A Spotlight on Excellence: Applause for Colleagues
“Sonya Austin is the secretary at Buffalo Prairie Middle School, and every day she goes above and beyond to help the kids and staff. No matter if we need a hug, a pep talk, something looked up, or whatever, she is on it. She carries a lot of burdens with the things she sees and hears in the office, but she faces every day with a beautiful smile and does everything in her power to brighten everyone else's day
-Julie Thomas, Dallas Co. R-1
“Matt Villasana is the Jack of all trades!”
-Jessica Tierney, Columbia Public Schools
“Debra Wyatt always goes above and beyond.”
-Lauren Clark, Fairfax R-3
“Ms. Brandi Killian is a Special Education teacher and has the kindest heart!”
-Courtney Koehler, Woodland R-4
“Christina Atkinson, our school librarian, has started a very active book club! And Traci Nave, our principal, is doing everything imaginable to build community.”
-Rebecca Dunnell, Riverview Gardens
“Laura Hensiek teaches seventh grade math and is always operating behind the scenes to make things happen for the kids. Planning events. Errands for supplies. Setting up classes and groups. Always stepping in where needed. The (many) little things add up in a big way.”
-Haley Pirtle, Central R-3
“I would love to give a tremendous shoutout to an incredible teacher, Trista Sargent, who truly goes above and beyond every single day. She makes sure each student's needs are met at their individual level and helps to make them feel important enough to care about themselves too. Trista comes in daily and takes care of many students with various abilities. She does not allow her kids to use their diagnosis as an excuse for negative behavior, but instead helps each of them reach higher than even their parents thought they could reach! Trista fights hard to assure her kids are included in all general education activities and includes herself on committees to assure transparency among all stakeholders. I can’t think of anyone more deserving of a shoutout than Trista Sargent!”
-Kathie O’Connor, Fox C-6
“Shoutout to my entire elementary building! I am the reading specialist for K-5 and our entire staff has done incredible things. It’s paying off with our student reading scores!”
-Victoria Washam, Miller R-2
“Shout out to the teachers and staff at Freedom Elementary for their hard work and dedication.”
-Maxine Thompson, Waynesville R-6
“Thanks to Melissa Rolf for always being willing to help!”
-Barbara Mackey, Maryville R-2
“Angie McFee is the glue that keeps Winston together.”-Drew Dyer, Winston R-6
“Lori Smith is our CTA membership coordinator. She works tirelessly to make sure each and every piece of paperwork is filled out completely and correctly. She advocates and speaks at Convention too. She makes all students and staff feel loved and is a great example of a wonderful teacher and human.”-Kelsey Orson, Webb City R-7
“Thank you, Caitlyn Spencer, for leading MSTA at our school.”-Ashley Phillips, South Callaway R-2
“Angie Sullenger is a secretary for our school. She is an MSTA member and is part of the organization that works with our school to provide community events!”-Misty Gandy, Taneyville R-2
“Tory Witt has been doing exciting work in Kindergarten, keeping learning fun.”-Jennifer Henderson, St. James R-1
“I am thankful for Brandon Gaffney and his willingness to grow future educators and develop collaborative teams. He is only in his third year of teaching and has already made a tremendous impact on our students and our profession.”-Brooke Gantt, Nixa Public Schools
“Kristi Seyer is our Kindergarten teacher, and she is amazing! She deserves all the recognition. Kristi works amazingly hard every single day and is so dedicated to her students.”-Marissa Talbert, Oak Ridge R-6
“Jaime Burger works so hard for her students and our school’s CTA! She’s the best.”-Michaella Gantz, Kelso C-7
“Randee Schatz will go above and beyond to promote our school and to make sure our story is being heard. This is done by presenting at conferences, helping other teachers whenever possible, loving the kiddos that can be “hard” at times and just being a team player. She will always do what is best for students as well as her coworkers.”
-Barb Loyd, Gasconade Co. R-2
“Shout out to Reagan Fowler for killing her first year as a Kindergarten teacher. She is rocking it!”
