MFE Announces Outstanding Teacher of the Year Awards Winners

Seven exceptional teachers in Milton’s public schools were surprised on Friday, April 27 when trustees of the Milton Foundation for Education visited them in their classrooms and informed them that they had been selected to receive a 2012 Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award.  Superintendent Mary Gormley, school administrators and scores of excited students crowded the classrooms to clap, cheer and enjoy the surprise party that the MFE provided for each of the winning teachers.

Barbara Avitabile-Mullen, chair of the Foundation’s Outstanding Teacher Award committee, presented flowers and balloons to all the honorees and read excerpts from the Teacher of the Year nomination letters submitted by parents and students.  Avitabile-Mullen was pleased to be a part of this annual tribute to excellence in teaching, as she has for the past five years.  “As a trustee of the The Milton Foundation for Education, each year I get to participate in a number of the ways we work with the community to support Milton’s public schools, but walking into these classrooms and surprising the teachers is just about the best feeling you can get,” said Avitabile-Mullen.   “We are fortunate to have teachers who challenge and inspire our children to do their best each and every day. We are so happy to have the opportunity to read to them from these wonderful, inspiring letters. The kids cheer, the teachers are speechless and sometimes even a little teary-eyed. It’s truly an exhilarating experience to recognize their excellence in such a personal way.”

The teachers honored with the prestigious Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award this year were:

• Catherine Friedman (7th grade English, Pierce Middle School)
• Laura McDermott (2nd grade, Collicot Elementary School)
• Nancy Warn (US History and AP US History, Milton High School)
• Meredith Kempf (Title 1 specialist, Grades 1-4 math, Tucker Elementary School)
• Erin Power (5th grade, Cunningham Elementary School)
• Mary McCarthy (1st grade, Glover Elementary School). 

Dyanne Crowley, an English teacher at Milton High, was presented with the Mary Grassa O’Neill Award which is given each year in honor of Milton’s former superintendent. To be considered for this award, the recipient must be known as a "teachers' teacher,” committed to helping other teachers succeed. The Milton Foundation for Education reviewed all the 2012 Outstanding Teacher nominations and selected Crowley to receive this distinguished award.

 In addition to Avitabile-Mullen, the 2012 MFE Outstanding Teacher of the Year Committee includes Roxanne Musto, Angela Van-Allen, Julie Ritchie, Ami Joiner and Nora Vernazza. This is the twelfth year that MFE has presented the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Awards.  This year’s winners will be honored at a special ceremony to be held Wednesday, May 16, at 6 p.m. at Milton High School.  The public is invited to attend.

The above release was provided by Robert Davis, Milton Foundation for Education.