THOMPSON EDUCATION FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2013 EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR RECIPIENTS
Thompson Education Foundation (TEF) continues to honor excellence in education with the recognition of six Thompson School District staff members during the foundation's fifth annual Educator Appreciation Breakfast and Educator of the Year awards at Embassy Suites Loveland on Friday, March 8, 2013. An audience of 380 staff and community members gathered to hear who was selected in the six award categories.
Award nominations opened in December to staff, parents, students and community members; 81 educators were honored with nominations. Recipients were reviewed by the Educator of the Year Committee and chosen by the Thompson Education Foundation Board of Directors. The nominees were evaluated for excellence in education through their ability to empower, challenge, and inspire. Criteria for selection for the awards included a candidate's dedication to their work, a high level of skill, and the ability to inspire those they interact with in the course of their work.
Classified Educator of the Year: Leroy Cline, Intensive Learning Services Paraprofessional, Ponderosa Elementary School
Staff and student nominators alike praised Leroy for his dedication and gift of working with disabled children. "At our weekly meetings, Leroy is thoughtful in making suggestions for improvement and quick to offer praise of others." "Mr. C personifies all that is good about educators by celebrating students with challenges, caring deeply for all children and sharing his amazing gift of making every child feel valuable." A quote from a 1st grade Ponderosa student "Friendship, kindness and helping is what Mr. C is all about."
APT Educator of the Year: Linda Worthington, Transportation Supervisor
Nominators wrote "Linda has always encouraged teamwork/collaboration" and she was praised for being organized, fair, conscientious and approachable. She is also appreciated for her graciousness to her staff, both with time and with baking. She makes monthly birthday cakes and 12 to 15 dozen varieties of cookies for her staff at Christmas time.
Elementary Educator of the Year: Mary Kay Randall, kindergarten teacher, Truscott Elementary School
Mary Kay's commitment to continuous learning and how she promotes and expects the same from her students and their parents was remarked upon in her nominations. "She develops strong partnerships with parents that encourage them to be key advocates and supporters in the academic lives of their students." A parent nominator wrote "I am grateful for my child's experience, Mary Kay epitomizes what you hope for in a teacher. Creative, firm, high expectations, yet caring and compassionate."
Secondary Educator of the Year: Mike Felton, civics and government teacher, Loveland High Schoo
lNominations for Mike emphasized passion for his subject matter and how he inspires students to share in that passion. "Mike Felton's students not only care about the whole political process and government, but they often major in political science or social students because of him." "Mike Felton, as unassuming and humble as he is, has had a greater positive impact on more students than I have ever seen a teacher have in my entire career."
Principal Educator of the Year: Larry Shores, principal, Winona Elementary School
Larry was praised for the many skills he brings to Winona Elementary School. A staff member said "Larry's leadership is a solution-based approach that enables everyone to take part in the process that building Winona to be the best it can possibly be. Larry includes everyone in in the story of success at Winona. No exceptions." Another staff member notes "Larry fosters positive relationships among staff, students and the community through modeling, positive words, and encouraging staff to share their expertise with students." "Larry not only encourages us to be the best teachers we can be for our kids, he is also there, teaching us kickboxing exercises (every Monday after school) so we can also learn how to take care of ourselves in other ways too."
Thompson Education Foundation Educator of the Year: Lynn Gilbert, science and social studies teacher, Conrad Ball Middle School
A new category this year, the Thompson Education Foundation Educator of the Year was chosen from among the 81 nominees across all the categories.
Nominators for Lynn Gilbert recognized her impact in the classroom as well as her impact on her co-workers. "The structured units and hands-on projects Lynn plans provide the scaffolding necessary to enable all students to succeed." A co-worker said "Lynn has assisted countless teachers (regardless of their subject area) to plan, get involved in school projects, build school spirit and their own self-confidence as a teacher." A parent nominator noticed "Mrs. Gilbert allows students the freedom to explore topics that interest them, making the projects more meaningful to the students. Her commitment to our community is an inspiration to her students."
