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Garfield Board honors teachers, paraprofessionals and student of the month
Summary
The Garfield Board of Education recognized Teacher of the Year and Paraprofessional of the Year recipients from each school and named a high school student as May student of the month; district officials described a new digital nomination process and invited the community to upcoming fundraising and summer programs.
The Garfield Board of Education on May 19 honored teachers and paraprofessionals from every district school and named Garfield High student Fernando Arrajes as the May student of the month.
Board Superintendent Dr. Tomko opened the program and said the district is “making a lot of progress” with end-of-year activities and summer program planning. The district’s director of curriculum and instruction, Miss Bellinger, told the board the district used a new digital nomination platform this year to select one Teacher of the Year and one Paraprofessional of the Year at each school, and the selection criteria included classroom climate, student achievement and building relationships with staff and families.
Principals and school leaders presented brief remarks about each recipient’s work and community impact. Several principals highlighted recipients’ long service to students — for example, Deborah Simpson, a kindergarten paraprofessional with 25 years in the district who is retiring — and the role paraprofessionals play in specialized classrooms. At the Early Childhood Learning Center, Madeline Teal was recognized for her speech-therapy work and for organizing the school lending library. At James Madison School No. 10, art teacher Sarah Wish and paraprofessional Mrs. Neville were singled out for classroom creativity and student engagement.
The ceremony included short remarks from the Garfield Federation of Teachers president, who read a nomination and congratulated the winners. A walkathon fundraiser organized by an “Easy Ride for Life” student club was also announced; organizers said the event is scheduled for May 31 from 9 a.m. to noon and aims to raise funds to subsidize rides for residents with limited mobility.
The board concluded the awards portion with a group photo opportunity and brief logistical remarks from event organizers. No formal board action was required for the awards themselves; the presentation was part of the meeting’s recognition and community outreach agenda.
