The Charles County Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee (SECAC) honored more than 100 Charles County Public Schools staff and community members at its eleventh annual Teacher and Staff Appreciation Awards ceremony held May 11 at the Greater Waldorf Jaycees Community Center.
Honorees are nominated for recognition by students, parents and community members. Recognized were teachers, instructional assistants, school bus drivers, school counselors, psychologists, administrators, occupational, physical and speech therapists, and others who make a difference in the lives of children with special needs.
Award winners are nominated and selected in six categories: individual elementary; individual secondary; elementary group; secondary group; related services and support staff/administration.
April Davis, a special education teacher at Berry Elementary School, was selected as the overall award recipient in the individual elementary category. North Point High School special education teacher David Mitchell was named an award recipient in the individual secondary category. Caitlin Tarleton, a special education teacher at Westlake High School, was also honored with an award in the individual secondary category.
The award recipients in the elementary group category are from Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School. They are Roberta Bragunier, special education teacher; Todd Wonderling, Mitchell vice principal; Tiffany Mitsouras, second-grade teacher; and Craig Brooks, special education instructional assistant.
The award recipients in the secondary group category are from St. Charles High School. They are Linda Marcoux, school psychologist; and special education teachers Charlie Chapman and Jason Kiessling.
In the related services category, Scott Paterson, a school psychologist who works at Thomas Stone High School, was honored as the award recipient. In the support staff/administration category, John Hanson Middle School Vice Principal Tammika Little was honored with the award.
Other honorees nominated for recognition include:
- Nicholas Adam, vice principal, William A. Diggs Elementary School;
- Amy Adams, special education teacher, F. B. Gwynn Educational Center;
- Kelli Anderson, special education instructional assistant, Theodore G. Davis Middle School;
- Ruth Barbour, special education instructional assistant Life Skills program, Davis;
- Bernard Barnes, assistant in operations, Hanson;
- Nina Beard, fourth-grade teacher, T.C. Martin Elementary School;
- Sheri Belisle, prekindergarten teacher, Mary B. Neal Elementary School;
- Kelsey Bordwell, special education teacher, Stone;
- Eugene Bostwick, special education teacher, Eva Turner Elementary School;
- Amber Breckenridge, special education teacher, Mary H. Matula Elementary School;
- Patricia Broomfield, special education teacher, Stone;
- Joanne Brown, occupational therapist, Gwynn;
- Shamika Brown, special education instructional assistant, Dr. James Craik Elementary School;
- Jennifer Buckley, special education teacher, Mattawoman Middle School;
- Alexandria Bumb, science teacher, Milton M. Somers Middle School;
- Kathleen Burke, special education teacher, Somers;
- Christina Calacan, special education instructional assistant, Turner;
- Laura Canetti, speech pathologist, Neal;
- Christine Cappellano, behavior specialist, Neal;
- Lachelle Carroll, special education preschool instructional assistant, Neal;
- Torea Chancellor, special education teacher, Stone;
- Dawn Chavez, fourth-grade teacher, J.P. Ryon Elementary School;
- Kristin Churchill, special education teacher, Stone;
- Angel Clark, special education instructional assistant Life Skills program, Davis;
- Aubree Clay, special education instructional assistant, Hanson;
- Devin Conner, special education instructional assistant Life Skills program, Davis;
- Erin Conner, community resource liaison, Robert D. Stethem Educational Center;
- Elaine Coombs, special education teacher, Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer Elementary School;
- Holly Corson, occupational therapist, Neal;
- Kristin Cotner, occupational therapist, Gwynn;
- Ryan Crowley, IEP facilitator, Benjamin Stoddert Middle School;
- Virginia Cusick, physical therapist, Gwynn;
- Cheryl Davis, vice principal, North Point;
- Valerie Day, first-grade teacher, Neal;
