WESTFIELD — Five veteran teachers and one teacher new to the profession were named 2023 Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Award winners in Westfield this week. Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski surprised the winners at their schools on Feb. 7.
Winners have demonstrated exemplary teaching practices and have had a strong impact on their students; they’ve inspired and motivated others, engaged their students’ families, and gone above and beyond in the classroom and school community.
This year’s experienced teacher winners are:
· Laura Hayes, special education teacher at Highland Elementary School.
· Lyndsay Grimsley, arts and communication teacher at Westfield Technical Academy
· Carrie Fiordalice, school adjustment counselor at Westfield High School
· Stephanie Desmond, world language teacher at Westfield High School
· Sherreen Sloan, preschool teacher at Fort Meadow Early Childhood Center
Every year, a new teacher is also named for the honor. Recognized this year is Jacob Kapinos, math teacher at Westfield High School.
The winners will join fellow Excellence in Teaching Award winners from around the Pioneer Valley at a banquet in their honor at the Log Cabin in Holyoke on May 3. They will also receive $250, scholarships and tuition incentives for graduate courses, a YMCA membership, and are eligible for a grant for their classrooms, among other gifts and benefits.
The Excellence in Teaching Awards program, now in its 20th year, is made possible by the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation in partnership with the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation.