Rebecca Armstrong, a teacher at the Preschool at the Early Learning Center; Lisa Dapoz, a first grade teacher at McVay Elementary; Michael Grant, a third grade teacher at Pointview Elementary and Melissa Hall, a speech/language pathologist at Cherrington Elementary have been named Westerville Education Foundation’s (WEF) December Teachers of the Month.
WEF Executive Director Andrea Drago, WEF Board Member and Chair of the Teacher of the Month program Rebecca Chesnic, WEF Secretary Beth Weinhardt, Superintendent Dr. John Kellogg and other administrators and teachers recently surprised recipients with the news.
Nomination letters for each recipient featured glowing praise:
Armstrong: “There is never time that I have seen her without a smile on her face waiting to greet her preschool students. She is a true gem to the ELC. She makes learning time fun and all her students are super engaged in everything she is teaching them. I feel very blessed that our son has had such a sweet and patient teacher to help him grow and learn new things this year. She truly deserves to be recognized for the amazing works she does with all the kiddos.”
Dapoz: “She has an incredible passion for teaching kids to read which is why she has spent most (maybe all!) of her 43-year teaching career in the first-grade classroom. Not only has my daughter made huge strides in her reading abilities since this school year started, but she now really enjoys reading! I give all the credit for this to Mrs. Dapoz and the way she has structured her classroom and teaching style. I couldn't be more thrilled that my daughter has the privilege to be in her classroom.”
Grant: “This teacher really believes in his oath and goes above and beyond to help kids with needs or transitioning into new environments. I respect this teacher and what he’s trying to do to help inside and outside of the classroom… Mr. Grant deserves more than a plaque or some type of award, he deserves to be honored in the biggest way possible…”
Hall: “Melissa is a phenomenal member of the Cherrington team. Melissa goes above and beyond for her students. Melissa works diligently to provide her students with the best experience, advocate for them and provide exceptional speech therapy services. Melissa is also a valued team member at Cherrington and is always willing to help out. She is a valued member of the Speech Therapy department. Westerville is lucky to have her.”