Blog

   The Hazelwood School District named Dan Ryno and Janet Spratley as recipients of the 2011 Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award. For more than 21 years, the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Awards program has recognized outstanding examples of educational excellence, and serves to “express collective admiration and gratitude for the dedicated individuals who teach children.” Award winners are selected by district administrators for their contributions to the teaching profession and the students they teach.

   Ryno teaches fourth grade at Jury Elementary School. Spratley teaches physical education at Hazelwood Northwest Middle School. Both received surprise visits at their schools and were presented with an Edible Arrangements bouquet and balloons from Supt. Steve Price and Paula Brown, federal programs coordinator.

Ryno was beginning the day his classroom when he was notified of the honor. He has taught fourth grade for nine years.

Dan Ryno: Steve Price, HSD superintendent; Dan Ryno, fourth-grade teacher; Mary Shaw, principal, Jury Elementary School; and Darrell Strong, assistant superintendent for learning. Ryno received an Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award.

“I feel that the hardest part of our jobs is making students want to come to school every day. My goal is to do my best to overcome that obstacle. Whether it’s wearing goofy ties, singing, dancing, telling a joke or letting students shave my hair off, I always try to give them something to look forward to,” he said of his philosophy on teaching,” said Ryno.

“I also think that students have two

inherent needs – to feel safe and to feel cared for. We have a responsibility as educators to not only provide a safe environment for our students, but also to facilitate personal relationships with them. If students know that you truly care for their well-being, they will make greater gains academically and socially,” said Ryno.

Spratley was in the locker room, so Principal Willicia Hobbs asked a student to bring her out to the gym where she was greeted by Hobbs, Price, Brown and a small crowd of students.

 Janet Spratley: Willicia Hobbs, principal, Hazelwood Northwest Middle School; Janet Spratley, physical education teacher; and Steve Price, HSD superintendent. Spratley received an Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award.

She has taught in the District for 25 years. She taught third, fourth and sixth grade at Cold Water Elementary School, served as a reading specialist at Barrington Elementary School, and taught English at Hazelwood Northwest Middle School.

“My philosophy of teaching centers around my belief that how I teach is as important as what I teach,” said Spratley. “Students need to be treated with kindness and respect and they need to know that it is okay to take risks, make mistakes, fall down and get back up again. Students rise or fall to the level that is expected of them. If you aim high, most students will strive to be the best they can be,” said Spratley.

Annually, more than 100 teachers in the St. Louis metropolitan area are honored through the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Awards Program. Recipients will attend a ceremony and a reception in November.