Daviess County Public Schools has announced the five recipients of the ninth annual Teacher of the Year, Customer Service and Support Professional awards program.
The “Kids First” Awards recognize “outstanding staff members who exemplify the highest ideals of the DCPS mission,” according to a release.
This year’s honorees are:
Elementary Teacher of the Year
Sally Tingle – Intermediate teacher, Highland Elementary School
Middle School Teacher of the Year
Jill Pate – Language arts teacher, Burns Middle School
High School Teacher of the Year
Jonathan Leohr – Engineering and computer science teacher, Apollo High School
Support Professional
Sherri Boehman – Secretary, Burns Middle School
Customer Service Award
Wendi Kozel, RN – DCPS district health coordinator
Teacher of the Year Awards
The DCPS district has identified the following characteristics of a great teacher: student-centered, shows empathy; develops and maintains positive relationships; growth mindset; communication with all groups; engagement; knowledge of content; team player; prepared; coachable; invested; passionate about teaching and learning.
Nominations were accepted from colleagues, students, parents and administrators, and were reviewed by the DCPS Office of Teaching and Learning. Winners at the elementary, middle and high school levels received “Kids First” sculptures and will represent the DCPS district as candidates for state-level Teacher of the Year honors.
Support Professional and Customer Service Awards
The Daviess County Public Schools district has recognized members of their support staff for their contributions to the DCPS mission. Nominees for the 2021 DCPS Kids First Support Professional and Customer Service Awards were evaluated in several areas of criteria:
- Kindness
- Active listening
- Conflict resolution
- Dependability
- Effective communication
- Empathy
- Friendliness
- Patience
- Creativity
- Making families feel welcome and valued
- Challenging students to do their best
- Supporting families with “Kids First” in mind
