Galloway Schools to Honor People of the Year April 28

Ten people will be recognized by the at its People of the Year Dinner Dance next Saturday night, April 28, at the Carriage House, the district announced on Monday, April 16.

There are seven different categories in which honorees will be recognized, as follows:

• Citizen Advocate for Education: Margaret M. Guenther;
• Humanitarians of the Year: and ;
• Business Advocate for Education: AtlantiCare Healthy Schools (Samantha Kiley Ficcaglia and Krista Reale);
• Governmental Advocate for Education: US Fish & Wildlife Service (Mr. Eric Schrading,  Partners for Fish and Wildlife and Mr. Jim Cramer, Coordinator of Nature and Learning);
• School/Community Ambassador for Education: ;
• Support Staff Person of the Year: Katy Beshara; and
• Teacher of the Year: Kevin Throckmorton.

Guenther is currently the Vice President of the Greater Egg Harbor Regional School Board of Education. She taught English for over 40 years at Oakcrest and high schools.  She served on the Board of Education for the Galloway Township Public Schools, and upon retirement from the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District, became a school board member.

Kirner and Moore are both seniors at Absegami, and created CD each of the last two years. They have donated the proceeds to area nonprofits they have deemed deserving of the funds.  Kirner provided vocals and Moore arranged the 10-track CD and played piano, percussion, organ and ukelele. About a dozen local professional musicians also performed on the CD.

AtlantiCare  Healthy Schools have provided grants to the schools and provided lectures and opportunities for student activities to educate the school community on eating a healthier diet and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle. The Pomona and Oceanville Kindergarten Learning Centers were the recipients of a Healthy School Award in 2007. With grant money received from AtlantiCare, a lateral rock wall was purchased and the students are able to use this during their physical education classes.

Schrading and Cramer on behalf of their organization have supported the Mr. B’s Backyard Classroom initiative. They have provided countless habitat enhancements at no cost to the district. The agency designed and constructed an observation dock that has become a focal point for the area.

Dougherty was the winner of the inaugural Great American Teach-Off, sponsored by GOOD and the University of Phoenix. She won $10,000 for the school district and a trip to the White House during the holidays.

She has been an ambassador in a variety of capacities. She serves as a guide and consultant to many children and families who have been related by the military, she actively looks for supplemental resources to meet the needs of all students. She has written grants for the Reading Café’ which was a way to have a family reading activity where the attention was on the children taking orders from a menu they had written with book summaries. The students would then serve their parent books instead of food and then read together.   Another grant she received was “Tutoring for Our Military Children – They are Heroes Too.” The program is entering its third year. She tutors military children – free of charge – in the After School Program. The Absecon/Galloway Rotary funded this program.

Beshara, classroom assistant at is being honored as this year’s Support Staff Person of the Year. She has worked in many schools in the district, lending her talents wherever needed. She quickly endeared herself to the staff and students with her selfless attitude and willingness to help, and soon became an integral part of our school community.

Throckmorton, computer lab teacher at , is this year’s Teacher of the Year. As an educator, Kevin has established himself as truly committed to his students and their education. He is always seeking innovative ways to inspire his students, and to make class as fun as he can. Kevin’s patience and calm demeanor made him a stand-out for a group of students who nominated him for this award.

For more information on this year’s celebration, please contact Ms. Vicki Hood Vicki0761@aol.com, or by phone: (609) 965-3591.

-- All information included  in this story is courtesy of the Galloway Township School District.