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Five Henrico teachers were among 16 teachers selected as winners of the 2017 R.E.B. Awards for Teaching Excellence this week.
The awards, presented by The Community Foundation and the R.E.B. Foundation, recognize outstanding public school teachers who demonstrate a passion for teaching while also serving as mentors, coaches and champions for their students. The 16 winners and 14 finalists will receive cash grants totaling $180,000.
The R.E.B. Awards provide opportunities for public school teachers to continue their own love of learning as they pursue adventures that they can implement in their teaching.
The Henrico winners are:
• Jerome Fleming, Short Pump Middle School – $10,300. Fleming will use the money to explore America’s historic cities and create a photo/video diary of each city to illustrate the culture and history that has made America into the diverse nation it is today.
• Jonathan Lauder, Mills E. Godwin High School – $6,500. Lauder will use the money to explore the ideas of the Enlightenment and the social and political revolutions brought to the western world by travelling to Paris, Vienna, Munich and Philadelphia.
• Lindsey Pantele, Glen Allen High School – $12,000. Pantele will use the money to study the Heroic and Classical Greek, Renaissance and Modern literary periods through visits to several European cities.
• Todd Ritter, Henrico High School – $10,600. Ritter will use the money to participate in Commedia Dell’arte and mask-making workshops in Florence, Italy and to visit several theatres spanning from ancient Rome to modern day.
• Gregory Townsend, Douglas Freeman High School – $12,000. Townsend will use the money to explore the culture, archaeology and geology of Central and South America while learning the Spanish language in an immersive setting.
The 14 finalists not chosen for a professional development grant each will receive a $750 unrestricted cash grant in recognition of their achievements in the classroom.
The finalists from Henrico are:
• Jeannine Chewning, Hermitage High School
• Rebekah Goemaat, Virginia Randolph Education Center
• Kirkland Jackson, Tuckahoe Middle School
• Kasey Kolste, Three Chopt Elementary School.
The awards program honors public school teachers in the City of Richmond, the counties of Chesterfield, Henrico and Hanover, and the Department of Correctional Education. Since its inception in 1988, its has awarded $3.5 million to more than 800 public school instructors.
