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Date: 5/2/2023
SPRINGFIELD — This year’s recipients of the Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Award were honored at the April 27 meeting of the Springfield School Committee.
School Superintendent Daniel Warwick said the teachers were selected by their colleagues for doing “outstanding work.”
“They are teachers second-to-none anywhere and when I go around to buildings, go to all the classrooms, it’s incredible what our teachers do day-in and day-out,” he added.
He described this year’s award-winners as “our finest teachers.”
Committee member LaTonia Monroe-Nayor, whose children go to the public schools, said, “I believe in our district because of staff like you, educators like you.”
School Committee member Christopher Collins noted, “Our teachers stack up against anyone in the commonwealth and for that matter, the United States.”
The annual awards are sponsored by the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation in partnership with the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation, with additional support from American International College, Arrha Credit Union, Country Bank and Meyers Brothers Kalicka. The annual awards have been given to deserving teachers for more than 20 years.
Each teacher was introduced to the School Committee by their principals. The committee members greeted each teacher present
The recognized teachers included: Dr, Dana Gronbeck (Springfield High School of Science and Technology); Jacquelyn DeCosmo (Gerena Community School)’ Garth Bariffe (John J. Duggan Academy); Melissa Rosenberg (The Springfield Renaissance School); Rachel Riley (Lincoln Elementary School); Kelly Flahive (Beal Elementary School); Margaret Blais (John J. Duggan Academy); Vianni Gomez (John J. Duggan Academy); Kerry Cesan (Walsh Elementary School); Mindy Rosengarten (Springfield Conservatory of the Arts); Sarah Haluch (Elias Brookings School); Brianna Rivers (Kiley Prep Middle School); Leahnora Anderson (Roger L. Putnam Technical Vocational Academy); Alec Archambault (Springfield Central High School); Allison Stoddard (The Springfield Renaissance School); Kathy Chamberlain (White Street School); Phebee Allsop (M. Marcus Kiley Prep Middle School) and Joshua McGowan (Springfield Central High School).
Monica Koslowski of the Homer Street School received the new Teacher Award.
The teachers will also be recognized during a banquet at the Log Cabin in Holyoke on May 10. At the awards presentation the winners will receive an engraved plaque and a check for $250, along with tuition incentives and scholarships offered by Elms College, Bay Path University, Mount Holyoke College, Springfield College, Western New England University, Westfield State University and the University of Massachusetts. Winners also receive a membership at WGBY and access to thousands of digital education resources as well as three-month memberships at the Springfield Jewish Community Center or one of the six regional YMCAs.