Campus Teachers of the Year Announced

Congratulate these superlative educators! Forty-eight district campuses have now selected nominees for Spring Branch ISD’s 2015 Teacher of the Year competition.

This year’s new nominating process for Teacher of the Year resulted in hundreds of nominations from district students, parents and teachers, submitted via a new online nomination site.

The SBISD Teacher of the Year (TOY) Award recognizes and honors qualifying educators who meet the district’s priority goals. Nominees must:

• Support the district’s T-2-4 Goal for graduates to pursue military training, technical certification, or two- or four-year degrees, and also demonstrate commitment to SBISD’s beliefs and values
• Be a dedicated, knowledgeable, effective and skilled teacher
• Inspire students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn/have a growth mindset
• Have the respect and admiration of students, parents and colleagues
• Play an active role in both the school and wider community
• Demonstrate outstanding leadership and excellence in teaching
• Teach at least 4 hours a day if a librarian or counselor
• Plan to return to their campus or to SBISD next year

TOY nominees were named recently after campus teachers voted anonymously by school location via an online site procedure. Nominees will now submit by writing or video answers to several TOY related questions. Three finalists at each teaching level will be named as finalists by the end of March.

The district’s two winners will receive a new $1,000 cash award, thanks to the generosity of district partners CenterPoint Energy and First Community Credit Union, as well as, a $2,000 professional growth stipend and district acclaim.

Superintendent of Schools Duncan F. Klussmann, Ed.D., will announce the final winners.

The two winners may also represent SBISD in regional, state and national Teacher of the Year competitions. They will also represent the school district in the annual Houston West Chamber Teacher of the Year competition.

SBISD Teacher of the Year nominees are:

PreK/Elementary Schools

The Bear Boulevard School, Patricia Brady
The Lion Lane School, Estefana Limas
The Panda Path School, Elsie Contreras

The Tiger Trail School, Nicola Pilon

The Wildcat Way School, Katya Michel

Bendwood Campus, Molly Nipper, Patricia Kassir

Buffalo Creek Elementary, Briana Zarea
Bunker Hill Elementary, Patricia Jenkins

Cedar Brook Elementary, Maria Calero

Edgewood Elementary, Dora Vera

Frostwood Elementary, Karen Ferraro

Hollibrook Elementary, Kari Heitman
Housman Elementary, Susana Trevino

Hunters Creek Elementary, Sara Huffman

Meadow Wood Elementary, Tracey Tomaro-McCall

Memorial Drive Elementary, Anne Smalling
Nottingham Elementary, Jeanette Choy

Pine Shadows Elementary, SaMone Ballard

Ridgecrest Elementary, Rita Davidek
Rummel Creek Elementary, Lou Ann Timmreck

Shadow Oaks Elementary, Kimberly Muske

Sherwood Elementary, Kala McKnight
Spring Branch Elementary, Diana Lopez
Spring Shadows Elementary, Maria Luna

Terrace Elementary, Shannon Wall

Thornwood Elementary, Caitlin Perkins

Treasure Forest Elementary, Felipe Acosta
Valley Oaks Elementary, Lindsey Buse
Westwood Elementary, Noemi Leon-Garcia
Wilchester Elementary, Jennifer Deaton
Woodview Elementary, Jonathan Christman

Secondary Schools

Academy of Choice, Rony Reyes-Torres
Cornerstone Academy, Katie Wood-Sponsel

DAEP, Mary Jackson
Landrum Middle, Jaime Trigo

Memorial High, Leslie Iler
Memorial Middle, Taylor Ellerbrock
Northbrook Middle, Ashley Westhaver

Northbrook High, Shelby Acevedo

Spring Branch Middle, Elisa Barry
Spring Forest Middle, Katrina Briggins-Stanfill

Spring Oaks Middle, Sheila Larang
Spring Woods Middle, Marcos Altamirano

Spring Woods High, Maggie Fuchs
Stratford High, Karl Poetzl
The Guthrie Center, Jane Primrose
Westchester Academy (Middle School), Rachel Rose

Westchester Academy (High School), Andrew Maddocks