Announcements
Congratulations to the 2024 Connie Wootton Award Finalists for Excellence in Teaching!
Named in honor of Connie Wootton, in recognition of her outstanding passion, dedication, and service to schools in the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools (SAES), the Connie Wootton Excellence in Teaching Awards are awarded to active teachers from the Association who:
- Display passion for teaching and innovation
- Demonstrate a deep appreciation for professional development
- Possess an entrepreneurial spirit
- Desire their school to reflect an ongoing commitment to excellence
- Love the students and strive daily to help them achieve their personal best
- Exhibit commitment to the Episcopal approach to education which could be understood as “faith seeking understanding”
In the Spring of 2024, Wootton Awards in the amount of $5,000 will be awarded to one nominee in each of the following categories:
- Early Childhood—this award identifies an exceptional teacher working with pre-kindergarten students
- Lower School—this award identifies an exceptional teacher working with students from kindergarten to fifth grade
Early Childhood Nominees
Stephanie Ezell
Episcopal School of Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, LA
“Stephanie’s love and passion for students and their success is evident in her classroom practices. These practices are rooted in her knowledge of child development, appropriate practice, and her Christian faith. Christian roots run deep for Stephanie, both as a Christian and the wife of a minister. In the classroom, Stephanie continually celebrates the students' unique qualities and milestones while getting to know all the families.”
“Stephanie is one of the kindest, most hardworking, considerate people I know. She always has a smile on her face and a positive attitude. One thing that always amazes me is her tone and language with the children. She speaks slowly, and clearly on the students' level. She is always prepared, enthusiastic, and positive with her students. The students know the expectations and the classroom environment is warm and inviting.”
Jade McKinney
Grace Episcopal School
Houston, TX
“First and foremost, she is empathetic, understanding, and respectful of her students. She not only models these behavioral expectations for her students, but gently guides them to do the same. The most important learning done in preschool is the social-emotional kind and Jade places the highest importance on this development for her classroom.”
“[Jade] is very in tune with each of her students and adjusts activities accordingly. Her students are always happy, engaged and have the freedom to express their thoughts, ideas, and feelings. Her classroom environment is very engaging, peaceful, warm, and inviting.”
Charlotte Trafton
Good Shepherd Episcopal School
Austin, TX
“She knows every single one of her 21 students and their academic and social capabilities. She designs lessons that are fun, engaging and challenging while balancing plenty of time for free choice and exploration.”
“[Charlotte’s] also the kind of teacher who is never too proper to get her hands dirty, quite literally. She put on her boots, hat, bug spray and led the children into the local woods to learn for a full week! She created custom programming, caught tadpoles, read to them about the nature they were surrounded with and brought these children into God’s greatest church- nature! The memories, confidence, and fun my daughter had that week will stick with her for a lifetime.”
Jessica Ernst
Saint Michael Episcopal School
Dallas, TX
“In Ms. Jessica’s teaching approach, she consistently invests in each student, fostering a nurturing environment that encourages both spiritual and intellectual growth. Through her commitment to fostering creative thinking and instilling strong character values, she creates a loving atmosphere conducive to fun in learning.”
“[Jessica’s] passion for teaching is vibrant and apparent to the parents, staff, and children… She loves our children as they were her own, she invests her time and energy outside of school for own personal development and commitment to teaching, and she does it all with an amazing sense of humor and grace.”
Marcela Hernandez
St. David's Episcopal School
San Antonio, TX
“Mrs. Hernandez consistently exhibits an immense capacity for patience and understanding when helping her students to navigate social, emotional, spiritual, and academic learning. She is skilled in directing, redirecting, and coaching her students as they bump into boundaries and lean into taking risks. Her own love of learning and her love of young learners create an environment in which her students can’t help but feel secure enough to ask questions, explore the unknown, and try something new.“
“[Mrs. Marcela] always allows children to be who they are, understanding them as the whole people that they are and nurturing their best qualities. She listens sincerely to children when they have celebrations or grievances. She encourages them to work through problems to find their own solutions. She jumps in with both feet when they invite her into their imaginative play. Mrs. Marcela is attentive to the individual needs, interests, and abilities of each child. Her love and respect for them is never in question. Continually she is assessing needs and adjusting her instruction accordingly.”
