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Area teachers win R.E.B. Awards

12/6/2019, 6 a.m.
Six teachers with Richmond Public Schools have been recognized with 2019 R.E.B. Awards for Teaching Excellence totaling more than $64,000.

Six teachers with Richmond Public Schools have been recognized with 2019 R.E.B. Awards for Teaching Excellence totaling more than $64,000.

The Community Foundation and the R.E.B. Foundation presented the awards during a ceremony in November at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture at which Damon Jiggetts, executive director of the Peter Paul Development Center, delivered the keynote address and First Lady Pamela Northam was on hand to congratulate the winners.

The Richmond teachers were among 19 winners from the region and nine finalists receiving cash grants totaling $210,000 for travel and study designed to renew their passion for teaching and enhance their ability to bring subjects to life for their students.

The winners, and their study projects, are:

Richmond

John Barclay, Franklin Military Academy: $12,000 — To chase global solar phenomena, including the Aurora Borealis, in Iceland and solar eclipses in Africa, Southern Asia and the Southern Pacific Ocean.

Mandelia Fisher, Chimborazo Elementary School: $10,300 — To attend the National Conference for Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools in Atlanta and to explore the architecture, culture and cuisines of New York, Egypt and Singapore.

Nicole Fleming, Miles Jones Elementary School: $11,200 — To make text-to-self connections through children’s literature by traveling to New York, Alabama and California.

John Holland, John B. Cary Elementary School: $11,500 — To understand the life and work of Leonardo da Vinci as an example of STEAM in action by visiting Portugal, Spain, France and Italy.

Natasha Thomas, Southampton Elementary School: $11,300 — To embark on the African-American experience through the lens of black artistry in Los Angeles and to make heritage connections in South Africa.

Denise Yancey, William Fox Elementary School: $8,300 — To experience Spanish immersion in Panama and to observe the ecosystems and biodiversity of Panama, Costa Rica and Mexico.

Henrico County

Caitlyn Carpenter, Glen Allen High School: $9,000 — To travel the United States to visit mentorship models for youths and gain insights into the collective understanding of historically marginalized communities.

Amanda Hach, Glen Allen High School: $9,000 — To cultivate empathy and community by visiting historically significant and culturally relevant sites relating to the African-American experience in the United States.

Kimberly Jackson, Echo Lake Elementary School: $9,000 — To study the animals of the Galapagos, the islands’ intricate ecosystem and the importance of reducing the environmental footprint on the islands.

Timothy Towslee, Glen Allen High School: $10,800 — To obtain certification as an outdoor ethics master educator and to apply these skills by backpacking through the Alaskan wilderness.

Chesterfield County

Adam Hawkins, Chesterfield Technical Center: $12,000 —To travel the country in an RV visiting technical centers that offer work-based learning, with a focus on the culinary industry.

Christopher Morris, Swift Creek Middle School: $10,000 — To explore the music and sounds of Spain.

Elizabeth O’Shea, L.C. Bird High School: $9,000 — To explore the western front of World War II Europe.

Rachael Pifer, Robious Middle School: $11,700 — To obtain a children’s yoga teacher certification with an emphasis on mak- ing yoga and mindfulness inclusive and accessible to children of diverse abilities.

Kathryn Regan, J.A. Chalkley Elementary School: $11,500 —To engage in immersive and authentic experiences in Mexico and southern Europe.

Beth Sawyer, Evergreen Elementary School: $11,500 — To expand knowledge of learning through play by observing innovative play and outdoor-based instructional programs in China and Switzerland.

Hanover County

Caroline Bare, Hanover High School: $11,900 — To study the transatlantic slavery triangle through the prisms of history, memory and reconciliation in relation to Richmond, England and Ghana.

Amy Gregory, Chickahominy Middle School: $12,000 — To discover and explore geographical features and biomes across the United States and Canada.

Heather Leise, Atlee High School: $11,900 — To compare and contrast benevolent dictators of the past and present by traveling to Singapore and the former states of Yugoslavia.

The nine finalists each will receive a $750 unrestricted cash grant in recognition of their achievements in the classroom.

Since its inception in 1988, the R.E.B. Foundation has awarded nearly $4 million to more than 800 public schoolteachers in recognition of their outstanding performance in the classroom.