City and School Department celebrate the 2004 Teachers of the Year

BOSTON - Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, School Committee Chair Elizabeth Reilinger and Superintendent Thomas W. Payzant were joined by the Boston Teachers Union to honor 15 Boston Public School teachers for their dedication and hard work to the students of the city at the annual Teachers of the Year event held at the Ritz-Carlton Boston.

About 400 colleagues, family members and friends gathered to celebrate the achievements of the teachers and to thank them for their dedication.

"Many of you have heard me say that there is nothing more important to my administration than public education, and nothing is more essential to good public education than good teachers," Mayor Menino said. "This year, I not only have a professional stake in the success of our schools, I have a personal one, too. Last fall, three of my grandchildren began their school careers in the Boston Public Schools and next September, another granddaughter begins her journey. I am gratified to know that our grandchildren will be so well educated and guided so expertly by Boston teachers."

An 11-member Selection Committee comprised of principals, teachers, parents, a School Committee member and an officer from the Boston Teachers Union chose the educators from list of educators that were nominated by parents or colleagues.

Each of the winners received a crystal apple, a proclamation, and a gift bag that included gift certificates and other prizes.

The event was sponsored primarily by the Gillette Company. Other donors include: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, IBM, Liberty Mutual and Verizon.

The 2004 Boston Teachers of the Year are:

• Sonya Brown, Boston Arts Academy - Humanities/Writing
• Judi Freeman, Boston Latin School - Facing History
• Traci Walker Griffith, Trotter Elementary School - Technology
• Gail Hart, Marshall Elementary School- Kindergarten
• Jennifer Hartman, Mary Lyon School - Grade 3 inclusion
• Jonathan Holden, Hale Elementary School - Grade 4
• Margaret Hoyt, West Roxbury High - English, TV production
• Joe Jackson, Madison Park Technical Vocational High School - Math/Special Ed
• Roberta Logan, Mission Hill School - Social Studies/English Language Arts
• Patricia Mobayed, Bates Elementary School - Grade 1
• Claire Morrissey, Mendell Elementary - Grade 3
• Naomi Mulvihill, Hernandez School - Two-way bilingual Kindergarten
• Ruth Roach, Conley Elementary School -Grade 4/5 - Special Needs
• Hazel Sparrow, Lewenberg Middle - Resource Room
• Mary Teixeira, TechBoston Academy - Math/Technology