At the September 14, 2016 Regular Meeting of the Board of Education the following individuals and groups were recognized for helping to make Washington Township a Superior School District.
Sandra Anderson – Fox Hill Elementary School
Sandra Anderson Fox Hill Elementary School Spanish Teacher has been selected by the Indiana Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese as its 2016 Indiana Rising Star. Her dedication and passion for teaching Spanish to children and her motivation to engage students is evident.
Kim Matsuoka – John Strange Elementary School
Kim Matsuoka has been selected as a state level finalist for K-6th Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). Three state-level finalists are forwarded to a national selection committee. At the State level, coordinators convene local selection committees, which include prominent mathematicians, scientists, mathematics/science educators, district level personnel, and classroom teachers. These committees select up to five finalists from each discipline (mathematics or science) for recognition at the state level. Kim is a 2016 Finalist.
Kristen Poindexter – Spring Mill Elementary School
Kristen Poindexter is one of the Indiana Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching awardees. Mrs. Poindexter is being recognized for the science category. President Obama named 213 mathematics and science teachers as recipients of the prestigious Presidential Award representing all 50 states. At the national level, NSF convenes a national selection committee composed of prominent mathematicians, scientists, mathematics/science educators, district level personnel, and classroom teachers that reviews the applications of the state finalists and recommends to NSF up to two finalists in mathematics or science from each state or jurisdiction. Winners of this Presidential honor receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation to be used at their discretion. Kristen received her award in Washington D.C. on September 8th.
Subha Balagopal – Spring Mill Elementary School
On January 20, 2016, nine expert educators from Ashoka’s Changemaker Schools Network began
working together to write a book, completing it in a four-day “book sprint” in Salt Lake City, Utah. Most had never met each other before; none had written a book collaboratively like this in such a short time. But they believed in their shared vision for the book, so they traveled to Utah from across the United States to write under one snowy roof, as one voice. The name of the book is Changemakers: Educating With Purpose
Everett Light Career Center – Transition to College Partner of the Year
JELCC was named Transition to College Partner of the Year by Ivy Tech. In their Press Release Ivy tech stated “that providing career and technical education coursework from eight different program areas, our transition partner of the year offers 68 hours of dual credit ranging from automotive to early childhood, to culinary arts to health careers and public safety along with a range of manufacturing courses. Assisting students to transition from dual credit to the next certificate or degree path at Ivy Tech Community College is truly the mission of the J. Everett Light Career Center and have earned them the title of our transition partner of the year.”
