CommunityThe Getson Family would like to nominate Steve Baughman, a teacher from Sharp Elementary School in Cherry Hill, NJ.
Our daughter Harley was assigned the "star' new teacher who was coming over from another neighborhood elementary school. There was suck a "buzz" about Mr. Baughman. We asked parents from the school he was leaving, "How's Mr. Baughman?" Their faces lit up, they talked excitedly about what a fabulous year their child had with him.
We were so pleased! Finally, our daughter, who was diagnosed as "learning disabled" in the third grade, was going to have an all-star educator.
This year started off wonderfully. He "got" Harley. He found a way to make Harley learning-enabled. A student who was once a fixture in the nurses' office now loved school. He recognized that Harley was artistic. He had her draw these beautiful vocabulary cards that looked like pieces of art. Through her art, Harley was able t recall definition, parts of speech, synonyms, other word forms. It was magic! Then the magic was gone. It disappeared in the form of a phone call. Harley can recall that day much better than her multiplication tables! She knew that something was wrong. Then Mr. Baughman was gone and a not appeared. Mr. Baughman had 2 rather large masses in his colon that were cancerous and he was out for the rest of the year. Not only were we sad for our children in the class, but the school had lost their new best friend. He had and has a beautiful wife and 2 gorgeous kids. He is 34 years old, with colon cancer. The teachers at both schools (old and new) donated their sick days. Where does that ever happen?
Surgery and chemo made him sicker than the actual disease. He could barely make it to his mailbox. But he found the strength to come to the 5th grade class trip. And they surrounded him. And although they could be swimming, or doing the ropes course they chose to sit around and chat with their old friend.
Mr. Baughman was out until this past November. He now has a new class, with bright smiling faces. But he has, as do we for him, a special place in his heart for the class that was not meant to be.
Have you ever wanted to go to school everyday? I did, and I will tell you why. It's all because of Mrs. Busarello, my third grade teacher. It was like a fun learning party in her classroom! She was so much fun that it felt like she was your best friend. Mrs. Busarello is great because she encourages her students, has a sense of humor, and is a writing machine.
First, Mrs. Busarello is always encouraging her students to do good things. I remember when she set-up a Pep Rally for the NJ ASK Test. She made us feel better and helped us not to stress. Mrs. Busarello also threw a talent show to show everyone our skills. Instead of being worried on a mat test, we would play "Around The World." She made tests seem a lot easier!
Next, Mrs. Busarello has lots of humor. Sometimes, she'd even do a funny dance. I remember when she fell out of her chair and laughed at herself. It was pretty funny. This year for Multicultural Day she wore a knit skirt and hat, it was hilarious. She brings a lot of laughter to her class.
Lastly, Mrs. Busarello is a WRITING MACHINE! She is the one who inspired me to write stories. We used onomatopoeia dialogue and similes in 3RD GRADE! That's as impressive as if you could do a suduko puzzle in under 1 minute! Mrs. Busarello used to work in the writing industry for awhile, but didn't write a book. (Even though she could!) Writing would be boring without her!
In conclusion, Mrs. Busarello is an amazing teacher! She encourages her students, is funny and writes all the time! She is awesome and is my favorite! Mrs. Busarello is a talented, techniqued teacher. To sum it up, Mrs. Busarello is extraordinary and you should pick her!
Mrs. Chaya is the best teacher in the entire universe! Here are some of the reasons why. First, math and I never really liked each other much, until Mrs. Chaya came along! Mrs. Chaya gives us mad minutes, which are thirty +, - , x, ÷ problems that you have to finish in 1 minute. When you get 30 problems correct, you get a sticker and after 15 stickers, you get a prize. This motivated me to learn all my math facts. She uses everyday things, the Smart Board, and games to help us understand math better. Now I think math is very interesting!
Second, Mrs Chaya gives us treasure books which are a classic or award winning book that we choose, read and do a small project on. Treasure books are so awesome!
Third, Mrs. Chaya is very fair. When we pick our treasure books, we can't all pick at the same time. Instead of just picking someone with their hand up, she has popsicle sticks with our names on them, and pulls one at a time out of a yogurt cup.
Fourth, Mrs. Chaya is always ready to help us and is always supportive. I had to do an art presentation and she let me leave her class to practice with my art teacher. She also let me rehearse it in front of our class so I'd feel more confident during the real thing.
I love having Mrs. Chaya as my enrichment teacher this year! Mrs. Chaya is so astoundingly special, I couldn't describe everything amazing about her if you let me use 1,000,000,000,000!!
TEACHER ALL-STAR: Vincent D'Andrea, School Lane Charter School (Bensalem, PA)I wish to nominate a teacher at School Lane Charter School. His name is Vincent D'Andrea. He is a very good teacher. He teaches 4th and 5th grade. He has very much patience with us.
