The Rotary District 6040 Teacher of the Year Award was established to honor a teacher who is a powerful proponent of literacy and who has made significant contributions in the teaching of reading. Awards are given to one Elementary teacher, grades K-6 and one Secondary teacher, grades 7-12. This year we received 17 nominations all of which were outstanding. The following clubs nominated a deserving teacher(s) from their area:The Rotary District 6040 Teacher of the Year Award was established to honor a teacher who is a powerful proponent of literacy and who has made significant contributions in the teaching of reading. Awards are given to one Elementary teacher, grades K-6 and one Secondary teacher, grades 7-12. This year we received 17 nominations all of which were outstanding. The following clubs nominated a deserving teacher(s) from their area:
Brookfield
Grandview
Higginsville
Huntsville
Kirksville North Star
Kirksville Thousand Hills
Independence
Lee’s Summit
Liberty
Marceline
Parkville
Raytown
Smithville
Waldo Brookside
 
A committee reviewed each application and rated nominees according to pre-established criteria. The competition was tough!
 
On behalf of the award committee, I am pleased to announce that Kimberly Rues, teacher at Great Beginnings Early Education and Summit Pointe Elementary School, nominated by Lee’s Summit Noon Rotary Club is the winner of the Elementary (K-6) award and Julie Sheerman, High School English Language Arts teacher at Marceline R-V Schools, nominated by the Marceline Rotary Club is the winner of the Secondary (grades 7-12) award! Both Kimberly and Julie will be invited to the Rotary District Conference, August 21-23, 2020 and will each receive a check for $1,000.
 
And now, a bit about our winners. Kimberly Rues serves in two schools, Great Beginnings Early Education Center and Summit Pointe Elementary School. She has served as both a classroom teacher and a library media specialist. Kimberly is a collaborative partner with other teachers who inspires and encourages others to become advocates for literacy. She has been successful in securing grants and works actively with the Parents as Teachers (PAT) Program to promote literacy. She has sponsored student and teacher book clubs, initiated community leadership projects and consistently does whatever she can to meet the literacy needs of students. Kimberly’s nomination letter described her as someone who embodies the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self” and lives it on a daily basis. Her passion for and commitment to advancing literacy is evident in all she does – her nominator stated that Kimberly “has dressed up as more books characters than I have fingers and toes”. Congratulations to Kimberly for all she does to promote literacy in teaching and for being recognized as Rotary District 6040 Literacy Teacher of the Year (K-6).
 
Julie Sheerman is a High School Language Arts teacher in the Marceline R-V district. Julie was described as a “true professional in every sense of the word”. Julie is the English Department Chair for Marceline High School and for the past eight years has worked as the Director of the Professional Development for the Missouri Writing Project. In this role, she travels around the state training other educators on effective reading and writing techniques to promote literacy. She is an expert in classroom instruction and student engagement and is the driving force behind the implementation of literacy strategies across disciplines and levels. Julie helped to create the Marceline Rotary Interact Club and has served as the club’s sponsor ever since. Julie’s nomination letter stated that “through Julie’s work, educators are finding ways to incorporate literacy into every classroom and are finding ways to promote reading fiction, non-fiction and technical materials to meet academic needs.” Congratulations to Julie for being recognized as Rotary District 6040 Literacy Teacher of the Year (7-12)!
 
Thank you to all of the clubs who nominated teachers. I hope that regardless of whether they were selected as a winner you will honor them within your own clubs so that they know how much Rotary appreciates them and the work that they do!