Ceremony honors area educators

By Jan Hill, Journal correspondent | Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Previous Page

Share

• del.icio.us
• Digg
• NewsVine
• Fark

Print

Email

The annual reception honoring Rapid City educators will be held Tuesday, Sept. 16, at the Wells Fargo Bank lobby, 825 St. Joseph Street, beginning at 5:30 p.m., with the awards scheduled for 6 p.m.

Each year, the Rapid City Public School Foundation invites every school in the district to select a Teacher of Distinction to represent their building. In addition to nomination letters, the Teachers of Distinction provide information regarding their education, community involvement, teaching philosophy, and observations on educational issues and trends. Of the 20 Teachers of Distinction, three Golden Apple Award winners, each representing one of the three levels of education in the district, and one Teacher of the Year are selected.

Jackie Swanson of North Middle School was selected as the 2008 Rapid City Teacher of the Year. The 2008 Rapid City Golden Apple Award-winning teachers include Alayna Siemonsma of South Park Elementary, Al Johnson of West Middle School and Melinda Keefe of Rapid City Academy.

About 200 people typically attend this event, but according to Rapid City Public School Foundation Director Sharon Lee, this year the foundation is making an even bigger effort to get the Rapid City business community involved.  “A greater share of the community would benefit by meeting such terrific educators,” she said.

Other educators honored as Teachers of Distinction:

• Tracy Cook of Black Hawk Elementary taught for 10 years in Las Vegas, before joining the Rapid City School District six years ago. He has taught both third and fourth grades at Black Hawk, and according to his colleagues, “Our gain is a Las Vegas loss!”



• Carlene Roper, science, social studies and sign-language teacher at Southwest Middle School, graduated magna cum laude from Black Hills State University in 1989. She has been a teacher for 18 years, with 13 years in her present position.



• Beth Bury of Wilson Elementary School has been a teacher for 15 years, and according to Principal Kathy Conlon, “flexibility is her forte.” Bury has voluntarily changed positions four times in the past six years, and is currently teaching third grade at Wilson.



• Kristi Harris, who is beginning her fifth year as first-grade teacher at Robbinsdale Elementary School, will graduate in May 2009 with her master’s degree in education from the University of Sioux Falls.



• Jerry Bussler, physical education and health teacher at South Middle School for the past 30 years, has coached middle school wrestling for 10 years, football for 12 years, track for 25 years, and is beginning his 24th year of coaching football at Rapid City Central High School.



• Annie Andrews teaches morning kindergarten at Grandview Elementary School, a position she has held for eight years. She is co-president of the Black Hills Reading Council, an organization that promotes literacy in the Rapid City schools and community.



• Tim Sedig, music teacher at Valley View Elementary School for three years, is known for “his warm personality and his high expectations,” according to his colleagues. 



• Cindy Platt has been a first-grade teacher at Rapid Valley Elementary School for 17 years. She is a product of the Rapid City School District, attending the former Annie Talent Elementary (now South Park), South Junior High, and Central High School before graduating magna cum laude from BHSU in 1991.



• Linda Schacher, occupational therapist at Kibben Kuster for 14 years, works with disabled infants and toddlers from birth to age three, and believes in the philosophy of “learn by doing.”



• Ruby Holsather has been a first-grade teacher at Horace Mann Elementary School for three years. One of her colleagues describes her classroom as a “haven for children and adults.”



• Jamie Flint is the Standard Support Specialist at South Canyon Elementary School. She is beginning her second year of teaching, and works with more than 200 students in grades K-5 on a weekly basis, and assists teachers with technology.



• Kristie Tays, third-grade teacher at Knollwood Elementary School, consistently looks for ways to meet the diverse academic needs of her students. A co-worker said of Tays last year: “Kristie is my mentor this year since this is my first year at Knollwood. She never hesitates to share a kind word or something you may need.”



• Sara Bouzek serves as a speech therapist for students in pre-school through fifth grade at General Beadle Elementary School.  Robin Gillespie of General Beadle describes Bouzek as a “consultant, case manager, and master teacher.”



• Doug Lefler has taught social studies at Central High School his entire career, which spans 13 years. Colleagues describe him as a caring and generous individual who lives by the motto “endeavor to persevere.”



• Steve Smith of Stevens High School works with students who have challenges beyond those faced by typical teenagers in his position as Special Education teacher. He teaches his students how to be better citizens of Stevens High School and the Rapid City community.



• Roger Schara, art teacher at Dakota Middle School for 16 years, is also in his 13th year of coaching middle school volleyball and track. Dakota Principal Brad Tucker describes Schara as “an accomplished artist himself…he believes in what he does and he believes in what art can do for his students.”