2021 PAC Award Winner
"Congratulations to all of our Excellence in Education Award nominees that have been highlighted over the past week! Tonight, we celebrate the award winner! Congratulations and thank you so much for your dedication to our special education students. Stay tuned to hear from the winner in the coming weeks! Thank you for helping us celebrate!"
2021 PAC Award Winner
Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Nominee #1 - Andrea Lemon
District - Berrien RESA
School/Program - Lighthouse Education Center
Job Title - Special Education Teacher
This has been a challenging year for many with safety regulations and health concerns, but Andrea has succeeded in building a family in her classroom during this time of social distancing. She has such creative ideas for incorporating fun into learning to engage her students...you should see her act out the story "Room on the Broom". She seeks out ideas, makes them her own and implements them. She is able to help the student through the rough times, develop a plan to help in the future, and rework that plan per the child's needs. Tyler (student) is super excited about school, loves his teachers and his friends, and it is all because he has such a dedicated and caring teacher.
Nominee #2 - Jenna Hawkins
District - Berrien RESA
School/Program - Lighthouse Education Center
Job Title - Special Education Teacher
Jenna has worked tremendously hard to ensure that the students of Lighthouse Education Center have a plethora of opportunities to learn and grow through many different modalities. By creating activities that students can generalize into their lives outside of and beyond the classroom, she provides them with tools to ensure they can be active and have positive participation in their community. Her compassion for students' families, and her love of her job are evident in everything that she does. She is a teacher who never says no, she always welcomes students, communicates with parents at all hours of the day and night, as well as works collaboratively with her peers at Lighthouse helping to build the program.
Watch here to see the Nominee's from today (3/2/2021).
Wednesday, March, 3, 2021
Nominee #3 - John Klein
District - Coloma Public Schools
School/Program - Coloma Elementary
Job Title - Principal
Mr. Klein takes very seriously the art and skill of leadership, embraces the belief that fair is not always equal, and values that each student has access to what they need to be successful. In his eyes, all children come to school with special needs to be met, both those with IEPs and without. With his guidance we strive to meet our children where they are and move them forward both socially and academically. He has accepted the responsibility of being "a voice for the voiceless in a system that was made for a different time and different people."
Nominee #4 - Pat Cole
District - Bridgman Public Schools
School/Program - F.C. Reed Middle School
Job Title - Paraprofessional
Mrs. Cole has a special way to deal with all types of problems in a creative and appropriate manner. She cares about every student's social, emotional, and academic growth. She has eagerly assisted other students' learning, even when primarily assigned to a single student. This relentless, supportive care makes Mrs. Cole a highly effective paraprofessional as she works to monitor student behavior, reinforce curricular expectations, implement targeted interventions, and administer IEP accommodations. Her historical wisdom and practical experience translates to advice that is not only appreciated, but also welcomed by our team of educators. Mrs. Cole's unselfish demeanor makes her a treasured member of our Reed Middle School team.
Watch here to see the Nominee's from today (3/3/2021).
Thursday, March 4, 2021
Nominee #5 - Anne MacDonald
District - St. Joseph Public Schools
School/Program - Upton Middle School
Job Title - Special Education Teacher
Anne has always been a tower of strength while continuing to help her peers at any time with school-related items, just for a smile, or a quick pick-me up. I felt complete confidence that Anne would assist my son in closing the gap in reading and math. Sure enough, that's exactly what happened. This Anne's last year of teaching and I truly believe that she deserves all of the accolades that come with a career that has spanned as long as hers and that have been filled with selflessness and excellence.
Nominee #6 - Mindy Watson
District - Berrien RESA
School/Program - Early-On
Job Title - Early-On School Social Worker
"Mindy you have surpassed as a therapist, it's like you became a part of the family." She was not only a huge asset to my son as he began his journey with Autism, but was also knowledgeable and helpful to me as a mother. She made herself available to answer questions and concerns any time I needed and gave me resources available without pushing me to do anything I wasn't comfortable with. She was also understanding and compassionate to my fears and uncertainty during the process of my son being evaluated and diagnosed. Because of Mindy we had a wonderful experience with Early-On and they are beyond lucky to have her.
Watch here to see the Nominee's from today (3/4/2021).
Friday, March 5, 2021
Nominee #7 - Brittany Brethauer
District - Coloma Community Schools
School/Program - Coloma Elementary
Job Title - Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
Mrs. Brethauer (known as Mrs. B) is nothing short of amazing every single day! When a student is having a challenge, she goes above and beyond to make sure they can overcome it, not just in the classroom, but at home as well. Thinking of how the parents must feel to drop off their child that cannot verbally communicate their needs, express frustration or run away, Mrs. B find a way each time to balance concerns, console a crying student, and then move forward into the classroom. It is AMAZING. She is a model teacher and an effective problem-solver. The patience and consistency that she demonstrates on a daily basis in some very challenging circumstances is remarkable.
Nominee #8 - Susann Dec
District - Countryside Charter Academy
School/Program - Countryside Charter Academy K-12
Job Title - Special Education Director
Mrs. Dec is an extremely dedicated district-wide special education coach and lead high school special education teacher. Sue dedicates her time, day in and day out, to supporting all. Her willingness to adapt, stimulate effective change and inspire students to become their "best selves", puts her at the top of my list for any award that I can think of! All in all, Mrs. Dec is a very well-spoken, astute, team leader and teacher who stops at nothing to ensure the success of her kids, fellow colleagues and school. In my eyes, she single-handedly reshaped the Special Education Program at Countryside to what it is today.
Watch here to see the Nominee's from today (3/5/2021).
Monday, March 8, 2021
Nominee #9 - Laura Gonzalez
District - Berrien Springs Public Schools
School/Program - Mars Elementary
Job Title - ESL Classroom Teacher
Laura went WAY above and beyond when the Coronavirus first started. Although translating is not listed as one of her duties, she is CONSTANTLY translating for our EL families. Laura went house to house to explain to the families in Spanish how to login to the Chrome Books, how to get into the programs, what a ZOOM meeting was, and what the expectations were for their children. The parents are so appreciative of the respect, cultural values, love and care that Laura puts into her job! I am definitely blessed to have her in my class!!
Nominee #10 - Shelby Coppens
District - Berrien Springs Public Schools
School/Program - Sylvester Elementary
Job Title - 4th Grade Teacher
Every year, Shelby goes above and beyond to make accommodations for each and every student she has to ensure their success. She has worked with students of varying abilities and disabilities. Shelby uses a variety of teaching strategies and techniques to ensure that every student has what they need in order to be successful in the classroom. Shelby truly teaches to each individual student, and not to the class as one homogenous unit. I believe that Shelby has shown that she is an extremely hard worker, an advocate for all her students, and an integral part of Sylvester Elementary and Berrien Springs Public Schools as a whole.
Watch here to see the Nominee's from today (3/8/2021).