2012 Hillsboro Teacher Appreciation Optimist Award
This year we are celebrating 4 individuals for the Optimist Teacher Appreciation Award for Hillsboro, Oregon.
Each of these well deserved people received at our May 1st presentation a gift bag which included a Fred Meyer gift card and a special engraved pen from Award Specialties.
Linda Busse of Brown Middle School
"Linda Busse is the perfect person to be recognized for the Teacher Appreciation Optimist Award. Linda has a positive disposition that exudes a caring and nurturing environment for both students and staff. When working with families or staff, Linda always is looking for common ground so that there is a resolution that results in a win/win situation for all involved parties."
"Linda is currently serving as house leader, runs our homework club after school, and has been actively involved in the new math text book adoption. In the past, Linda has served in numerous roles in different capacities within our building and has served with integrity and in the best interest of our students. We are pleased to recommend Linda Busse for such an award."
Brian Cook, Art Teacher of South Meadows
"Mr. Cook is a fabulous teacher at South Meadows. He is one of those special educators who opens doors and provides opportunities for all of his students to shine. His Art class is flat out amazing! Over the past couple of years South Meadows have has had multiple gold key award winners at the Scholastic Art Awards Ceremony in Portland. Most of these award go to higher level, advanced art students grades 10-12 from throughout the state of Oregon. Every year, South Meadows students are recognized for their amazing work. This is a testament to Mr. Cook’s dedication, passion, and personal connections
that he is able to make with students. Mr. Cook, himself an amazing artist, brings his class to life every days and provides meaningful opportunities for all students at South Meadows."
Chris Johnson of Evergreen Middle School
"Chris Johnson has an angel’s heart. She has tremendous passion to help those with the greatest need. At Evergreen she teaches the lowest level of literacy classes to students who have experienced very little academic success during the course of their educational lives. Chris has an innate ability to make these students feel good about themselves and she is committed to making her students be the best that they can be. I remember an incident where one of her students stole several bottles of soda from her desk. Instead of scorning the student or punishing the student, Chris was more concerned about what was going on in the student’s life that would cause him to take such an action. Her compassion for students is enormous. Last year she led a charge that allowed Evergreen Middle School to partner with a community organization named Adelante Chicas. Adelante Chicas is an organization aimed at providing social support and higher education exposure for female students from poor Latin families. Chris’ compassion for students with the greatest needs has allowed Evergreen to be the only school in the Hillsboro School District to offer this experience to 25 high risk females. Chris attends this group once a week after school for the entire year and has led weekend excursions to local colleges as well. What I most appreciate about Chris is that she goes about her student centered service with very little fanfare. She just shows up and does her job without the need for recognition. During this school year Chris lost her granddaughter, Alyssa, to an affliction that robbed her grand daughter of normal speech and motor skills. Although a heartbreaking experience for Chris and her family, she handled it with typical Chris Johnson grace and positivity. Alyssa was unfortunate to be born with a terminal condition but fortunate to have the world’s best grandma! Thank you Chris for all that you contribute to our students at Evergreen Middle School."
Jeff Holliger of Poynter School
"This year we are going to honor Mr. Jeff Holliger. This is Jeff’s 23rd year teaching in Hillsboro. There are so many things that he can be honored for – his outstanding shop program that continues to innovate and change every year, his ability to incorporate literacy strategies into the shop program, his work on safety preparedness, his attention to detail, willingness to serve as lunch supervisor, his patriotism, his positive relationships with students, families and staff. I solicited input from some of his peers, their comments speak volumes about Jeff:
'Jeff is happy go lucky….always willing to lend a hand.'
'High expectations for students and himself, pledge of allegiance every day, every period. Uses weekends to get materials for classes, comes in early for kids.'
'GREAT nomination. Jeff is a consummate professional.'
Jeff Holliger has been a rock-solid, caring, compassionate, and dedicated colleague for the 12 years I have been at Poynter. He makes the effort to connect with kids, build on their interests, and teach them responsibility and safety. He is a core part of why Poynter has one of, if not the best, safety plans in the district. We had a solid, though not perfect, safety plan here at Poynter years before the district really took issue with it. Jeff has remembered me with cards and token gifts for various occasions, making my day when it seems I most need it. He has loaned me tools and offered expert advice on numerous projects here in my classroom. He is the consummate professional in our meetings about and dealing with troubled students."
