JUNCTION CITY, Kan. – Geary County Schools USD 475 is proud to announce that Spring Valley Elementary early childhood teacher Kelsey Mann and Fort Riley Middle School math teacher Sara Elliott have been named the district’s nominees for the Kansas Teacher of the Year Award Program.
Mann was named the USD 475 Elementary Teacher of the Year, while Elliott claimed USD 475 Secondary Teacher of the Year honors. Both will be recognized at the Monday, Nov. 6 Board of Education meeting.
The Kansas Teacher of the Year Award Program, sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education, recognizes, and utilizes representatives of excellent teaching in the elementary and secondary classrooms of the state. Its mission is to build and utilize a network of exemplary teachers who are leaders in the improvement of schools, student performance and the teaching profession.
“School districts burst with pride when their own graduates return to teach and serve students in their home district. We are extremely proud of Kelsey and her efforts in the classroom. She was chosen by a group of colleagues for this nomination, and we look forward to her future contributions,” said Dr. Debra Gustafson, Associate Superintendent of Geary County Schools USD 475.
Mann, who is in her 10th year of teaching in USD 475 and is a 2009 Junction City High School graduate, brings a wealth of knowledge to the classroom as she has taught both kindergarten and pre-k at both Spring Valley and Seitz Elementary.
“I was completely shocked to hear the news that I was nominated for this honor and didn’t expect it. I see so many other teachers in our district that I am inspired by every day, so I’m really proud that I was the one that was chosen and grateful that my hometown sees the value in educators,” said Mann.
Elliott has been in the district and Fort Riley Middle School for 13 years. She spends her days in the classroom teaching math to eighth grade students, while also overseeing the efforts of the Troopers’ advanced seventh grade math class.
“In the years Sara Elliott has served the students in USD 475, she has proven herself to be not only an exemplary teacher of mathematics, but also an outstanding coach and leader,” said Gustafson. “Sara repeatedly challenges herself with more and more responsibilities and we could not be prouder than to congratulate her as the USD 475 Kansas Teacher of the Year nominee for secondary education. Sara is truly changing the world one student at a time.”
“It is a great honor, and I wasn’t expecting it at all. I know there have been a lot of great teachers before me and I just hope to fill their shoes,” said Elliott, who is originally from Hiawatha, Kansas. “There is no way I would be where I am today without my co-workers and admin team here at Fort Riley Middle School. They are always there to support me and help. I am really blessed.”
The Kansas State Department of Education will appoint regional selection committees responsible for reviewing the nomination forms and selecting six semifinalists, three elementary teachers and three secondary teachers, for recognition at the regional level. Two regional finalists, one elementary teacher and one secondary teacher, will be chosen from among these six teachers.
Regional selection committees will be comprised primarily of education administrators and teachers. Each regional finalist will receive a $2,000 cash award from Security Benefit in Topeka. They also will be the state finalists for the Kansas Teacher of the Year.
By Matt Hoover
Geary County Schools USD 475 Communications Coordinator