Contributed Article

The Safford Rotary Club began honoring Graham County teachers in 1993. Phyllis Ann Bryce was the first recipient of this award, and she went on to become a valued member of the club. In 2005, the club changed the name of the award to the “Safford Rotary – Phyllis Ann Bryce Teacher Recognition Program.”

This year, 21 teachers were honored. In addition to a certificate of recognition, the teachers received a card signed by the Safford Rotarians and a gift card to Wal-Mart. The following teachers were honored, and selected pieces of their nominations follow:

Bonita Elementary School — Kimberly Chapin: “She consistently does an excellent job of preparing her students for the rigors of first grade and beyond. A testimonial to her well-deserved reputation as an excellent educator of young children is the number of open enrollment applications Bonita Elementary receives annually for our kindergarten program. Mrs. Chapin exemplifies the passage made famous by the author Robert Fulgum: “All I ever really needed to know I learned in kindergarten.”

Dan Hinton School — Darcy Barney: “Darcy goes above and beyond with her students every day. She is kind and compassionate but also expects the best from her students. This year, her students have taken part in different community service projects each month. She has instilled in her students how to be a caring and respectful citizen within her classroom as well as outside of school. Darcy’s latest project is finding and making treasures with the global positioning system with her students.”

Solomon Elementary School—Janet Gomez: “Her positive attitude and love of children are reflected in the outstanding quality that she has maintained at our school for the past 17 years. Mrs. Gomez’s flexibility in working with students, teachers and parents has earned her an enviable reputation as an excellent teacher who truly cares about her students. Her enthusiasm, innovations and her genuine concern for education are exemplary.”

Safford Dorothy Stinson School—Madona Kvale: “Madona Kvale is a teacher who goes above and beyond for her students. In the seven years Madona has been on our campus, she is always here for the students. She will be here at 7 in the morning if a student needs her help, as well as being here at 7:30 at night if she needs to stay that late to help a child. Students can call her at all times of the night for help. (I know because she always was available to help my sons.)”

Safford Lafe Nelson School — Carole Brady: “Carole Brady received the Honor Award from AZPHERD this year for outstanding leadership. It is their highest honor, and this is the first time they’ve given it in eight years. Carole also sent the information in and LNS received the Healthy Body/Healthy Minds award from the Arizona Department of Education. This is in recognition of our Walk the Dogs program, after-school activities and PE activities here at LNS. Only 10 schools received it.”

Safford Ruth Powell School — Deanna Hardy: “(Hardy) is a teacher who exhibits very high expectations of herself as well as from her students. She consistently exceeds expectations not only in the area of academics but also with the personal connection she makes with her students and parents. She has a natural way of motivating her students to WANT to succeed, to give 100 percent of themselves and to also be encouraging to their peers in the process. She takes every opportunity to provide services to those in need; she simply will not allow them to give up.”

Safford Middle School — D’Anna O’Mera: “(O’Mera) is on the leading edge of effective teaching practices on how to best meet the growing needs of her students. She is also willing to lead out and forge new paths to help her school improve and better help all students. She is always willing to take on the next challenge and is passionate about doing so. She is held in very high regard by her colleagues. Above all, this teacher cares about her students. She is able to forge meaningful relationships with them, and inspire them to great heights of achievement.”

Safford High School—Ed Taylor: “In two short years, Ed Taylor took the responsibility to put together an outstanding autos program at Safford High School. Taylor was resourceful in getting supplies and small gas motors to assist in teaching the standards to his students. It took Taylor’s courage and initiative to try new things and get the equipment (new automotive lifts, transmission jack, steam cleaner and multiple specialty tools) needed to be able to provide a quality education to his students.”

Thatcher Jack Daley Primary School—Lilly Ann Moore: “It is my honor to nominate Mrs. Moore for this award. She has taught at Jack Daley for many years, and literally hundreds and hundreds of little children have learned to read and write from Mrs. Moore. She is so dedicated, and she loves her students. We love having her at our school!”

Thatcher Elementary School—Katie Elliott: “Our nominee is Katie Elliott. Elliott is completing her first year of teaching and has demonstrated the willingness to go above and beyond what is expected of our teachers. She gladly volunteered to supervise an after-school drama club the students asked that we offer. With her assistance, the students have performed two quality plays and are practicing a third play. Miss Elliott has also volunteered to assist in coaching the Thatcher Middle School track team this spring. She arrives very early in the morning and, on many occasions, stays late in order to accomplish all that she does.