-Madison Fowler, Joplin R-8
“Kudos to our Special Education department for transitioning to a new platform to write IEP's.”
-Julie Hagemeier-Schlote, Lincoln County R-3
“Aron Knocge is rocking her FACS position at our high school. Her students are doing amazing stuff!”
-Angela Keppner, Palmyra R-1
“Shout out to Danielle Oser for being a teacher that our students can relate to and enjoy being around.”
-Alison McCormick, Bosworth R-5
“I have an outstanding staff and they all deserve a shout out for the incredible work they do for our Bulldogs every day.”
-Tanya Brown, Blackwater R-2
“Susan Neilsen is a retired teacher who now works as a part time administrative assistant for the Teacher Education Program as MSU-WP. Susan goes above and beyond to help students to plan for their upcoming semester and even volunteers to tutor if they are struggling in class.”
-ReBena Atkinson, Missouri State University-West Plains
“Shout out to our CTA staff appreciation committee! They organized an awesome 12 days of Christmas for our staff!”
-Carla Fitzgerald, Brunswick R-2
“Madison Norris is a fifth-grade teacher and MSTA member. She builds solid relationships with her students and is someone they trust and look up to. Miss Norris is always building up her students to be their very best. She may be a newer teacher but, with the way she focuses on any student’s mental and emotional well-being, she is just amazing!”
-Noelle Horner, Hillsboro R-3
“Stephanie Crank, a Title I teacher, is an advocate for teachers and students alike. She has gone above and beyond supporting all staff through the implementation of RSPs.”
-Natasha Frerking, Sweet Springs R-7
“Amy Givens goes above and beyond for her students and coworkers.”
-Tonya Winfrey, Malta Bend R-5
“Mrs. Tonia Nunn is an amazing woman who has really paved the road to success for her coworkers/ staff. She is our Preschool Director at Fordland. This year, she has also covered the role of a P.A.T teacher, giving 110% every day ito help our early childhood development center really grow. Our Fordland family is proud to have such an involved, caring and dedicated person to lead our community.”
-Alexis Saffle, Fordland R-3
“Our Title I reading teachers, Shannon Chanley, Caitlin Rees and Amy Bartlett, have navigated and supported our teachers through the Reading Success Plans this year. I can’t imagine putting this together without their expertise and commitment to our students’ success.”
-Christina Dodd, Scott Co. R-4
“Our building principal, Dr. Anne Billington, was just named NEMAESP Distinguished Principal. She is an excellent leader and I’ve been very fortunate to have her as my administrator for my teaching career thus far. She has encouraged me to be the passionate educator I am today, and I know she does the same for everyone in her building. She is truly amazing and deserves all the recognition she can get!”
-Maggie Resa, Mexico 59
“Shout out to Lora Kurzweil, MSTA member and Ray-Pec CTA vice president, for all of her volunteer work with Special Olympics.”
-Jackie Garcia, Raymore-Peculiar R-2
“Jennifer Hecht goes above and beyond-not just serving our middle school but staying connected with former students and helping them achieve too. She works tireless hours for a job that often doesn't get a thank you.”
-Shannon Berghoff, Cape Girardeau 63
“Randall Helm has been stepping in when our principal has been at training and has done a great job. He is always willing to step up to admin at games if someone cancels. Randall does a great job of keeping coworkers positive and motivated!”
-Laurel Rogers, Laquey R-5 School District
“Shout out to Jered Jackson who is our JAG teacher, basketball coach, PE teacher and the tech guy. He wears a lot of hats.”
-Karen Huff, North Wood R-4
“Brandi Compass deserves a shout out for being an amazing part of the PBMS team. She goes above and beyond to support other teachers and students and is a consistent help with events within the district. Brandi creates new and innovative ideas for teaching, and spends extra hours on teaching homebound students, student council students and tutoring. She deserves praise for her outside contributions and her membership associations with other educational community programs. She even spends her summers traveling overseas to bring teacher management and teaching strategies to other educators.”
