Outstanding Intermediate Teacher Award Nominations Due April 19

The Optimist Club of Westfield has announced that the deadline for receipt of nominations for the 16th annual Intermediate School Outstanding Teacher Award is Friday, April 19.  Two intermediate school teachers – one from Edison and one from Roosevelt Intermediate Schools – will be chosen to receive the award on May 8 at an Optimist dinner and will be honored at a Board of Education meeting in June.

Nominations should specify ways in which the teacher has demonstrated outstanding teaching, interest in children and continued pursuit of professional growth. The nominee must be a full-time teacher in the Westfield Public Schools in grades 6-8 for a minimum of five years.

Students, parents and staff are encouraged to submit nomination letters to:

Outstanding Teacher Award Committee of the Optimist Club of Westfield,

c/o Office of the Superintendent, Westfield Public Schools, 302 Elm St., Westfield, NJ  07090.  Letters can also be e-mailed to:  optiaward@westfieldnjk12.org.

According to Dr. Margaret Dolan, Superintendent of Schools, “The Outstanding Teacher Award gives deserving credit to our intermediate school teachers who provide an educationally stimulating and supporting environment during the critical stage of adolescence.”

The Optimist Club of Westfield also supports the schools and children through Project Graduation, the Freshmen Service Project, Oratorical Contest, Hands-on Science, the Congressional Seminar and Global Environment Scholarships and as a co-sponsor for the Halloween Haunted House.

Previous winners of the award from Edison include:  Kristi Houghtaling, Kristine Smith-Morasso, Robert Sanders, Walter Buda, David Shapiro, Nancy Rygiel, Gloria White-James, Robert Hild, Marni Kirschenbaum, Janice Sheridan, Kathleen Zippler, Teresa Squillace, David Greer, Alexandra Boutsikaris, and Michael Altmann. Roosevelt teachers who have been honored with the Optimist award include: Lynne Gerber, Stephanie Kwiatkowski, Laura Segedin, Frank Nolde, Walter Buda, Thomas Reynolds, Wendy Masteller, Jack Martin, Karen Lust, Linda Vail, Elizabeth Scheuerer, Glen Kurz, Jeffrey Robbins, Dona Panagos, Marc Biunno, and Denis McMorrow.