Six Holyoke Public Schools educators were surprised and honored on Monday, March 3 when Superintendent Anthony Soto entered their classrooms bearing flowers and balloons to let them know they were selected to receive Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Awards this year. Five other teachers were also nominated and attended a celebration dinner on Thursday, February 27.
Since 2003, the award has been distributed annually to honor Western Massachusetts educators for their dedication and excellence. More than 100 Western Massachusetts educators are honored each year. This year’s Excellence in Teaching Award winners from Holyoke include:
Jill Beyer-Hamel, special education teacher at E.N. White Elementary
Alexis Finn, English teacher at Holyoke STEM
Julia Miele, 2nd grade teacher at McMahon Elementary
Maria Negroni, science teacher at Sullivan Middle School
Richard Rodriguez, school adjustment counselor at Holyoke High School North
Emma Rose, music teacher at Lawrence Elementary
Watch the video to see the surprise visits, and learn more about the six HPS award recipients on the Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Awards webpage.