Congratulations to our 2023 Teacher and Staff of The Year!

Thursday, June 22, 2023

This year, Julie Billiart Schools asked our families to help us recognize the incredible work of our faculty and staff by selecting a Teacher and Staff Member of the year from each campus. We knew that it was important to celebrate all we do at Julie Billiart Schools. Each year, we receive emails about the amazing things our teachers do in the classroom and thought wouldn’t it be great to acknowledge our teacher/staff that go above and beyond.

Parents nominated Teacher and Staff members who embodied the core values of Julie Billiart Schools:

• Commitment - Shows a commitment to excellence in both learning and teaching.
• Collaboration - Displays strong collaboration with students, parents, other faculty and staff, administration, and community members to provide a holistic education in an optimal learning environment.
• Compassion - Acts with compassion and respect for all. Accepts students and their families as members of one loving family.
• Courage - Leads by example and exudes a courageous, "can-do" attitude.

Winners were selected by a small committee and recognized with a plaque and small gift during the last week of school. We wanted to highlight some of the kind words our families had to say when nominating our winners. Please help us congratulate all of our winners below!

JB Akron

Congratulations to our 2023 Teacher of the Year, Anastasia Quinn!

• She’s committed to helping in any way that’s needed, she collaborates with parents with ease, her compassion is contagious and her courage is demonstrated by trying new things and showing up with a smile even in difficult situations. My son has a safe place to be who he is with her and therefore can learn with more ease.
• She is a great teacher, very compassionate, caring and helpful . She has great communication with parents and is very supportive. She worked hard to help my son like school and encouraged him to do his best in subjects.
• This teacher exhibits ALL of the core values. She's been so so patient and understanding and committed to helping us with our son; she's really gone above and beyond. The way she's collaborated with us throughout the school year has been amazing, and she's shown our very difficult son a ton of compassion. We've had so many amazing teachers at JB but she really stands out as an excellent one. She's helped him to settle and better express himself, and to stay in the classroom more as well.
• She shows passion, and love in everything she does, she's honest and helpful and goes out of her way to help the students get excited about learning. She helps build self esteem, so they feel confident to learn and try new things. I'm so grateful for this teacher and I believe she really deserves to be acknowledged with this award! She has spent extra time after school to help him. She has gotten to know my son so well and has a way to get him to listen and understand in a fun loving/funny way. Thank you

Congratulations to our 2023 Staff of the Year, JJ Schweikert!

• This staff member has a ton of compassion for our very difficult son, and I love how collaborative she is -- she asks for input and coordinates with us on IEP language, and is always open to any new ideas or questions I have. It really feels like she's part of our son's "team" and not just a staff member at school. He's been getting much better about expressing his needs for different kinds of pressure and practicing mindful breathing and more.
• She’s committed to accomplishing the goals that are set for her kids. She’s willing to collaborate with parents and has been willing to work on things that are not only on the IEP. Her compassion shows up with her excitement to work with her kids and draws them out to do more than they know they can do! Her courage is demonstrated by trying new things and being flexible. She has been with my son from day one and he has learned many skills with her help. He’s learned ways to calm down his body and emotions from her and that is priceless!
• Over the years she has been very kind to my boys and very helpful to them. My boys always tell me how nice this staff member is and how they look forward to seeing her.

JB Lyndhurst

Congratulations to our 2023 Teacher of the Year, Chloe Manfredi!

• This teacher has collaborated with us as parents starting last year when she had our son in first grade. She began tutoring him after school and has continued to work with him over the summer and again this school year. She always makes herself available to help. She sees him and all the potential he has and helps foster that through her love and dedication to helping him! We are so thankful for her and all her hard work! This teacher has worked so hard over the past year to help him grow and improve his reading and comprehension. He was not initially put in her small group and after he struggled with the group he was in, she welcomed him and worked with him to help him find success in LA. He has made so much progress this year and we are so thankful for Mrs. Manfredi and how she works with him and is dedicated to helping him! We are so thankful for her and all her hard work!
• Our child has most of her subjects with this teacher, she has blossomed into an outgoing and confident student. This teacher's dedication to her students is commendable. Our daughter went from crying before school to wanting to attend school everyday and gets sad when Saturday comes.

Congratulations to our 2023 Staff of the Year, Danielle Bennett!

• I have seen this staff member in action this year. When our child was struggling with his AR reading assignment and not meeting his goals she collaborated with his teachers to create an alternative plan for him to achieve his reading goal. While volunteering in the library for various projects I have witnessed her compassion for the students that she is tutoring. She always has a friendly smile, and is truly interested in meeting the children’s needs. The kids are truly engaged with her and I have no doubt that they are learning well from her. Our child loves to hang out in the library working on puzzles. He even found a puzzle to bring in for her. I have worked with this teacher decorating the library. She is committed to creating a beautiful and fun environment to make the library a place the kids like to be which encourages reading.
• She is committed to her small group of students. She goes above and beyond, offering her time and collaborating with the classroom teachers to get the best outcome. She is gentle, compassionate, and always willing to find out what motivates each child. Despite serving the roles of librarian and literacy specialist, she always has time for both children and their parents. Without her intense reading intervention this year I cannot imagine where my children would be. She gets them excited about reading, despite their challenges. She gives them lots of attention, but also gives other small groups the attention THEY need as well. She is enthusiastic about reading instruction and always works with the child, finding what learning styles and motivators work best. JB is so very fortunate to have her.

JB Westlake

Congratulations to our 2023 Teacher of the Year, Cailey Leahy!

• This teacher has been so supportive this year of not just our child, but us as well. She keeps us informed more than we ever were in the public school system and ensures that she lets us know not just the positive, but also when our child is struggling. She was struggling in public schools, with their interventional specialists practically doing her work for her. This teacher has brought out our daughter's love for learning, and even when she is frustrated, she is able to calm down and get back to it. This teacher has made her feel SO VERY comfortable in her classroom that she is the first teacher to have ever been given the opportunity to get to know the real her. For a child that used to hate school, that used to do anything to try to get out of going (which admittedly she still does sometimes), she recently asked why she couldn't continue to attend JB through High School. While this is a testament to the school as a whole - it is a huge testament to this teacher as she is her first experience with JB!!! Thank you, you have given our child an opportunity that public school never allowed - her to be herself. And for that, I am eternally grateful and JB Proud!!
• Honestly, I think this teacher exemplifies all of the Core Values. Her commitment and compassion for her students is unmatched. She is truly one of the best teachers our child has ever had. She is so understanding, patient and thoughtful. She has daily activities that promote positive self talk and teamwork amongst the students in her class. She is very collaborative with parents. She sends class dojo messages frequently, and posts pictures and updates about what is going on in class. She also frequently calls or sends emails with feedback about academic and social progress. It is very nice to have such detailed and frequent communications. I really can't say enough positive things about her.

Congratulations to our 2023 Staff of the Year, Amanda Surface!

• This staff member is very professional, sincere, understanding & caring. She has made this transition to Julie Billart most comfortable. Before her I had no one to laugh with in a sincere manner at the school. When I called for information about my child or just in general about school information she gave me comfort and genuinely has my child's best interest at heart and it is not for show or fake. She made me feel welcome when I spoke with her and saw her at the school. She represents the school very well. She is very detailed and knowledgeable and if she does not have the answer she will assist you in finding the answer to the issue at hand. She wants to help with achieving whatever it is to assist with your child's needs.

We wish we could share with you the countless incredible things said about all of our faculty and staff but we hoped you enjoyed this preview. We are incredibly grateful for the care and commitment our Faculty and Staff showcase for our students. Without them JB wouldn’t be what it is today.

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