He gives us good advice on Mathematics and Humanities along with Science. He makes kids want to go to school for the rest of their life. During a collection of money for the help of finding cures for illnesses called Pennies for Patients he put a lot of money in on the last day to help the sick. He really loves the Phillies and sees them only once in a while. All I'm saying is that most teachers give me help that I don't need or want but Mr. D. treats me like a normal child even though I have ADHD.
He's one of the best teachers I've ever had and treats me like a brother. Please choose him to win. He deserves it.
I am writing to you on behalf of the 2009 All-Star teacher program. Mr. DeMore is my british literature teacher and probably the most avid Phillys fan I've ever encountered. But is still an extraordinary teacher none the less. I transferred from a Christian school that I had been attending for seven years and was immensely nervous about being in public school. Mr. DeMore abolished that fear for me by breaking the common stereotypes of a high school teacher by showing me that despite the fact he sees hundreds of students a day he still has personal care and concern for me.
Mr. DeMore also helped me through an extremely rough time in my life without ever being aware of it. He would always give the class the ultimate freedom of expression when it comes to our writing. I've written countless extremely controversial pieces in his class and he always accepts the individuality with open arms.
As cliche as this may come off being in Mr. DeMore's class actually made me decide I aspire to be an author out of high school.
I can't thank Mr. DeMore enough for the things he's done for me without even being aware of his help.
There's no other man I would ever suggest for this title because no other man truly deserves it as much as the Die-Hard Phillys fan, devoted teacher and inspiring man Mr. DeMore.
When a former student comes to visit the staff at Bells Elementary School, the student always asks first to see Mr. DeFamio, our school guidance counselor. This is because he is the one who has made the most impact on our students' lives. A lifetime Phillies' fan, Mr. Frank DeFamio has worked at Bells School for over 25 years, servicing the needs of an ever-changing student population. Whether it be classroom lessons with puppets, one-to-one counseling while shooting hoops, or lunchtime "Hangman" with students, Mr. DeFamio always makes it a priority to have daily contact with the over 570 students in grades one through five that attend our school. Mr. DeFamio meets with small groups of students based on their needs. One such group is called the Banana Splits and is made up of those students who are struggling to deal with their parents' separation. Specialized groups meet weekly to discuss their feelings with other students sharing the same difficulties and challenges. Mr. DeFamio's commitment to students is also shown through his participation in school activities. He enjoys playing in the annual soccer and softball games that feature the staff playing against our students. Mr. DeFamio has developed an excellent rapport with teachers and parents, offering them not only an ear, but advice on understanding the challenges faced by today's children. Dedication, enthusiasm, and the unique ability to develop a rapport with students that is unmatched are what make Frank DeFamio worthy of being named a Philadelphia Phillies/Teacher All-Star.
I am pleased to nominate Mrs. Veresta Hyman for a 2009 Teacher All-Star. Mrs. Hyman teaches Health Related Technology with an emphasis in clinical laboratory sciences to 10-12th graders at Edison High School. Edison is located at 151 W. Luzerne Street, Philadelphia PA 19151. The phone number is 215-324-9599.
Mrs. Hyman is 76 years of age and came out of retirement about 6 years ago after being only retired for 2-3 weeks. Prior to her brief retirement, she taught science for 30 plus years. She was asked to come back until another Health Related Technology teacher could be found but no one could ever fill her shoes and she is still teaching everyday.!!! Maybe some of the pep in her step is gone but not her wisdom, knowledge and enthusiasm for what she does daily is strong as ever!!!
She is a wonderful caring teacher who continues to mentor countless numbers of kids presently and thorugh-out the years. She spends a lot of her own money to make things "happen" for her students. She most recently initiated an EMT program with Jefferson University for her seniors. This allowed qualified students to become certified emergency technicians at the high school level. It gave kids from low income families a skill, profession and an area to build on for those going to college.
She also works with her students in conjunction with the Red Cross, Gift of Life, Rotary Club, Health Occupation Students of America, Eat Right Now and Community College of Philadelphia. It is her strong desire to expose her students to organizations such as those mentioned above.
She does not let things stand in her way and does not know the meaning of "that can't be done." She keeps plugging away until she accomplishes her goals. Most recently she is working on a program to have her students certified as dialysis technicians.
Mrs. Hyman does not let her age get in her way. She recently became one of only 18 new National Board Certified Teachers in Philadelphia. This is granted only after extensive work and testing on the teacher's part.
Mrs. Hyman also mentored me my first year at Edison and without her guidance and knowledge I would not have made it through as easily as I did. She is my mentor, a mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Not only did she raise her own kids, grand kids, great grand kids, neighborhood kids, but also so many students. She is a hero to all who are touched by her life!!!!
