The Hays CISD Education Foundation-hosted Teachers of the Year Luncheon recently recognized each campus’ honoree. They include (back, left to right) Michelle Velasquez, Aaron Barrett, Theresa Duran-Fuentes, Kristin Seibel, Jeremiah Thomas, Donovan Rice, Kristen Arnold, Annette Howard; (front, left to right) Blair Little, Tricia Martinez, Katherine Reynolds, Wendy Bergstrom, Natasha Floyd, Joël Johnson, Kelly Lowder, Anne Marie Garza, Erica Gonzales, Amy Madden, Cody Mize and Holly Gandy. Not pictured: Eleanor Greer, Vicki Carow and Teresa Hrabal. (Photo by Tommy Hultgren)
by JIM CULLEN
The 2011 Teachers of the Year from 23 local campuses were feted by the Hays CISD Education Foundation recently at the Teacher of the Year Luncheon, an annual event that brings together honorees chosen by their campus’ faculty and staff. The Foundation has been recognizing local honorees for the past several years and, for the second year, the educators gathered at Trattoria Lisina in Driftwood with Foundation board members and district administrators.
Announcement of the 2011 District Elementary Teacher of the Year and District Secondary Teacher of the Year highlighted the event. Camino Real Elementary School third grade-bilingual teacher AnneMarie Garza, claimed this year’s Elementary Teacher of the Year honors. Chapa Middle School 7th grade Language Arts teacher, Joël Johnson, was named the district’s Secondary Teacher of the Year. Garza and Johnson advance to compete for Region 13 honors later this year.
The annual luncheon provided its customary mix of beautiful setting, enjoyable camaraderie and professional praise. Education Foundation Board President David Salazar emceed the event’s program which included high praise for the honorees by Superintendent Dr. Jeremy Lyon. Foundation board member Holly Raymond, a Hays High School alumnus who earned her degree from the University of Texas before joining the professional world as an accountant, gave the afternoon’s keynote address. She reminded the honorees of how they all bring “Aha!” moments to self-discovering students and movingly spoke of the day Hays High accounting teacher Renee Herrington – in attendance and herself a onetime Region 13 Teacher of the Year – provided hers.
Each of the district’s 23 honorees was individually recognized and received gifts from the Education Foundation and local sponsors. The full list of Hays CISD 2011 Teachers of the Year include the following:
ELEMENTARY – Tricia Martinez (Blanco Vista), Kelly Lowder (Buda), AnneMarie Garza (Camino Real), Holly Gandy (Carpenter Hill), Katherine Reynolds (Elm Grove), Michelle Velasquez (Fuentes), Kristin Seibel (Hemphill), Blair Little (Kyle), Vickie Carow (Negley), Natasha Floyd (Pfluger), Theresa Duran-Fuentes (Science Hall), Kristen Arnold (Tobias), Erica Gonzales (Tom Green).
SECONDARY – Annette Howard (Academy HS), Jeremiah Thomas (Barton MS), Joël Johnson (Chapa MS), Amy Madden (Dahlstrom MS), Eleanor Greer (Hays HS), Aaron Barrett (Impact), Wendy Bergstrom (Lehman HS), Cody Mize (Simon MS), Donovan Rice (Special Education), Teresa Hrabal (Wallace MS).
