2 minute read
End-of-Year Celebrations
DISTRICT AWARDS
CAMPUS TEACHERS OF THE YEAR
Advertisement
Throughout the year, we have celebrated many teachers who excel in the classroom. Every month, a teacher from each campus was named teacher of the month and also nominated for District Teacher of the Month. From those nominations, one elementary and one secondary teacher were selected for District recognition. All teachers who were nominated, whether they received district recognition or not, were then eligible to be named Campus Teacher of the Year by their peers. In April, we surprised the winning teachers with a visit to their classroom so that the students could join in on the celebration.
Edison Elementary: KATY PYLE | Chalmers Elementary: LAUREN DENISON Lee Intermediate: KARLI SPANGLER | Gainesville Junior High: JON TORRES Gainesville High School: ALEXUS VANLANDINGHAM
DISTRICT TEACHER OF THE YEAR
The Campus Teachers of the Year submitted applications to be considered for GISD Teacher of the Year. These applications were reviewed by a district level committee, and the winning teachers were announced at the service awards and end-of-year staff celebration. The 2021 Elementary Teacher of the Year is Mrs. Lauren Denison, a 3rd-grade teacher at Chalmers Elementary. “She is an exceptional teacher, leader, mentor, community member, and parent who will take on whatever comes her way to ensure the needs of others are met, especially the students of GISD.” - Brandon Whiten, Chalmers Principal
The Secondary Teacher of the Year is Coach Jon Torres, an 8th-grade honors history teacher. “He never skips a beat keeping up with his students’ needs when he is called away for military duty. Although he has only been in the classroom for two years, he has the skills and abilities of a veteran teacher.” - Krista Beal, GJH Principal
EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR
Two new awards were announced this year for the first time. The Employee of the Year is a staff member who is not a classroom teacher but has made a tremendous impact on the the students at GISD this year. The 2020-2021 Employee of the Year is Mrs. Lindsay Dodson, the District Lead Reading Interventionist. ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
A second new award was announced at the staff celebration. The Rookie of the Year award was given to two deserving first-year teachers. The Co-Rookies of the Year are Mrs. Diana De Santiago, an 8th-grade math and Pre-AP Algebra I teacher, and Hector Sagrero, Chalmers PE teacher and GJH coach. Both of these teachers have made a tremendous impact on their students and campuses, shown tremendous growth in the classroom, and have an incredibly bright future in education.
LEOPARD HIGH FIVE AWARD
The Leopard High 5 awards were given throughout the year to 275 dedicated faculty and staff. More than 500 total nominations were received from staff members, parents, students, and community members. Once a month, Dr. Stewart visited the campuses to surprise the recipients and give them a high five!
