A lot of great educators and support staff make up the Queen Creek Unified School District (QCUSD) and each year the district recognizes them with the QCUSD Awards of Excellence. This annual award recognizes educators and staff members who have gone above and beyond to serve QCUSD’s students and community.
This year, 29 teachers and staff members were recognized for their achievements last month after staff members anonymously nominated their colleagues for the award. A committee then selects two winners from each school to receive the award each year.
QCUSD Awards of Excellence recognizes those who achieve excellence, lead with integrity and empower others around them. They also demonstrate QCUSD Positive Behavior Interventions and Support expectations: Be Kind. Be Respectful. Show Integrity.
Superintendent Dr. Perry Berry surprised the award winners with the good news during their normal school days. Recipients were able to celebrate the honor with their students and fellow QCUSD staff members. They later attended a ceremony at the Queen Creek Center for Performing Arts to receive their awards.
Lara Cox, a physical education teacher at Faith Mather Sossaman Elementary School, won Educator of the Year for her school this year. She said she was "extremely surprised by the award" upon finding out she had won during her school's Field Day event. She said her principal, Sherry Towns, and Dr. Berry surprised her on the field with the news.
"I am honored and grateful to have received this award, but I feel it is because of the amazing support and encouragement from district leadership, my school administration (present and past), my colleagues, our community, Arizona Health and Physical Education and, most importantly, our FMSE students and my own family," said Cox. "It is my passion for health and physical education and the value of living a healthy, active lifestyle that drives me. Every year my goal is to make a difference in the lives of all of my students by helping them find the confidence, competence and motivation to continue a life of meaningful movement. It is also through the learning experiences in their physical education class that I hope students learn and practice problem solving skills, sportsmanship, empathy, kindness, respect, integrity, positivity, social awareness and a tenacious attitude. These all directly relate to Faith Mather Sossaman's mission statement, which is: 'At FMSE, we will inspire and prepare students to become lifelong learners who will make a positive difference in our community.'"
All of this year's winners are:
Faith Mather Sossaman Elementary School
- Educator of the Year: Lara Cox
- Support Staff of the Year: Connie Romano
Gateway Polytechnic Academy
- Educator of the Year: Heather Raber
- Support Staff of the Year: Jayden Bagge
Jack Barnes Elementary
- Educator of the Year: Flor Noble
- Support Staff of the Year: Autumn Page
Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary
- Educator of the Year: Emily Walicki
- Support Staff of the Year: Shanon Lines
Queen Creek Elementary
- Educator of the Year: Kathryn Burkhead
- Support Staff of the Year: Christine Beamon
Schnepf Elementary
- Educator of the Year: Cassie Baldwin
- Support Staff of the Year: Cori Christensen
Silver Valley Elementary
- Educator of the Year: Jill DeVorkin
- Support Staff of the Year: Crystal Haunschild
Newell Barney Junior High School
- Educator of the Year: Erika Donovan
- Support Staff of the Year: Leslie Antonino
Queen Creek Junior High School
- Educator of the Year: Joshua Mattis
- Support Staff of the Year: Hailey Harriman
Crismon High School
- Educator of the Year: Jake Allen
- Support Staff of the Year: Marcos Montano
Eastmark High School
- Educator of the Year: Lisa Wilkins-Eames
- Support Staff of the Year: Leanne Hodson
Queen Creek High School
- Educator of the Year: Gabriel Gahn
- Support Staff of the Year: Betsy Roath
District Office
- Support Staff of the Year: Cassie Kennedy