Jessica Balderach
Holy Spirit Episcopal School
Houston, TX
“Jessica is always open to learning the best approaches to meet the needs of her students in the classroom. She is willing to learn more and grow as a teacher by seeking out professional development opportunities. She recently organized for her team to attend a science of reading presentation, so they could be the best teachers possible for their emergent readers.”
“Outside of just loving on our whole class of children (I say this because we have text chain of all 16 Explorer’s parents that constantly sing Jessica’s praises) and making them feel important, seen and loved – she is constantly doing things in the classroom that encourage their love of education and further their desire to fill their little 5 year old brains with as much knowledge as possible. She gives our children the autonomy and voice to express things they love and in turn takes those things and makes them into tangible activities in their classroom.”tic, and positive with her students. The students know the expectations and the classroom environment is warm and inviting.”
Lower School Nominees
Haley Thibodeaux
St. Stephen's Episcopal School
Wimberley, TX
“Ms. Thibodeaux is dedicated to ensuring that our school reflects an ongoing commitment to excellence. Her tireless efforts in curriculum development, student engagement, and collaborative projects with fellow educators have significantly contributed to the positive reputation of our institution.”
“Haley is deeply passionate about her craft. Her kindergarten room is magic; a direct reflection of her creativity and spirit. She is always all in...no theme or celebration or occasion passes without her full commitment, dress up and all! Her classroom is a space for exploration, safety, kindness, joy, and deep and meaningful learning. Each student is truly seen and loved by her...Ask an eighth grader who their favorite teacher is, and you will likely hear her name, nostalgic for the idyllic kindergarten year they spent in her care.”
Luz Maria Lewis-Gabriel
St. John's Episcopal School
Dallas, TX
“LuzMa is forever the optimist, and she works to help her students find the good in each endeavor, even when the outcome is not exactly what they had hoped to achieve. She is also a realist, and she encourages students, parents, and colleagues to embrace success and growth with humility and a “can do” spirit.”
“Through her presence, care, and skill, LuzMa creates a classroom and advisory environment in which students feel safe to be themselves, to try hard things, and to express their own joy of learning as they discover a new language and associated cultures.”
Rachel Mahaffey
St. Mark's Episcopal School
Houston, TX
“Rachel loves children and gives so much of herself to create an environment that inspires curiosity and a passion for discovery. She meets her students where they are, and is both creative and innovative in her approach. She is a leader among her peers, not afraid to voice her love for serving our kiddos and ready to help others do the same.”
“Rachel embodies the Episcopal approach with her daily interactions and teaching methods by creating an inclusive, respectful, and nurturing environment where students are encouraged to explore their faith and values.”
Mary Ann Nichols
Episcopal Collegiate School
Little Rock, AR
“What impresses me the most about Mary Ann, is her natural ability to motivate all with whom she interacts to believe that they can do better. Moreover, she accomplishes this not with a lot of hoopla, not by leveraging her ample popularity, but through superb organizational and pedagogical skills, contagious optimism and enthusiasm, and consistent role modeling of excellence.”
“No teacher could do what she does without a fierce passion for kids. Ms. Nichols prioritizes the dignity of each child in her care, which is evident in both how she interacts with children and how she talks about children.”
Cynthia Evans
Calvary Episcopal School
Bastrop, TX
“Mrs. Evans’ experience as a mother, teacher, and cancer survivor have helped her to learn what is truly important in this life. It has allowed her to connect with the students, parents, and fellow teachers in a very special way. Mrs. Evans is the “Real Deal” and this is evident in the way that she interacts with sensitivity and humanity.”
“You can always find her with a book in hand or researching on the internet for multiple strategies to teach the concept to her students. In guaranteeing her students’ eyes will light up, she reaches out through demonstration, hands-on activities, and partner work to reach each learner.”
“Mrs. Evans' spirit and classroom culture embody the Episcopal philosophy of aspiring to tell of and exemplify God's love for every human being.”
Rachel Darwin
Trinity School of Texas
Longview, TX
“Mrs. Darwin builds trusting, long-lasting relationships with her students and invests in them outside the classroom. It is not uncommon to find Mrs. Darwin at basketball games, performances, and recitals, and she consistently takes an active role in supporting and encouraging students' interests. Mrs. Darwin takes the time to mentor her students and other teachers as well. She helps teachers within her division and always offers her time and talents where needed.”
