Shelley Seabury, a fifth-grade teacher at Mark Twain Elementary; Lisa Dapoz, a first-grade teacher at McVay Elementary and Lee Rutherford, an English teacher at Blendon Middle School have been named Westerville Education Foundation’s October Teachers of the Month.
WEF Executive Director Colleen Moidu, WEF Board Member and Chair of the Teacher of the Month program Rebecca Chesnick, WEF Board Member Dr. Tiyi Morris, Superintendent Dr. John Kellogg and Executive Director of Human Resources Scott Reeves surprised recipients with the news Thursday.
Nomination letters for each recipient featured glowing praise:
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Seabury: “Shelley has the gift of empowering students to make them feel capable and proud of their work, even if they aren’t confident in that subject. Her communication is outstanding with parents, but especially with her students. She truly listens to her students and tries to understand where they are coming from and then help them to problem solve and come up with strategies to keep them motivated, engaged and moving forward.”
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Dapoz: “She genuinely cares for all her students encouraging them to try their best and have fun while learning. My child has had a particularly difficult time learning how to read. Mrs. Dapoz has listened to my concerns and helped my child gain confidence in learning to read.”
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Rutherford: “During trying times in our country, Rutherford opened her class as a safe space for students to talk and discuss current events and how they are feeling. Teachers like Lee show students that they are really cared for and that we value their voices.”
WEF recognizes teachers who have made an impact on their students, peers and school community. Sponsored by the Education First Credit Union, the Teacher of the Month program provides winners with $100 for their classroom funds.
To learn more about this month’s award winners and the Teacher of the Month program, visit the Westerville Education Foundation’s website.