-Melissa M. Jackson, Poplar Bluff R-1
“Shout out to Devin Lindsey for 27 years of dedication to our students. He will be retiring at the end of the year and has led our students to many victories on and off the court!”
-Stephanie Parsons, Dent-Phelps R-3
“Kris Harwood, Eldon High School principal, is retiring after 33 years in education. She’s a servant leader and has led a building into a high achieving school. The whole package!”
-Erin Rohwer, Eldon R-1
“Nikki Locklear has been a fabulous addition to our CTA and is also the FTA sponsor.”
-Sara Hedge, Rolla 31
“Thank you, Kelsey Stotsberry, for ensuring MSTA members are represented.”
-Angie Sellers, Camdenton R-3
“Paige Berger is not just an amazing art teacher; she is an advocate for everyone. The culture of our school would not be where it is nor be as inclusive if we didn’t have her."
-Dustin Surber, Willard R-2
“Angela Mansel is always working to better the English department and does a great job teaching her students, always trying to improve. She serves on many committees at the district level and represents English well!”
-Jeffrey Pettibone, Springfield R-12
“Mary Knueven is an extremely hard working, problem-solving Special Education teacher who goes above and beyond for her students-and any student that she has interactions with. She will help any teacher with problem-solving ways to help them manage their behavioral and academic struggles.
Mary will keep searching for help until we get to a common goal as a team!”
-Michelle Steelman, Salem R-80
“Shout out to Nathan Holtmeyer for becoming ‘Hairless Holtmeyer’ for the sake of a family in need.”-Jilli Roberts, Blair Oaks R-2
“Congratulations to Mary Chris Cairns, who earned her Master's degree in English.”
-Janice Guebert, Perry Co. District 32
“Brittany Welker recently started an art club that has been well received by students. She is involved with the junior class and leadership teams and started teaching a dual credit art history course this year. Brittany works tirelessly to provide learning opportunities for her students and expose them to the larger world.
She is kind and encourages this trait in her students as well.”
-Christy Phillips, Canton R-5
“Our principal, Rachael Nichols, really is an excellent leader and has built a very strong team of teachers who are eager for new challenges. She is a great communicator and encourages taking risks in learning for our students.”
-Jennifer Griffin, Hallsville R-4
“Whitney Jones has worked tirelessly to get our new SIS implemented.”
-Karen Butler, Seneca R-7
“Joy Bridges goes above and beyond for her students and staff.”
-Anna Muselman, Trenton R-9
“Shout out to our counselor, Amy Kilpatrick, for helping families and students who need a boost in any form.”
-Michelle Mieger, Northwest R-1
“Shout out to Melissa Brown for being our fifth-grade team ‘mom.’ She is an expert at all things and always willing to support and lend a hand where needed.”
-Mareena Snarey, Monett R-1
“Cheryl Hendershott is a Kindergarten teacher and a rockstar. Every day, she loves on her littles and succeeds in helping each one learn how to manage life on the daily. She WORKS on building those relationships. Cheryl doesn’t seek recognition or fanfare; however, I would like to see her recognized for being one of the most caring teachers I’ve met.”
-Lori Kayser, Jackson R-2
“Lindsey Kingsolver is an incredible educator and teammate. She has been named Outstanding Educator by our district this past school year-she is a problem solver, an ear when you need to talk, your fiercest defender and most loyal friend. This year, she has been managing her various roles as educator, team communication liaison, content team department head, grade level lead and other unofficial roles with determination, strength and resolve. Lindsey is helping new admin teams and teachers all over the building learn and acclimate to Lewis and Clark.
She's a leader in every facet of the school, and I'm lucky to be her teammate.”
-Scotty Watson, Jefferson City
“Tameka Evans works incredibly hard every day to be a positive influence for some of the students who need it the most. Some people see and recognize the care and effort she puts in every day, but most people don't.”
-Rebecca Dill, Moberly
“Shout out to Candy Husk for being my mentor and for all she does on the sidelines.”
