Back row, left to right: Josh Hooper and Mary O’Brien, co-hosts of “Mornings with Mary & Josh” on 104.9 the River; “Classroom Hero” Cathy Monteiro; parent/nominator Stacey Valentas and her son, Dylan.
Title I Reading Teacher Cathy Monteiro was surprised to find a crowd of well-wishers cheering for her when she was beckoned to the main hallway at Annehurst Elementary School on Monday morning, March 18. As it turns out, Monteiro was the first educator to be honored as a “Classroom Hero” by radio station 104.9 the River. Their new promotion, called 104.9 the River and Lindsay Honda’s Classroom Heroes, encourages listeners to nominate special teachers who have made an impact on them or their children.
Parent Stacey Valentas wrote in, saying Monteiro worked hard to find ways to help her son find the joy in reading. “Cathy would celebrate the small victories Dylan had and recognize the effort he was putting into the challenging task of learning to read. Cathy has a way of making others feel calm in a stressful situation and allows parents to see the positives…she tirelessly works on helping children learn to read and feel safe and loved at school.”