After the dinner each nominee received citations from the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the City of Lynn for being honored as Teacher of the Year nominees. Additionally, each nominee received a gift certificate of $100 for their own use. After a presentation on “Service Above Self” and how it applies to Rotary goals and to the Teacher Award, each nominee was introduced to the full house and their bios reviewed as well as quotes read from their nominators or principals. Examples of some of the wonderful quotes are as follows:
“She is an amazing teacher”
“Serves as a teacher leader”
“Is someone that many want to observe to develop their own skills in teaching”
“Consistently gone above and beyond what is expected of her as a teacher”
“Spends countless hours of work done outside of school days and on weekends”
“She is the type of teacher we went ALL our teachers to be”
“She is a teacher’s teacher!”
“Volunteers countless hours to work with the Boston Food Bank setting up tables, unloading trucks, and distributing food to our many families in need”
“He comes in an hour early three days a week to offer remediation in ELA and Math”
“I have not met a more dedicated and selfless human being”
“His commitment to the school, staff, community, and the students is unwavering”
“When tragedy struck a family, she would be there organizing clothing and food drives”
“She has had an incredible impact on my life”
“Whether or not she wins does not matter to us because she is one of the most inspiring teachers our son will ever have, a true hero”
The teachers who have been nominated were:
Maureen Gallant, Kindergarten Teacher, Aborn Elementary School
Jacqueline Gallo, Grade 1 Teacher, Harrington Elementary School
William Logue, Grade 3 Teacher, Connery Elementary School
Dave Romanowski, Special Education Teacher, Elementary Ford School
Carole Shutzer, Librarian, Harrington Elementary School
Kim Staples, Grade 2 Teacher, Callahan Elementary School
Donna Whelan, Grade 3 Teacher, Lynn Woods Elementary School
Elaine White, Math Teacher, Harrington Elementary School
A review of the judging process and the background of the judges followed. The judges were Dr. Raymond Bastarache, Dr. Peter McGinn, and Dr. Ann McGreevy. Finally, the winners of the 2014 Teacher of the Year Award were announced to the crowd: Jacqueline Gallo from the Harrington Elementary School, and Maureen Gallant from the Aborn Elementary School. After great applause, a picture taking frenzy took place for friends and family.
The event was a great night for teachers and for the Rotary Club of Lynn. “Service Above Self” was celebrated in the dedication of teachers to their students and much needed funds were raised for college scholarships! The Club congratulated each nominee and winner, thanks were given to our sponsors, and to the committee which organized the event: Steve Upton, Ray Bastarache, Jim Harris, Elaine Kurkul, Obie Barker, and Wendy Silva. More information on the event may be seen at
www.lynnrotary.org.
The Rotary Club of Lynn was pleased to present Teacher of the Year Awards to two outstanding Lynn elementary teachers recently at an event held at the Knights of Columbus in Lynn on Wednesday, May 7, 2014. The purpose of the award was to call attention to the importance of service to the community, an important goal of the club. The award provided an opportunity to publicly applaud our teachers and to reward those who have demonstrated excellence in their profession by “going the extra mile”. Nominees for the award were solicited from all Lynn schools, public and private. Two winning recipients each received a cash award of $1,000 as did their school. The recipients were announced at the event to a crowd of 170 people who were there to honor teachers and their service to our community.
On May 7, 2014, the Lynn Rotary again co-sponsored the Special Games for the special education students in the Lynn Public Schools. Several Rotarians attended the games which provided great fun for these students at the Lynn Vocational Technical Institute that day. Over 280 students were treated to a wide variety of games including: Bounce houses, Slides, throwing games, bowling games, bike riding games, games of skill, and the opportunity to ride ponies and view Curious Creatures like snakes, lizards, and others. The Lynn Tech students helped to man the many different game stations available to the special education students. The festivities started off with the arrival of the runners from the Lynn Police who ran from their police station to the Tech Fieldhouse, and who formed a lane of honor along with members of the Rotary and other dignitaries in attendance. The students, many of whom carried the banner of their school marched in procession prior to the start of the games, smiling and welcoming the applause for them. It was a thrill to see the happiness on the faces of the students while they marched and later on during the games. The Superintendent of Schools and other system-wide administrators were in attendance and were pleased that the Rotary had again helped fund part of the day’s festivities. Special thanks are given to the following Rotarians who attended the event; Dave Richardson , Bob Dugas, Steve Upton, Maria Cacciola, Wendy Silva, Diana Moreno, Ray Bastarache, Obie Barker, and of course, Rich Cuffe, program chairman. Regrets were sent in by Jim Harris and Bill Simpson who were unable to attend at the last moment. Each and every Rotarian agreed that this was a great morning for the student and for themselves. The smiles on the faces of these students were, in itself, worth it. For an idea of the scope of the day, please see the photo album on our website, 
