Ferndale Oakland County Teacher of the Year Nominees to be Honored

Oakland Schools will honor four Ferndale educators Thursday during the 26th annual Outstanding Teacher of the Year Awards in Waterford.

Coolidge Intermediate School sixth-grade teacher Ruth Tavalire of Ferndale; Ferndale High School physical education teacher Ryan Dunlap of Macomb; Ferndale Middle School social studies teacher Jason Gillespie of Huntington Woods; and Ferndale resident Catherine Young, who teaches in the Bloomfield Hills Schools district, are among 58 nominees from 22 local school districts who will be recognized during National Teacher Appreciation Week for their contributions in the classroom.

Outstanding Teacher of the Year Awards are given each year to teachers at the elementary, middle and high school levels who excel in the following areas.

• Engaging students.
• Meeting students' individual needs.
• Demonstrating knowledge of a subject area.
• Demonstrating classroom management.
• Relating to parents and colleagues.
• Demonstrating good citizenship and leadership in the school community.
• Support statements from colleagues, parents and students.

The 2013 winners are Berkley resident Angela Church, who teaches at Berkley High School; Clarkston resident Molly Brinker, who teaches at Addams Elementary in Royal Oak; and West Bloomfield resident Hadeel Azzo, who teaches at John Page Middle School in Madison Heights.

The three winners each will receive $2,000 from the Oakland Schools Education Foundation.