WEST SPRINGFIELD – Five teachers from the West Springfield Public Schools District are being awarded with 2018 Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Awards from the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation, the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation and the MassMutual Life Insurance Company.

The awards annually honor “outstanding” educators in Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden counties. Since 2003, the program has recognized more than 1,000 distinguished educators and highlights full-time teachers who are passionate, serve their communities and are committed to education, according to Director of the Excellence in Teaching Awards program Susan Kline.

“I feel that there is so much that everyday teachers do, and part of this program is to bring attention to all of those teachers – all teachers are winners,” said Kline. “We want to cast light on the people who are so incredibly important in children’s lives. The public needs to recognize that. The more attention we can bring to the good that’s happening in schools, the better it is for everyone.”

This year’s West Springfield Public Schools winners are:

• Carrie Richards, a special education teacher at Coburn Elementary School

• Meghan Morgan, an elementary music teacher at multiple district schools

• Marlena Pieciul, an eighth grade math teacher at West Springfield Middle School

• Amy Pasterczyk, a special education teacher at West Springfield High School

• Rebecca Connolly, a school adjustment counselor at Coburn and the recipient of the “1st Year/New Teacher Award.”

The superintendents in the 45 school districts are responsible to either act as or appoint a district representative to carefully select the award recipients – the number of recipients is based on the student population. Districts with at least 750 students attending public school award teachers annually, while districts with fewer than 750 award teachers biannually. Districts with over 1,000 students may make an additional annual award to a deserving “newer” teacher with between one to three years of experience, as was the case for Rebecca Connolly.

In February each year, districts announce the nominated teachers. In March, the teachers submit an informational “Nominated Teacher Form.” The nominated teachers have the option to submit a classroom project idea that promotes an educational goal that includes all students.

West Springfield Superintendent of Public Schools Michael Richard said he is proud of the five teachers who were selected for this year’s awards.

“Part of the challenge is selecting and limiting the number [of recipients] to five, because there are so many qualified nominees,” he said. “But, these five really go above and beyond because all of them have been nominated in the past, so there’s been consistency on their parts.”

The teachers will be honored May 2 at the banquet at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. The awards program features plaques and $500 checks for winners, tuition incentives for taking higher education courses, memberships at WGBY and local YMCAs and other gifts.  

A short film will be shown for the first time, featuring the winners of the special “Classroom Innovator Prize” that was introduced last year, including West Springfield’s 2017 Excellence in Teaching Award recipient Susan Messier and her Cowing Alternative School “Pet Project.”

The Harold  Grinspoon Charitable Foundation is a branch of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, and focuses on support for education, farming, energy and entrepreneurship in Western Massachusetts. For more information about the Excellence in Teaching Awards Program, contact Susan Kline at sue@hgf.org or visit https://hgf.org/programs/pioneer-valley-excellence-in-teaching-awards.