque and a $500 donation to their school library from MASL. Congratulations, Jennifer!
Jennifer Stanbro Congratulations to Donna Colello, head custodian at Ocean Avenue Elementary School in Portland who was a finalist for the national Custodian of the Year title. While Colello, a member of the Benefit Association of School Employees (BASE), didn’t win the grand prize she was the only finalist from the Northeast for the award, and she is only one of two women in the top ten. Colello told WMTW of working during the pandemic: “I feel I make the biggest difference ever, my job is essential. It’s very important. Now that COVID hit, I just maintain the positivity during these hard COVID times.” Congratulations, Donna on your success!
Thornton Academy named Emma Campbell, a former student of the school and Interim Arts Department Chair and dance faculty, as the 2021 Teacher of the Year. An outpouring of nominations from her colleagues highlighted her dedication to guiding students of all backgrounds and abilities to promote growth and achieve excellence, commitment to lifelong learning, and ability to develop positive relationships to maximize success. The words commitment, passion, innovation, positivity, and inclusiveness, created a common theme among all the nominations and truly reflect the teacher and colleague that Emma Campbell strives to be. Emma is also a co-president of the local association and an integral part of the union. Congratulations, Emma!
Emma Campbell