- Jennifer DeAtley, reading resource teacher, Neal;
- Monica Derencin, language arts teacher, Somers;
- Donna Dillon, speech therapist, Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School;
- Oksana Mouchyn-Dobbs, special education teacher, La Plata High School;
- Leslie Eget, school psychologist, North Point;
- Angela Ewing, Multiple Intensity Teaching/Transition Academic and Adaptive Skills program instructional assistant, Hanson;
- Carolyn Fisher, vocal music teacher, Matula;
- Charles Gammons, counselor, Stethem;
- Debbie Gilley, parent resource coordinator, Parent Center at Gwynn;
- Julie Glorioso, special education teacher, Neal;
- Marjorie Gray, special education teacher, Somers;
- Karen Grooms, substitute, Gwynn;
- Margaret Grove, science teacher, Mitchell;
- Jo Handley, special education teacher, Jenifer;
- Autumn Hoffman, French teacher, Stone;
- Gene Hopkins, social studies teacher, Somers;
- Andrew Houghton, special education teacher, Ryon;
- Sheryl Howell, art teacher, Stone;
- Richard Hood, instrumental music teacher, Somers;
- Elaina Hummel, physical education teacher, Somers;
- Shirley Jacks, instructional assistant, Gwynn;
- Erica Jackson, special education teacher, Arthur Middleton Elementary School;
- Pamela Jackson, preschool instructional assistant, Jenifer;
- Tracey Jarmon, counselor, Somers;
- Bertha Bumpers-Jenkins, school bus attendant, Gwynn;
- Anne Jennings, special education teacher, Stone;
- Tunisia Johnson, special education teacher, Stethem;
- Kimberly Jones, special education teacher, Craik;
- Kelly Kavlick, fourth-grade teacher, Gale-Bailey Elementary School;
- Matthew Kovalich, special education teacher, Davis;
- Deanna Lagana, special education preschool instructional assistant, Jenifer;
- Jane Larivee, special education teacher, Stone;
- Kaitlyn Lavin, English teacher, La Plata;
- Monica Leak, speech therapist, Mitchell;
- Terry Leighton, speech therapist, Gwynn;
- Mallory Mahalchak, special education teacher, Mattawoman;
- Marcia Maloney, third-grade teacher, Mitchell;
- Martin Margolis, Jr., physical education teacher, Mitchell;
- Samantha Marino, third-grade teacher, Jenifer;
- Heather Mehallow, special education teacher, Gwynn;
- Sonia Melton, school bus driver, Gwynn;
- Chaundra Mitchell, special education teacher, Matthew Henson Middle School;
- Kimberly Moinet, special education teacher, Stone;
- Joan Newberg, preschool instructional assistant, Neal;
- Kaitlin Norris, special education teacher, T.C. Martin Elementary School;
- Joan Parochetti, special education teacher, Hanson;
- Gwynette Piper, speech therapist, Jenifer;
- Monique Poole, literacy teacher, Maurice J. McDonough High School;
- JaNeil Pryor, special education teacher, Neal;
- Steven Roberts, vice principal, North Point;
- Rochelle Roscoe, special education instructional assistant, Mitchell;
- Jennifer Rowland, mathematics teachers, Somers;
- Bradley Snow, principal, McDonough;
- Shanita Smalls, special education teacher, Neal;
- Cara Stonestreet, Spanish teacher, Somers;
- Jennifer Summers, prekindergarten teacher, Jenifer;
- Cari Vance, instructional assistant, Berry;
- Alyssa Ware, parent resource coordinator, Parent Center at Gwynn;
- Amy Warren, special education teacher, Mattawoman;
- Nancy Watts, special education teacher, North Point;
- Richard Weis, special education teacher, Gale-Bailey;
- Lauren Wenrich, special education teacher, Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy;
- Linda Woehlke, counselor, North Point; and
- Corrie Wutka, third-grade teacher, Mitchell.
The SECAC is organized to provide a forum for issues pertaining to children with special education needs. Members advocate for recommendations and advise the school system about the education budget, inclusion assessments, support services and other issues concerning children and special education, and related services.
For more information on the SECAC, visit the Parent Center website at http://www.ccboe.com/community/parents/parentscenter.php or call 301-934-7456.
Charles County Public Schools provides 26,300 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 36 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.
The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Patricia Vaira, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Pamela K. Murphy, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.
