PRESS RELEASE
FWSU Outstanding Teachers for 2011 Announced
Congratulations to Mary Kate Ellingson of BFA Fairfax and Tony Hardy of Georgia School
Fairfax, VT / October 17, 2011: Franklin West Supervisory Union is pleased to announce its Outstanding Teachers for 2011. Ms. Ellingson and Mr. Hardy will be formally honored along with other VT teachers at the 31st annual Outstanding Teacher Day on October 19, 2011. This event is sponsored by University of Vermont’s College of Education & Social Services in partnership with VT Supervisory Unions / School Districts.
All Outstanding Teachers must exemplify one or more of the Five Standards for Vermont Educators which is learning, professional knowledge, advocacy, colleagueship, and accountability. Typically, 90-100 teachers throughout the state are nominated each year for this award, with over 45 VT school districts participating.
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Ms. Mary Kate Ellingson, Elementary Classroom Teacher (Bellows Free Academy Fairfax)
Mary Kate Ellingson is in her ninth year as an upper elementary classroom teacher at BFA Fairfax. She is an extraordinary educator who contributes to the development of a school community, both at the classroom level and the systems level. Mary Kate is committed to the success of children and colleagues and will not hesitate to go the extra mile to support that development. Her classroom provides a model for meeting the individual needs of children of all abilities.
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Mr. Tony Hardy, 7th Grade Mathematics Teacher (Georgia Elementary Middle School)
Tony Hardy has been at Georgia Middle School for the last four years. He teaches math to seventh graders, and in that short period of time he has taken on leadership roles in math and technology. He has initiated many great student-learning opportunities reaching across grade levels with efforts such as a reading program with kindergarten classes and his Probability Fair in which many grades participate. As his students have said, "Mr. Hardy makes learning fun."