(Eureka)—Seven Humboldt County teachers were honored and received Excellence In Teaching Awards in a ceremony on Wednesday, May 11th at the Sequoia Conference Center.
Since 1986, The Humboldt County Office of Education (HCOE) has sponsored this annual celebration of recognizing outstanding educators. Honorees were selected from a number of teachers who were nominated by colleagues, students, parents or school administrators. The event was held in-person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2022 Excellence In Teaching Award recipients are:
- Angela Burkhart, Morris Elementary School
- Andrea Butler-Crosby, Orleans Elementary School
- Amy Chastain, Ridgewood Elementary School
- Tim Clewell, Six Rivers Charter High School
- Jen Code, Cutten Elementary School
- Jamie Lommori, Monument Middle School
- Jana Reveles, Fortuna Middle School
The Excellence In Teaching Awards recognize classroom teachers from Kindergarten through 12th grade who have a minimum of five years’ teaching experience and have been identified as exemplary by their coworkers, students or school communities.
Humboldt County Superintendent of Schools, Michael Davies-Hughes said of this year’s awards, “I am very proud of the daily commitment to students shown by our Humboldt County educators. Today’s honorees exemplify this commitment.”
Two additional educators were celebrated for receiving a Jean Olson Career Achievement Award, recognizing an exceptional veteran or retired teacher for their lifelong contributions to public education, children, and the community. This award was established in 1995, and in 1998 was dedicated to the memory of long-time County Board of Education Member and President, Jean Olson, who passed away that year.
This year’s Jean Olson Award Winners are:
- Julie Smith, Northern United Humboldt Charter School
- Pam Zana, Stanwood A. Murphy Elementary School (Scotia)
All of the teachers nominated humbly acknowledged how grateful they were for this honor and the importance of having the support of their families and colleagues. They praised the many excellent educators throughout Humboldt County, and shared how proud they were to be in such great company. Each winner received a beautiful, locally crafted plaque created by WoodLab Designs of Arcata.
The 2022 Humboldt County Teacher of the Year will be selected from among the Excellence In Teaching award recipients.