Allen ISD Hosts Superintendent’s Recognition Dinner to Honor Exceptional Educators
Allen ISD recently celebrated its annual Superintendent’s Recognition Dinner at Allen High School, honoring the district's outstanding educators, paraprofessionals, retirees, and community partners.
“This Recognition Dinner is a special time to come together and celebrate the outstanding teachers and staff who make Allen ISD such a wonderful school district,” said Superintendent Robin Bullock. “It also provides us a chance to bid farewell to some extraordinary retiring educators who left a positive and significant imprint on our district.”
The dinner featured several awards presentations, recognizing individuals and groups for their exceptional contributions. The evening culminated in the announcement of the District Elementary Teacher of the Year: Solomon Boatfield, 6th Grade Math Teacher, Preston Elementary, and Secondary Teacher of the Year: Sarah Twedt, 8th Grade Science Teacher, Ereckson Middle School.
“We are surrounded by unsung heroes who have gone above and beyond to shape the lives of our students,” said Board President Sarah Mitchell. “From the early morning greetings, the late-night grading sessions, the countless acts of kindness, and the innovative teaching methods, they have shown us what it truly means to be exceptional educators.”
The event also featured musical performances by the Allen High School string ensemble, organized by Orchestra Director David Devoto, and a special welcome video starring students from Evans Elementary.
Allen ISD extends heartfelt gratitude to the sponsors who made the event possible, including Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union, Linebarger Attorneys at Law, Matt Bruno from Dermatology and Skin Cancer Surgery Center, Credit Union of Texas, H-E-B, Park Place Lexus Plano, Commercial Bank of Texas, and The Foundation for Allen Schools.
View the full photo gallery on Flickr.
Bright Idea Awards
Hadeel Barries, Boon Elementary - Hadeel developed a teacher training program using STEMscopes for a science intervention that addressed areas for growth and accelerated advanced learners. The program utilizes MAP data to tailor STEMscopes lessons to individual needs and enhances student performance in mid-year MAP assessments. This effective intervention can be sustained for future use.
Alison Vick and Sarah Twedt, Ereckson Middle School - Alison and Sarah revolutionized the Husky Homeroom period, crafting a user-friendly and impactful course on Canvas for both teachers and students. They introduced a streamlined, one-click teacher calendar, eliminating all preparatory work for homeroom assignments. Their innovative approach simplified homeroom, making it more accessible and enhancing the experience for everyone involved.
Leslie Janek, Lindsey Elementary - Leslie initiated two impactful projects at Lindsey Elementary. She launched the first ever Yearbook Cover Contest, opening design opportunities to all students and boosting school engagement. Additionally, she created a Service Tracker Display, which is a visual motivator for students to participate in community service activities. These innovations significantly enhanced school culture and student involvement for all Lindsey Lone Stars!
Ashley Crowson and Steven Offield, Community Services Department and Communications Office - Ashley and Steven spearheaded Community Engagement Night, a forum for students, parents, and community members. This event features talks from experts on critical topics such as school safety, child anxiety, and other relevant education issues. This conference-style event allows visitors to attend multiple sessions. Based on feedback, enhancements such as complimentary food and childcare have been added. This initiative has become a valued tradition, continuously evolving to better serve the community's needs.
Paraprofessionals of the Year
Eva Elmaalouf, Lindsey Elementary - Ava works with every student on the Lindsey campus, and she is always encouraging and guiding them to be better people. She challenges them to reflect on their choices, encourages them to make better decisions, and celebrates them when they have found their own success. She is “success creating success.” When Coach Ava makes a commitment to help and support, she is ALL in. She helps make campus events a big success, works tirelessly to create fun environments for students, and supports the staff with her incredible knowledge of languages. She intentionally lives her life with a focus on others so they can thrive and be successful at Lindsey Elementary.
Evelyn Leggett, Lowery Freshman Center - Evelyn is an outstanding receptionist and amazing coworker. She is the first person visitors meet at Lowery Freshman Center. Evelyn goes out of her way to creating a welcoming environment and making sure her coworkers feel valued. She greets them with enthusiasm daily and often provides treats and notes of encouragement. She regularly provides them with snacks because she wants to make sure everyone knows "how important educators are." She also leaves notes of appreciation and encouragement along with candy in everyone's mailbox for holidays, as well as random times throughout the year. She is an invaluable part of the Lowery Freshman Center and absolutely deserves all of the praise and accolades.
Rookie of the Year
Jose Hernandez, Lowery Freshman Center - In the nomination for this award, Lowery colleagues said: “Jose is a valuable addition to the Lowery Freshman Center staff, skillfully balancing relationship-building with student accountability. Continually seeking improvement, he has shown remarkable growth, making him deserving of the Rookie of the Year award. He supports students through challenges, encourages perseverance, and adds a positive spirit and humor to the team. Always ready to assist, Jose's presence has been a joy for colleagues. We look forward to his continued development in his teaching career.”
Sarah Yearwood, Bolin Elementary - Sarah’s coworkers at Bolin had this to say: “Sarah demonstrates exceptional commitment to student success by monitoring progress, identifying improvement areas, and implementing tailored interventions. Her dedication led to significant class performance enhancements. Beyond academics, she volunteered as the yearbook committee chair and successfully managed the project through strong organizational skills and relationship building. Her dedication to student growth, community involvement, adaptability, and professional learning make her a standout Rookie Teacher of the Year.”