-Lisa Lampe, Farmington R-7
“I have been impressed with Jordan Morin at Minnie Cline. She had a non-English speaking student enroll her class and has quickly learned a few phrases, figured out Google translate and works hard to make sure the student has a smooth transition to our school. Jordan also received another Hispanic student a few weeks later. The students in her class follow her in encouraging and modeling behaviors.”
-Leigh Ann Dunn, Savannah R-3
“Wyatt Wilson is our Agriculture teacher and he is really passionate about not just having a glorified shop class. The kids love his class and he always expects respect for school.”
-Jason Lozano, Billings R-4
“Whitney Noland organizes the Day of Caring right before Christmas. It is a great way that students can learn to give back to the community. The kids really seem to enjoy it. However, it takes a lot of work and Whitney puts in many hours outside of the school day to pull this off.”
-Laura Ohnemus, Hannibal 60
“Robin Hogard wears MANY hats! She is TOP NOTCH and we are so lucky to have her!”
-Kelly Adrian, Cole R-5
“Shelia McCullough is the best teacher/momma to our staff that you could ask for. She will be hard to replace when she is gone from Pershing Elementary.”
-Amy Bates, St. Joseph
“Lauren Mertz is our MSTA president and has always done a wonderful job of representing us. She is a great communicator, trustworthy and responsible. I always cast my vote for her when she runs for positions.”-
Tanya Sanchez, St. Charles R-6
“Anna Schneider is an outstanding teacher in all subject areas. She cares and works hard for her students, wanting them to grow and learn. Anna is a leader in her grade level and for our district.”
-Patti Semmelbeck, Logan-Rogersville R-8
“Lisa Deffenbaugh is our librarian. She came into this roll last year and took on two libraries, having to split her time between the two. Lisa and her aide, Jayme Reuter, have made these two libraries better places to be. Students and teachers are using the libraries more and are enjoying their time in both places. Circulation has risen in both locations, and classes are using the libraries more.”
-Savannah Essary, Cassville R-4
“We have a new Special Education teacher who is working on her master’s degree and trying to complete the autism program with Project Access because we have very little resources in our district. Go Lara Mallett!”
-Pamela Snider, Osceola
“I have seen Carolyn Willhite, time and time again, giving struggling students the desire and confidence to keep learning and trying. She has done amazing things with her students.”
-Karen Tamblyn, Skyline R-2
“Kyle Starnes took over as interim principal last January when the principal died suddenly. He is now the principal and has worked hard to improve our school, making sure every student is successful.”
-Candace Davis, Laclede Co. C-5
“Fleming Archie is a brand new teacher that is taking the time to really learn her students. She finds where they struggle and works daily to help the students themselves see the way that helps learning become real to them. Fleming sees and understands that all students are not the same and do not learn or behave the same, but she loves each of them the way she should.”
-Kristal Moore, East Prairie R-2
“Amanda Bradshaw has led so many to greatness and kept the SpEd teachers in check for many years.”
-Lana Moore, Mt. Vernon R-5
“Riley Keltner is widely recognized as being one of the most outstanding teachers in our building. Her lessons are innovative, her lectures are engaging and she is the type of educator who doesn't keep anything for herself-all of her good ideas and work are shared with others. She puts students first in all that she does, and they produce some of their best work for her. Riley makes everyone around her better and is so humble that she often says she stands on the shoulders of giants in our building. She is one of those people that just makes an entire place better by being in it and she deserves every possible opportunity to be recognized for her dedication to excellence in teaching.”
- Molly Beck, Ladue
“Michelle Morris finished her degree in Principalship in December. She has worked really hard on that for the last several months!”
-Jeanne Burgin, Chilhowee R-4
“All of Nathan Calcari’s students scored proficient or advanced on the EOC test last year.”
-Stephanie Calcari, Ferguson-Florissant R-2
“Lisa McDaniel is one of our high school ELA teachers. She has also been an officer for FCTA and gives so much of her time and compassion to her students. Lisa truly cares for each one of her kids, regardless of their efforts, status and behavior. She finds the positive in every person.”
-Kelly Neudecker, Fulton 58
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