HCPSSHCPSS Students and Staff Recognized at May Board of Education Meetings
June 10th, 2015
Superintendent Renee A. Foose recognized the following student and staff achievements at the Board of Education meetings on May 7 and May 20:
Students:
Nicholas Kim, a 10th-Grader at River Hill High School, and Phillip Balakirsky, an 11th-Grader from Centennial High School, have achieved perfect scores on the SAT. Only .003 percent of students who take the SAT earn the perfect score of 2400. Because the College Board will go back to a 1600 composite score next spring, Kim and Balakirsky are among some of the last students to receive a perfect 2400.
Longfellow Elementary School student Brooke Webster is a State of Maryland International Reading Association’s Young Author’s Contest winner. Brooke’s submission, “Maybe,” won first place in the short story category for fifth grade.
Lake Elkhorn Middle School student Lucas Hines was one of 10 youth delegates from across the country selected to present the Boy Scout’s annual Report to the Nation, which details Scouting accomplishments in 2014. Lucas was selected from among 2.4 million youth members to present the annual report.
Staff:
The Washington Post annually honors the region’s finest principals with the Distinguished Educational Leadership Award and the best educators with the Agnes Myer Outstanding Teacher Award. Centennial High School Principal Claire Hafets was given the 2015 Distinguished Educational Leader Award. Laurel Woods Elementary School teacher Stephanie Geddie was named this year’s Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher for Howard County.
The HCPSS honors Crystal Flame Award recognizes employees who go beyond the day-to-day demands of their position to create an exceptional educational environment and contribute directly to school system success. The award categories align with the HCPSS Strategic Plan, Vision 2018. The 2015 winners for each category are: Goal 1: Students Matthew Cox, Wilde Lake High School; Goal 2: Staff Ann L. Thompson, Rockburn Elementary School; Goal 3: Families and the Community Ann Strozyk Howard County Conservancy; and Goal 4: Organization David Ramsay, Transportation.
For her excellence in supporting interscholastic athletics, Mount Hebron High School Athletic Director Jeannie Prevosto has been named the 2015 Maryland State Athletic Director of the Year.
Northfield Elementary School music specialist Alice Nordquist was recently awarded a 2015 Fleurette Sweeney Fellowship for Emerging Pioneers in Education. This fellowship and grant recognize and support teachers for their creativity, innovation, and leadership in applying the principles and practices of the SongWorks Approach to teaching. Nordquist will use the grant to further develop her SongWorks skills and to teach and share its principles and practices with other educators.
Hammond High School was awarded the 2015 HCPSS Sportsmanship Award. The Sportsmanship Cup honors outstanding sportsmanship by a Howard County public high school. The award has been presented annually since 1994-1995.
Amanda McKay, who teaches at Swansfield Elementary School and is the orchestra director at Harper’s Choice Middle School, was named 2015 Howard County Music Educator of the Year. McKay was honored for her lasting impact on students and for her inspiring and fun teaching style.
Additional:
Board of Education member Ellen Flynn Giles was recently named an Unsung Hero by the Howard County NAACP Youth Council. Giles received this special recognition for her continued support of time and resources that help make the program a success.
