The selected educators were celebrated with colleagues, friends and family for their dedication and passion in the classroom.
Standing ovations, noisemakers, cheers and applause filled the Washington Township High School 11–12 auditorium on Tuesday, Jan. 23, as the district and Board of Education celebrated the 2017–18 teachers and educational services professionals of the year. Surrounded by colleagues, friends and family, the selected educators were recognized with a plaque and golden apple for their dedication to their career and students.
“As an educational leader, it is truly exciting and appreciated to have the opportunity to salute all of our amazing teachers in Washington Township, but tonight especially, the recipients from our buildings,” Whitman Elementary School Principal Ray Anderson said.
Principals from each of the district’s 11 schools recognized the selected staff with words of praise and appreciation for their commitment to provide quality education, support for staff and love for the classroom.
“There is a very common theme in all of the remarks — commonly hearing words such as inspirational and dedicated, but more than anything else, what describes all of our teachers of the year and educational service professionals is that at the heart of everything they do is the child,” Washington Township High School Principal Ann Moore said. “That is what makes them worthy recipients of this award this evening.”
Recipients of the district teachers of the year distinction were: Anita Bucci, kindergarten teacher at Grenloch Terrace Early Childhood Center; Guy Campagna, physical education teacher at Bells Elementary School; Kristi Fuller, second-grade special education teacher at Birches Elementary School; Stephanie Bruno, second-grade teacher at Hurffville Elementary School; Bernadette (Bunny) Fugaro, fifth-grade special education teacher at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School; Leslie Mitcham, second-grade teacher at Wedgwood Elementary School; Tia Cade, fifth-grade teacher at Whitman Elementary School; Monica Westerby, seventh-grade and eighth-grade math teacher at Bunker Hill Middle School; Antonia Benecchi, orchestra teacher at Chestnut Ridge Middle School; Linda Wienckoski, seventh-grade English language arts teacher at Orchard Valley Middle School; Barbara Kopas, 12th-grade English teacher at Washington Township High School; and Leigh Ann Hall, chemistry teacher at Washington Township High School.
Educational services professionals of the year also included Connie Meeks, kindergarten speech therapist at GTECC, and Jenny Hudock, Washington Township High School’s nurse.
Those recognized from Washington Township High School were also gifted with Phillies jerseys to wear while they have the opportunity to throw the first pitch at Washington Township Night at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, May 8.
In other news:
Board members provided clarification on the recent Washington Township Principals Association contract and addendum investigation that came to a conclusion at a previous December meeting. The addendum in question was investigated as it had created an additional salary lane column for a district assistant director position, and had not been presented to the board or committees.
“The finding was the board and the union did not know about the salary lane in the contract and that constitutes circumventing board authority,” Board of Education President Ginny Murphy said. “We’re trying to ensure that doesn’t happen again.”
At the Dec. 19 meeting, the board voted on eight recommendations provided by the Washington Township Principals Association Investigation Committee on how to conduct business with contracts in the future. At this time, the board and negotiations committee are in the process of clarifying policy on board expectations to ensure similar incidents do not happen again.
“When things like this happen, when things are going on that seem unfair or unjust, it doesn’t sit will with the people on this board,” Murphy said. “We want to conduct ourselves in a way that we treat people the way they should be treated and expect to be treated.”