“Mrs. Darwin’s ability to connect with her students and her talent for teaching simple concepts and more advanced topics are both truly superior. She is capable of recognizing a student ́s potential and weaknesses, apart from being very dedicated and sincere.”
Sara Kouba
St. John's Episcopal School
Abilene, TX
“To my mind, one of the most succinct summaries of the Christian life can be found in the General Thanksgiving on page 836 of the Book of Common Prayer. The prayer begins, “Accept, O Lord, our thanks and praise for all that you have done for us.” What follows is a sustained reminder that our call is to give thanks to God at all times and all places. The prayer offers thanks to God for the “splendor of the whole creation,” for “the blessing of family and friends,” and for “the wonder of life and the mystery of love.” It also thanks God for “setting us at tasks which demand our best efforts,” and also “for those disappointments and failures that lead us to acknowledge our dependence on [God] alone.” In my experience, this prayer summarizes Sara Kouba’s approach to teaching.”
“What truly distinguishes Mrs. Kouba is her deep commitment to the holistic development of every student, both academically and socially. She demonstrates exceptional intentionality in producing an inclusive and supportive learning environment where all students feel valued, empowered, and inspired to excel.”
Bobbye Gardner
St. Helena's Episcopal School
Boerne, TX
“[Bobbye’s] humble nature recognizes the many gifts of others before acknowledging that she blesses our school community with her grace and love of God.”
“Simply put, the students know that Ms. Bobbye believes in them! They know that she will support them as they develop in the academic skills. Her students do not want to let Ms. Bobbye down because they want to make her proud. Under the direction of Ms. Bobbye, her students learn what perseverance means first hand.”
“[Bobbye is] a great teacher with a heart of gold who constantly strives with her innumerable and talented teaching skills to provide her students with the education tools to reach their maximum “God-given potential. “
Lititia Herrington
All Saints' Episcopal School
Beaumont, TX
“Through her innovative teaching methods, she has cultivated a dynamic learning experience that imparts knowledge and instills a love for learning. Distinguishing herself through her profound love for her students, she approaches teaching with a deep sense of care and empathy, establishing a nurturing environment supporting academic and personal growth.”
“She sets the bar high for her students while being positive and encouraging. Highly regarded by her colleagues, Lititia is often called upon to help problem-solve student concerns and share her expertise. She is self-driven, highly motivated, and delves into professional development courses whole-heartedly. “
Blanca Bolner Bird
St. Paul's Episcopal Montessori
San Antonio, TX
“The thing about Blanca that makes parents want her to teach their children is that she is able to understand each child on an individual level. She is passionate about meeting children exactly where they are instead of trying to mold children to fit the system. Blanca is accepting - truly accepting - of who her students are.”
“A culture of love and Christian faith are in full display at all times in Ms. Blanca’s classroom. It is this knowledge of her students minds and hearts, as well as her immense love and fairness, that makes her students trust her.”
Amy Arceneaux
Episcopal School of Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, LA
“Amy loves her students and strives, daily, to help them achieve their personal best. Amy works hard to build genuine and loving relationships with her students. She knows all their birthdays, their interests, their strengths, and their areas for growth. She pushes them in just-right ways to reach hard goals and gently holds them to the highest of standards. Without a doubt, Amy's students are always on her mind and in her heart.”
“Amy’s love for her students (and their families) runs deep. Of all Amy’s strengths, this one may be her greatest. I have worked with few teachers who build lasting relationships with students and families better than Amy. She spends careful time at the beginning of the year (and often before it even begins) to get to know her students well. She makes sunshine calls early in the year with parents, sharing all sorts of “sunshine” she’s already learned about their student and welcomes conversation about supporting them best throughout the school year.”
Nicole Tamer
All Saints' Episcopal School
Phoenix, AZ
“This educator is the most dedicated professional that I have ever had the privilege to work with and she exemplifies positivity, love for humans, and a deep belief in her work as an educator.”
“Nicole is adamant about wanting all our students (preK-8) to understand that reaching out to others who need a little help is a responsibility and one that should be done with love and care.”
“There is joy on her face as she greets each child, there is joy in the children when they see her and start their day, and there is joy in the parents as we drop our kids off knowing they are in good hands. While in her class, each of my three kids has loved going to school, has loved learning, and has loved the classroom community that Ms. Tamer developed.”