Pictured in the front row, left to right, are Cassie Pope Bejan, Ryan VanDyke, Aaron Konrad and Stacey Calfee; pictured in the second row are Spenser Naylor, Terri Clement, Kirsten Applegate, Debbie Tomlinson, Mandy Klenk, Katie Jenkins, Tim Roush and Ashley Kountz. Photo courtesy Northwest Missouri State University.
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Two area teachers, Cassie Pope-Bejan of Winston R-6 and Debbie Tomlinson of Tri-County R-7, were recognized at a banquet held by Northwest Regional Professional Development Center as nominees for Regional Teacher of the Year, according to a news release from Northwest Missouri State University.
The banquet was held on Sept. 6 at the university campus and named Kirsten Applegate, a middle school mathematics and computer science teacher in the Stanberry R-2 School District, as Teacher of the Year. She received a $250 cash award. Ms. Applegate will next represent the Northwest region and be recognized at the Missouri State Teacher of the Year Awards Banquet on Oct. 22 in Jefferson City.
Nine other northwest teacher were recognized at the banquet: Stacey Calfee, Nodaway-Holt R-8 School District; Terri Clement, Maryville R-II School District; Katie Jenkins, Northeast Nodaway R-5 School District; Mandy Klenk, Cameron R-1 School District; Aaron Konrad, Lathrop R-2 School District; Ashley Kountz, Mid-Buchanan R-5 School District; Spenser Naylor, Albany R-3 School District; Tim Roush, North Andrew R-6 School District; and Ryan VanDyke, St. Joseph School District.
The Missouri Regional Teacher of the Year program is designed to focus public attention on excellence in teaching and to honor classroom teachers in all regions of Missouri. Recognition of outstanding teachers establishes a culture that rewards excellence in teaching validating the work of teachers. It also provides teachers a platform to speak and share about educational issues as well as showcase teachers as positive role models. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) coordinates the program with financial support provided by the Boeing Company and the Monsanto Fund.
The Northwest Missouri Regional Teacher of the Year celebration is sponsored by Northwest Missouri State University and the Northwest Regional Professional Development Center in collaboration with the Northwest Missouri Association of School Administrators, Missouri State Teachers Association, L.J. Hart & Company, North Central Missouri College and Missouri Western State University.
The Northwest Regional Professional Development Center, a fixture at Northwest since 1995, is contracted through DESE and provides professional development and direct support to 59 school districts in the 15-county northwest Missouri region.