My name is Lawrence Robinson, and I am writing to you to nominate a teacher named Miss Nancy Jagielski for the Philadelphia Phillies teacher award. Ms. Jagielski was my second grade teacher and I will always remember her and how she made a difference in my life. I am now in the tenth grade at Pennsauken High School, and Miss Jagielski stills keeps in touch with me and my family. Ms. J. not only teaches all day but spends her time tutoring students after school and on weekends. She is always at the Pennsauken Library helping kids. I have many memorable moments of Miss J. She would always make me smile when I was in her class. She always had kind words for the students. When I was feeling low she gave me encouragement, took time to talk and it always made me feel better. She also helped me gain confidence in myself to do better in school. I couldn't wait until Social Studies time because Miss J. set up the classroom like a baseball field, and we played Social Studies baseball. Every time we got a right answer we went to base. The students in the class would be happy and excited about the lesson. She took boys and girls from low income families on a Saturday to their very first baseball game. We had never been to a Phillies game before, and she even bought all of us a Phillies hat and made sure we got a Phillies certificate to take home. She is the most fun Teacher I ever had. She even allowed us to have our own baseball game outside the school and brought all the extra gloves she could get.
When I was in 5th and 6th grade, Miss J. helped me and other students during her lunch with our school work. She also donates clothes to the poor families of Pennsauken. Miss J. volunteers her time with a gift program at the PIM School which provides Christmas gifts for students of poor families. I liked Miss J's class because she made every student feel special. She made every learning activity fun which kept kids interested. She created a mulit-cultural day, and each one of us could bring in something from our heritage. She created a Thanksgiving meal day for students. She has taken students of divorce on trips on Saturdays. I can't imagine a better teacher than Miss J. She tutors kids in all neighborhoods of Pennsauken. When kids see her car, they start running calling her name, Miss J. Everyone is always happy to see her, and they know the kindness she is always showing for the kids in our neighborhood. The kids of Pennsauken are extremely lucky to have a teacher like her. In honor of Easter Miss J. takes younger students of low income families to Cooper River Park for their annual Easter Egg Hunt. I appreciate Miss J. more than words can say because now I have hope for the future. Miss J. is the best teacher I ever had in my whole life. I can only hope that other kids in Pennsauken will be fortunate enough to have Miss Nancy Jagielski as a teacher. Please choose Miss Nancy Jagielski for this Teacher Appreciation Award. I don't know any teacher who deserves it more. Thank you for your consideration.
I am in fifth grade at St. Cornelius School in Chadds Ford, PA. I would like to nominate my teacher, Mrs. Jennifer Smith as a Teacher All-Star. I am twelve-years-old and I have learning disabilities. School can be very hard for me sometimes. My teacher, Mrs. Smith, has helped me so much this year. She always takes the extra time that I need to make sure that I understand what we are learning. She is patient, fair, and caring.
Math is especially hard for me but this year with Mrs. Smith's help, I got my first 100% on a math test. I was so excited I felt like I was going to faint. I never used to believe that I could do as well as I am doing in school. Mrs. Smith has helped give me the confidence that I never had before. Last year, school was hard and I would get frustrated a lot. I thought fourth grade would never end. This year rocks! I just got my report card and I did fantastic. My teacher was so proud of me and I was so proud of myself.
I hope Mrs. Smith wins the Teacher All-Star competition because she deserves it. She has changed my life forever. I think she is the best teacher whether she wins or not.
I would like to nominate Mrs. Blanche Young as a 2009 Teacher All-Star. Mrs. Young was a 2nd Grade teacher for the Gloucester City Public School District for 26 years and is now enjoying her first year of retirement. Mrs. Young was always a very special teacher and I feel extremely fortunate to be taught by her. As you will read, I am grateful for many things Mrs. Young has done for me and I think this would be a phantastic way to thank her.
For as long as I can remember, Mrs. Young has been a HUGE Phillies Phan, which in turn, made her students huge Phillies Phans! I remember how excited she would get when she talked about the Phils and the players, she would teach us about baseball and we would draw pictures for the Phillies. I remember the most exciting thing was writing to the players and actually getting a response from them! Not only did Mrs. Young love the Phillies, but she truly loved her students. She always had a smile on her face and new how to make her students feel special. I loved coming to school everyday because I loved her so much. I would always say, "When I grow up, I am going to be a teacher just like Mrs. Young!"
I was sad when 2nd grade was over because I thought that I wouldn't get to see her everyday, but that actually made our relationship stronger. I was no longer her student, I was her friend. She would let me visit her after school, sometimes we would go to lunch, sometimes she would have a fun craft for us to do and every now and then we would go to a Phillies game!
As I got older and I had to start thinking about my future it was an easy decision because in my heart I had known what I wanted to be, a teacher just like Mrs. Young. She was my inspiration all through college and she became my teacher again when I did my first teaching practicum in college. I found myself back in her classroom and her teaching style had not changed. She was just as brilliant as I remembered. Her students adored her just as much as I had adored her when I was in her class.
I am now a 2nd grade teacher and find myself doing many of things Mrs. Young would have done. I teach my students about the Phillies and try to get them excited about baseball! I can't think of a more deserving teacher for this award; not only is she a huge Phillies Phan, but she was an amazing teacher! Words cannot express how truly thankful I am for having her in my life.