Friend of Education Award
Allen ISD is very proud to announce that the 2023-2024 Friend of Education is the Allen Retired Educators Association! The Allen Retired Educators Association, better known as AREA, is comprised of retired teachers and staff members from Allen ISD and other local school districts. In addition to their careers in education, AREA’s membership supports Texas public schools and advocates on their behalf at the local and state level. AREA members often volunteer on our Allen ISD campuses and remain active and engaged in our community. For these reasons, and many more, Allen ISD is proud to present the 2024 Friend of Education Award to the Allen Retired Educators Association.
Retiree Recognitions
Sandy Baxter, Administration - Tech
Elizabeth Becker, Anderson Early Childhood School
Cecile Bester, Special Services – Physical Therapist
Sandra Birge, Administration - Learner Services
Tanya Carleton, Ereckson Middle
Linda Clift, Green Elementary
Jan Cook, Ereckson Middle
Laura Crawford, Ereckson Middle
Suzanne Cunningham, Lowery Freshman Center
Julie Darling, Green Elementary
Donna Esfandiari, Bolin Elementary
Janet Flynn, Lowery Freshman Center
Ondria Gadd, Ereckson Middle
George Galdiano, Administration - Tech
Akiya Garrity, Lindsey Elementary
Steve Hanner, Administration - Maintenance
Debra Herman, Ereckson Middle
Tracie Hester, Allen High School
Belinda Horton, Student Nutrition
Willis Hudson, Allen High School
Heidi Hughes, Allen High School
Karen Hunnicutt, Allen High School
Cora Jackson, Lowery Freshman Center
Patrick Kealy, Allen High School
Kathleen Keim, Green Elementary
Young Kim, Preston Elementary
Douglas Knoerr, Norton Elementary
Brian McKinney, Allen High School
Lisa McMillen, Lindsey Elementary
Laurie Merrick, Ereckson Middle
Jennifer Mollenkopf, Lowery Freshman Center
Lynn Moretti, Reed Elementary
Toni Murray, Administration - Purchasing
Martha Napoles, Chandler Elementary
Paul Outlaw, Ereckson Middle
Melody Pence, Cheatham Elementary
Laura Reams, Allen High School
Rebecca Richardson, Allen High School
Irene Rivera, Boyd Elementary
Karrie Roach, Reed Elementary
Jackie Schornick, School Leadership
Ronnie Schornick, Lowery Freshman Center
Christine Scrivner, Student Nutrition
Catherine Slagle, Boon Elementary
Daniel Solis, Lowery Freshman Center
Tammy Spann, Norton Elementary
Jeanne Thomas, Lindsey Elementary
Kirk Trent, Lowery Freshman Center
DJ Vaccarezza, Ereckson Middle
Ashley Weller, Kerr Elementary
Kathy Williams, Administration - Learner Services
Wendy Williams, Ford Middle
Catheryn Wilson, Olson Elementary
Todd Wyckoff, Allen High School
Leonor Yurkovich, Office of the Superintendent
Campus Teachers of the Year
Elementary Teachers
Sherri Lee, Pre-K Teacher, Anderson Early Childhood
Elizabeth Yearwood, 6th Grade Math, Bolin Elementary
Wendi Hart, 1st Grade Teacher, Boon Elementary
Patricia Dobson, 3rd Grade Math and Science, Boyd Elementary
Taylore Glade, Kindergarten, Chandler Elementary
Jennifer Pickens, 4th Grade Math and Science, Cheatham Elementary
Jaylyn Thrower, 3rd Grade Math and Science, Evans Elementary
Nell O'Brien, 2nd Grade Teacher, Green Elementary
Julie Hopkins, Functional Academics Teacher, Kerr Elementary
Cherry Ertsos, Kindergarten Teacher, Lindsey Elementary
Tim Wu, SSI, Marion Elementary
Dawn Schaffner, Kindergarten, Norton Elementary
Amanda Holcom, Special Education Resource Teacher for 5th and 6th Grades, Olson Elementary
Solomon Boatfield, 6th Grade Math, Preston Elementary
Mercedes Artiago, 3rd Grade ELA and Social Studies, Reed Elementary
Lisa Grantham, Functional Academics Teacher, Story Elementary
Tara Cassetty, 6th Grade Science and Social Studies, Vaughan Elementary
Secondary Teachers
Graham Gadd, Engineering and Design, and Robotics Teacher, STEAM Center
Bryan Yee, DAEP Teacher for Grades 7-12, Dillard Center
Lori Trussell, 7th Grade English, Resource and Inclusion Teacher, Curtis Middle School
Sarah Twedt, 8th Grade Science, Ereckson Middle School
Sheri Melamedorf, Special Education Teacher, Ford Middle School
Garrett Daniels, Peer Leadership and PALS Teacher, Lowery Freshman Center
Kaitlyn Boysselle, IB Math Teacher, Allen High School
District Teachers of the Year
Solomon Boatfield - 6th Grade Math teacher - Preston Elementary
Sarah Twedt - 8th grade Science Teacher - Ereckson Middle School