Each recipient received an art glass award and a $200 gift card from the TEF board of directors. A new foundation partnership with King Buick GMC provided 2-month car leases for each category winner and a 24-month car lease for the 2013 Thompson Education Foundation Educator of the Year.
HELP KIDS SUCCEED SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE 2012
Day 1 through Day 4 of the Help Kids Succeed campaign! This year, community volunteers filled 1400 backpacks for students in the Thompson School District. Thank you to Rocky Mountain Cheer & Dance for allowing TEF to take over your studios for several days in a row. United Way of Larimer County coordinated all the fantastic community volunteers who moved supplies, filled backpacks, and recycled boxes. Loveland Sertoma Club made sure all the backpacks were delivered to schools quickly and efficiently. The Help Kids Succeed campagin benefits from countless community individuals and organizations who donate supplies, funds and time to help the students start school with the supplies they need. Sponsors include Johnson Controls, Loveland Sertoma Club, Rocky Mountain Cheer & Dance, The Salvation Army, Thompson School District, Thompson Valley Rotary Club, United Way of Larimer County and Wal-Mart stores.
TEF GIVES OUT OVER $36,000 IN 2012 SCHOLARSHIPS
Thompson Education Foundation would like to say congratulations to the many scholarship recipients this year. The following students have all shown dedication to furthering their education and we are very happy to be able to provide them with needed funding to help them succeed in their goals. Please see the list below of our 2012 scholarship winners.
Berthoud High School Scholarship - Margaret Essig (BHS), Daryl Baker (BHS), Nicholas Trujillo (BHS)
Chris Rael Memorial Scholarship - Cory Tanton (LHS), Chelsea Glanzer (formerly LHS), Jacob Quere (formerly LHS)
Christine (Chris) Lewis-Hastings Memorial Scholarship - Hadley Vaughan (LHS)
Loveland Golden K Kiwanis Scholarships:
Hamilton Scholarship - Kara Godebu (BHS)
Anne Wride Scholarship - Samantha Moyer (FHS )
Darrel Johnson Scholarship - Gabriel Weese (TVHS)
Karl J. Weaver Excellence in French Scholarship - Anne Lichtfuss (LHS)
Loveland Contractors Scholarship - Lauren Peterson (LHS)
Lucile Erwin Scholarship - Kara Godebu (BHS)
Road Knights Scholarship - Travis Davis (LHS)
Sierra Marie Krizman Memorial Scholarship - Hayley Liddle (BHS), Samantha Sheets (TVHS), Hannah Hurd (formerly MVHS), Karen Mendoza (former student)
Ted & Mabel Thompson Loveland Valentine Scholarship - Abigayle DeSousa (BHS), Katie Kirkland (FHS), Danielle Randolph (FHS), Elisabeth Stewart (LHS), Mary Askham (MVHS), Ashlee McDonald (MVHS)
2012-2013 FOUNDERS GRANT AWARDS ANNOUNCED
Congratulations to this year's Founders Grant Award Winners. The winners for this year are:
Deanna Terry - Carrie Martin Elementary School for "The Leader in Me" - $2000
Mountain View Music & Arts, Mountain View High School for "A Part in the Play" - $2000
Founders Grants are for any student-centered experience, as long as the resources directly benefit or serve Thompson students.
Founders Grant applications are open.
BIG THOMPSON PLAYSCAPES
Thompson Education Foundation is a proud participant and supporter of the new Playscapes project at Big Thompson Elementary. The Playscapes project is geared toward getting kids outdoors and more connected with nature. With Big Thompson's focus on Science and Nature, it is only natural that they want to make their outdoors a better place to learn and play.
Big Thompson and TEF are working together to get granting funds from local organizations, but need community help to get their ideas off the ground. Please click on the link below if would like more information on Big Thompson Elementary and thier Playscape Project. If you would like to donate to the Playscape project, click on our "Donate Now" button on the top of the page and it will link you to our secure online donation page. Be sure to put "PLAYSCAPES" in the comments section!
