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Faculty/Staff
Awards
 Amber Evans, Williams High School Algebra I team leader, and Janet Napoli , Skaggs Elementary School literacy specialist (pictured, l-r),
captured the 2008 Elementary and Secondary Teacher of the Year titles, respectively,
at Plano ISD's Teacher of the Year Gala. Biographies
of the top 12 Excellence
in Teaching Awardees and photo galleries of the Teacher of the Year breakfast
and gala may be viewed on our Teacher
of the Year website.
Dr. Doug Otto presented his 2008 Superintendent's Service Awards at Plano
ISD’s 43rd Annual Service and Retirement event to four exceptional support
staff members. Winners were Debra Lewis, Centennial Elementary School
FANS manager; Anastasia “Sissy” Cox, Christie Elementary School FANS manager; Tammy Jaggi, Thomas Elementary School special education teacher assistant; and Maurice Tyson, distribution processor. Meet
the winners.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Doug Otto captured the “21 Leaders for the 21st Century”
Award, sponsored by the “Inside Collin County Business” newspaper. Honorees represented
community volunteers, elected officials, civic leaders, educators and more.
 Plano Senior High School’s Music Department is among 14 schools nation-wide selected as a 2008 GRAMMY Signature School. The award included $5,000 and a GRAMMY, presented by The GRAMMY Foundation. Music staff includes (front l-r) Derrick Brookins, Abby Kraemer, Stefanie Hayes, Michael Hernandez, Jeremy Kondrat; (middle l-r) Terry Eder, Chris Ahrens, Greg Arp and Brian Coatney; and (back) Jeff Turner, district instrumental music coordinator. Photo: Karen Mitchell
Teachers Deborah Johnston and Becky Higgs captured 2008 Texas Instruments Foundation
Innovations in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Teaching Awards. The
Schimelpfenig and Bowman middle school educators, respectively, each received $10,000
awards. Four additional Plano teachers were named STEM award finalists: Terri Silver, Vines
HS; Kim Gunnels, Renner MS; Susan Holder, Jasper HS; and Teresa Mickelsen, Frankford MS.
Plano ISD employees donated a record-breaking nearly $116,000 to the Plano
ISD Education Foundation during its 2008 "Giving from the Heart" employee
contribution campaign. All schools and departments contributed to the annual campaign. Of greatest significance was the increase of 534 new donors to the
campaign this year, with 3,351 employees contributing. The support of Plano ISD employees allows the Plano ISD Education Foundation to fund important programs addressing critical needs of our schools, students and staff.
 Dorothy Shaw, Plano ISD assistant director of family and social services, and Beth Webb, Plano ISD Education Foundation director and officer, were awarded for their dedicated service to the community at the 14th Annual Collin County Children’s Advocacy Center Appreciation Luncheon held on February 12.
The Plano ISD Education Foundation made surprise visits to several schools
in November, 2007, to present $68,600 in 52 grant awards to teachers. Foundation
board members, business volunteers, district administrators and PTA Council
members visited schools to present the grants in "prize patrol" vehicles
provided by Park Place Lexus. Grants photo gallery
Teacher Laurie Newby says that she has always bought into the age old adage that every child can learn and deserves to learn. “But there is so much more to it than just that,” explained the Armstrong Middle School ESL Department Head, who was named State Secondary Educator of the Year by the 111,000-member Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE).
 Sheila Kolb (right), Plano Senior High School, was honored with the "Tom Norris Texas Academic Decathlon Coach of the Year Award," presented by Senator Florence Shapiro at the state tournament awards ceremony held on March 2 at the Marriott Plano at Legacy Town Center. Ms. Kolb was honored for 24 years of service to the Academic Decathlon program at Plano Senior High School. She is pictured with Roxanne Burleson, central cluster area assistant superintendent, and co-coach Bill Borowicz.
Tracey King, English I and II teacher, remedial GED instructor and mentor to students at the Larry D. Guinn Special Programs Center, was among four North Texas area educators selected as finalists in the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards Program for Texas educators. Ms. King learned of her status as a “2008 Rising Star” when H-E-B representatives visited her classroom bearing balloons, cake, flowers and two $1,000 checks - one for her and one for her school.
 Plano ISD’s Diversity Advocacy Committee presented Diversity Leadership Awards to individual and group winners, during the school district's annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Tribute event held on January 24 at Plano Centre. Individual winner Donna Hartman serves as Plano ISD academic diversity specialist, conducting cultural sensitivity meetings with faculty and staff across the school district to promote tolerance, acceptance and understanding of different ethnic groups. She has initiated this in addition to her role of organizing and developing programs to encourage and challenge minority students to excel academically.
Jennifer Ruth, Christie Elementary School literacy specialist, was among 100 winners of the 2007 ING Unsung Heroes awards, a national endeavor which helps fund innovative ideas and bring them to life in the classroom. She competed with other winners for one of three top prizes - an additional $5,000, $10,000 or $25,000. Her teaching idea, “Take Home Teacher,” helps fill the skill gap for parents who want to supplement their child’s learning by providing them with parent-friendly learning materials for home use.
Shonda Winkler spent her summer 2007 vacation tooting her own horn...for U.S. military troops and villagers on three continents. As a member of the U.S. Central Command Air Forces Expeditionary Band “Thunder Roll,” the Wells Elementary School music specialist joined fellow band mates to perform 25 shows in 37-days in six countries. She returned to Plano in August “jet lagged and just in time for ‘meet the teacher’ night at Wells,” she said.
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