Kingsville Teacher Honored By Baltimore Style Magazine

KINGSVILLE, MD — A third-grade teacher at Kingsville Elementary School was recently honored with the title of the best public-school teacher at the elementary-middle level. Baltimore Style magazine announced the honor for the educator who has been teaching at Kingsville for 35 years.

"I love teaching, and it definitely is my life’s passion," Amy DeNike of Kingsville Elementary said in a statement. "I feel lucky to be spending my career doing what I love at an awesome school!"

DeNike has a bachelor's degree is early childhood education and a master's degree in reading education from Towson University, and she is board-certified in early and middle childhood literacy: reading-language arts, according to Baltimore County Public Schools. She is also a product of the school system, graduating from Dulaney High School.

Among her activities outside the classroom are coaching the Kingsville Safe Racer team, which builds a model race car for competition in an engineering challenge.

The principal of Kingsville Elementary School applauded Baltimore Style's selection of DeNike for its honor, which was determined by votes from readers.

"It is a well-deserved recognition for an outstanding teacher who provides high-quality instruction for her students every day and always goes above and beyond," Kingsville Elementary School Principal Carol Ferris said in a statement.

This is not the first honor for DeNike. School officials listed these among her accomplishments:

• Coach of BCPS Safe Racer Champions (2016)
• Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce Northeast Area Elementary Teacher of the Year (2009)
• Essex - Middle River - White Marsh Outstanding Educator Award (2005)
• Who’s Who Among American Teachers (1996, 2000 and 2004-5)
• Coach of Kingsville's Odyssey of the Mind team that won the World Finals (1999)