Meet Lindbergh School District's Teacher of the Year

The Lindbergh School District announced the 2013-2014 Teacher of the Year and Support Person of the Year in a news release: 

Teacher of the Year: Lisa Janis, Lindbergh Early Childhood Education

Lisa Janis is the lead Pre-K teacher at Lindbergh Early Childhood Education, where she has worked for the past 20 years. Earlier this year, she was named the National Child CareTeacher of the Year by the Terri Lynne Lokoff Child Care Foundation, and she received the Helene Marks Award for exceptional child care, according to the news release.

“Miss Lisa was nominated by several of her peers at ECE,” assistant superintendent of personnel services Dr. Brian McKenney said in the release. “She is a respected leader who gives students a voice in their learning, and she is also a continuous learner herself. We are proud to have Lisa representing Lindbergh’s educators.”

“I’ve known Lisa for 20 years, and I admire her dedication to our children and our staff,” said Lindbergh's 2009 Teacher of the Year, Pre-K teacher Shirley Phillips.

Janis has written grants to supply all ECE classrooms with digital cameras, provide a die-cut machine for the school, and supply teachers with social/emotional and diversity/ability awareness materials for their classrooms, according to the release.

“I want to thank ECE for making this not just a place to come to work every day, but also a family where everyone is excited to teach and learn,” Janis said. “Thank you also to my Lions, and thank you to Lindbergh Schools for recognizing the importance of early childhood education.”

Janis earned her bachelor of science in Child and Family Development from Truman State University, and her Master’s in Early Childhood Education from Webster University.

“We are very proud of Lisa, and she is so deserving of the Lindbergh Teacher of   the Year honor,” ECE Director Charlene Ziegler said in the release. “Her creative approaches to helping children grow socially and academically are what makes Lindbergh’s programs one of the best in the area.”

Support Person of the Year: Donna Bouckaert, Sperreng Middle School

Donna Bouckaert has served as secretary to the assistant principal at Sperreng Middle School for the past 10 years.

Her professionalism, love of family and service to others are why she was nominated as the 2013-14 Lindbergh Support Person of the Year, according to the news release

“Donna is a respected member of the Sperreng team, and she will do whatever it takes to make sure that her work is done well and with professionalism,” McKenney said in the release. “She is the definition of a team player.”

Bouckaert was hired at Lindbergh in 1995 and has served many years as treasurer of the Lindbergh Association of Office Personnel (LAOP), in addition to serving on Sperreng’s budget committee and volunteering for the Mothers’ Club, according to the release. She's also taken on the following civic responsibilities: South County Baptist Church youth director; volunteers on the Committee on Committees, a support group that serves families in the congregation; and began a youth program called LIFT (Loving Investment For Teens), which gives youth the opportunity to participate in mission trips.