Sponsored by the Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty and determined by community and staff nominations, the honor includes a $1,000 grant for the implementation of a project or program at the recipient’s school, made possible through private donors.
This year’s winners were Cynthia Sorrell, first-grade teacher at Wyandot Elementary School and Jennifer Akers, music teacher at Hopewell Junior School.
“The ‘Educator of Excellence’ award is a long-standing tradition at Lakota,” said Acting Superintendent Robb Vogelmann. “The awards recognize the consistency and high commitment to our students, the dedication of our staff that truly changes students’ lives and benefits our community.”
Each recipient was honored within their school communities with a surprise recognition.
Vogelmann added, “We wanted our honorees to be surrounded by the students, parents and colleagues who have been most impacted by their influence.”
For Akers, that recognition included nominations from numerous colleagues and parents. One nominator stated: “Her goal has been to push students to have musical experiences that broaden their lives and teach them lessons that you can’t learn anywhere else. Whether it is a student learning from the beginning, or vocalists who have been trained and practicing for a lifetime, Jennifer has a way of inspiring them to be more.”
Sorrell, who has been a teacher for the Lakota school district for 38 years, was nominated for the “patience and kindness she shows to each child. She strives to have a close connection with parents so as to be available to help each student progress to their fullest while in her class.”
Another nominator states, “She always does the extra things to make learning fun and interesting for her students. She helps develop her student’s critical thinking skills and is a leader who is always willing to help others whenever she can.”
“Every year, I am overwhelmed by the number and strength of nominations,” said Erin Clemons, president and CEO for the Community Foundation. “The high quality of Lakota’s educators is evident through the words of students, parents, fellow staff and even community members who have witnessed or personally benefited from their work.”
Each year, two recipients are selected to represent grades PreK-6 and 7-12, respectively. The selection committee also, at their discretion, can opt to recognize a deserving administrator, without the attached monetary award.
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