The Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee (SECAC) award winners for the group, instructional and support categories were honored at the SECAC’s fourth annual Teacher and Staff Appreciation Awards ceremony, along with other Charles County Public Schools staff, held March 11 at the Greater Waldorf Jaycees. Each staff member honored was recommended for an award by parents in the Charles County Public Schools community. Pictured, front row from left, are: Nancy Murphy, Anita Grimes, Robyn Cataldo, Betty Jennings, Julie Boucher and David Bradshaw. Pictured, back row from left, are: Erin Pokrzywa, Donald Moss, Kelly Arblaster, Marjorie Watson, Cherelle Holland and Paula Hinton. (Submitted photo)
LA PLATA, Md. (March 30, 2009)—The Charles County Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee (SECAC) recognized 78 Charles County Public Schools staff members at its fourth annual Teacher and Staff Appreciation Awards ceremony held Wednesday, March 11, at the Greater Waldorf Jaycees.
Staff members are nominated for recognition by parents in the community. Recognized were teachers, instructional assistants, school bus drivers, school counselors, psychologists, administrators, occupational, physical and speech therapists, and other staff members who make a difference in the lives of special needs children.
Award winners are nominated and selected in three categories: group, instructional staff and support staff. An elementary and secondary winner is chosen in the group and instructional categories.
In the group nomination category, the Berry Elementary School prekindergarten team was chosen as the elementary winner. Team members are Robyn Cataldo, special education teacher; Anita Grimes, instructional assistant; Nancy Murphy, pre-kindergarten teacher; and Betty Jennings, instructional assistant.
The middle-school winner in the group nomination category is from Theodore G. Davis Middle School. Team members are Kelly Arblaster, special education teacher; Cherelle Holland, special education teacher; Leroy Hughes, instructional assistant; Donald Moss, special education teacher; Erin Pokrzywa, school psychologist; Suzanne Van Horn, instructional assistant; and Marjorie Watson, instructional assistant.
In the instructional staff category, Julie Boucher, a first-grade teacher at Dr. James Craik Elementary School, was selected as the winner. David Bradshaw, a physical education teacher at Maurice J. McDonough High School, was chosen as the secondary winner.
In the support staff category, Paula Hinton, an instructional assistant at Arthur Middleton Elementary School, was selected as the winner.
The SECAC is organized to provide a forum for issues pertaining to children with special education needs. Members advocate to make recommendations and assist the school system about the education budget, inclusion assessments, support services and other issues concerning children and special education, and related services.
Additionally, staff members who were recognized for nominations include:
-- Rose Andrews, bus driver, Gale-Bailey Elementary School;
-- Elesa Ansell, language arts teacher, Benjamin Stoddert Middle School;
-- Gail Bacon, occupational therapist, F.B. Gwynn Educational Center;
-- Susan Ballinger, special education teacher and IEP facilitator, Mattawoman Middle School;
-- Tamara Barnes, third-grade teacher, William A. Diggs Elementary School;
-- Veronica Beck, special education teacher, Gwynn;
-- Andrea Binetti, school psychologist;
-- Danielle Brigham, special education teacher, C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School;
-- Sherri Bowser, special education teacher, La Plata High School;
-- Jennifer Buckley, special education teacher, Middleton;
-- Nina Capuano, second-grade teacher, Middleton;
-- Sarah Cavegn, instructional assistant, Piccowaxen Middle School;
-- Elizabeth Chotkowski, special education teacher, Gwynn;
-- Lisa Cooper, instructional assistant, Middleton;
-- Kelly Courtney, vice principal, Berry;
-- Jessica Currall, speech therapist, Middleton;
-- Terri Davis, special education teacher, Mattawoman;
-- Carol Dawn, school nurse, Barnhart;
-- Susan Ebbitt, academic support teacher, North Point High School;
-- Cheryl Ervin, Reading Recovery teacher, Diggs;
-- Avis Favors, speech therapist, Barnhart;
-- Rebecca Fleckenstein, special education teacher, Westlake High School;
-- Charles Gammons, school counselor, Mattawoman;
-- Sue Gilroy, bus driver, Gale-Bailey;
-- Laura Gittleman, mathematics teacher, Stoddert;
-- Mary Jo Graham, special education teacher and IEP Facilitator, Piccowaxen;
-- Mary Ross-Gray, school psychologist;
-- Lenora Green, special education teacher, Berry;
-- JoLynn Griffith, pre-kindergarten teacher, Middleton;
-- Debra Haan, physical education teacher, Mattawoman;
-- Teresa Lynn Higgs, instructional assistant, Mudd;
-- Jasma John, school psychologist;
-- Roxanne Kavounis, instructional assistant, Mattawoman;
-- Jaclyn Kraft, fourth-grade teacher, Middleton;
-- Kari Lane, occupational therapist, Gwynn;
-- Celeste Law, special education teacher, Berry;
-- Meredith Lay, special education teacher, Middleton;
-- Martha Lutton, fifth-grade teacher, Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School;
-- Jason Mackey, special education teacher, Gwynn;
-- Karen Malone, special education teacher and IEP facilitator, Barnhart;
-- Sharon Maytas, special education teacher, Barnhart;
-- Marta Starkey-Mister, speech therapist. Gwynn;
-- Gerardo Monroy, language arts teacher, Mattawoman;
-- Shelby Morris, special education teacher, Mudd;
-- Robynn Mudd, first-grade teacher, Barnhart;
-- Sharon Mudd, special education teacher, Henry E. Lackey High School;
-- Barbara O'Dell, special education teacher, Mattawoman;
-- Scott Paterson, school psychologist;
-- Leonard Rickett, physical education teacher, Berry;
-- Donna Robinson, school counselor, Barnhart;
-- Sandra Schliep, instructional assistant, Gwynn;
-- Allison Shipman, academic support teacher, North Point;
-- Nancy Sinnes, English teacher, North Point;
-- Denise Smith, special education teacher, Piccowaxen;
-- Vickie Tevis, instructional assistant, Piccowaxen;
-- James Ryan Thompson, elementary school teacher, Berry;
-- Christina Thrutchley, instructional assistant, Middleton;
-- Maureen Tschiegg, occupational therapist, Gwynn;
-- Muriel Werking, speech therapist, Mudd;
-- Matthew Werner, special education teacher, Gwynn;
-- Michelle Weschler, special education teacher, Berry;
-- Patricia M. Williams, special education teacher, Diggs;
-- Mary Woodland, instructional specialist, Middleton; and
-- Erin Yim, special education teacher, Middleton.