Thatcher Middle School—Eric Haller: “Eric Haller. . . is an excellent teacher who demonstrates true professionalism with both the students and staff of Thatcher Middle School. Along with teaching, he also coaches three sports at the Middle School: football, girls basketball and boys track. He is completing his sixth year of teaching at Thatcher Middle School. It is an honor to nominate him for this award.”

Thatcher High School—Craig Wright: “Craig Wright, head of the Math Department at Thatcher High School, has taught for 39 years. He has taught all levels of math, including AIMS Math. Wright is a very qualified instructor. He is knowledgeable and strives to instill in his students a love for math. He truly cares about each individual student, but believes in following rules. Thatcher High School is fortunate to have such a qualified math instructor who has served us well for many years.”

Ft. Thomas Elementary—Tandy Truelove: “Tandy goes over and above for her students. She is always looking for ways to meet their needs, and we appreciate her creativity. Tandy is such an asset to Ft. Thomas Elementary School.”

Ft. Thomas Jr. High—Lee Haws: “It is my pleasure to nominate Lee Haws for the Phyllis Bryce/Safford Rotary Teacher Recognition Award. Haws is very well respected at our school. He knows how bring out the best in his students, and this is evident not only on the sports field and court, but in the classroom as well. We appreciate Mr. Haws for his contributions to our district.”

Ft. Thomas High School—Sandra Hill: “It is my pleasure to nominate Mrs. Sandra Hill for this award. She is one of the most caring, professional teachers I have ever worked with. She looks for ways to improve her lessons and make them more interesting to her students. Mrs. Hill puts in many hours and is such an important part of our staff.

Pima Elementary School—Roberta Bishop: “We, as a staff, are pleased to nominate Roberta Bishop for the Rotary Teacher Recognition. She is retiring after 30 years of exemplary service to children. She is an exceptional educator who serves as an outstanding model for other teachers. Roberta brings to her profession a rich background of experience and expertise and consistently demonstrates the traits of a caring, dedicated professional. She is an inspiration to others and is highly respected for her knowledge and skills as a teacher by her colleagues, supervisors and parents.” Pima Jr. High—Paul Anger: Anger challenges each of his students to be the best they can be in school and in life. He keeps his classroom lessons interesting and fun with many hands-on, individual and group, projects and activities. He is also actively involved as a leader in the Valleywide Eastern Arizona Science Institute, which enables him to share knowledge with other teachers and plan great activities during the school year and into the summer months. Paul is also actively involved in extracurricular sports, serving as the head coach for Jr. High football and as the sponsor of the Science Club.” Pima High School—Lane Walburger: “Mr. Walburger has been an employee at Pima High School since 1998. Walburger is an outstanding science teacher who is respected by his colleges and students alike. Recently he was nominated by the student body, as Pima High School’s teacher of the quarter, qualifying him for teacher of the year. As the lone science teacher Mr. Walburger has worked diligently to increase student learning in his class using various forms of instruction, including POD-casting, to increase student achievement. His skills are evident by the high scores achieved on the AIMS Science Test.” Discovery Plus Academy-Candace Lines: “For this prestigious award, several of our teachers deserve such recognition, but we will name our first-grade teacher, Mrs. Candace Lines. She is a veteran teacher who has always gone the extra mile, and it shows in her students. She exhibits genuine care and concern for every student in her class. She works hard to develop and maintain a good rapport with students, parents and staff. She meets and exceeds the standards of the state as well as the high standards of Discovery Plus Academy.” Gila Prep Academy—Kathy Maxwell: “Kathy Maxwell has diligently served the students of our community for more than a decade. She has been an outstanding educator in Life School and Pathways to College. She has been a devoted and selfless director of Gila Preparatory Academy for seven years. Students of all walks of life have been motivated and encouraged by her dedication and optimism. She has been inspiring in so many ways due to her individualistic approach to each person with whom she works.” Gila Institute for Technology—Marianne Taylor: “Mrs. Taylor holds regular study sessions and is a great role model for all our students. Mrs. Taylor goes to all the local junior high schools to discuss Career and Technical Education and the opportunities that they can have when they enter high school. Mrs. Taylor is in charge of our Health Fair where incoming freshman and sophomores explore health careers. She is over our Challenge Academy where students who are behind in school can earn credit for college while making up credit for high school. Mrs. Taylor is a top educator and we are pleased she is on our team.”