The Rotary Club of Harris County, which historically presents a monthly award to students, has created a new monthly award to honor teachers for their wonderful work to encourage the love of learning in our youth. Park Elementary Kindergarten Teacher Catherin Toney is the first recipient of this new award.
On Thursday, October 8, Toney was surprised by the nomination and a presentation by the Rotary Club’s Tracy Edgar. Toney received a Visa Gift card, an award certificate, and a donation in her honor to the Ferst Foundation, which promotes childhood literacy by making sure that each registered child in a participating community between the ages of birth and 5 years old receives a book each month by mail. Also, the selected teacher is invited to speak at the weekly Rotary meeting about their classroom and the joys of being an educator.
“A veteran teacher at Park Elementary, Mrs. Toney works every day to establish a nurturing educational environment for her Kindergartener students using whole brain teaching strategies and innovative STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) lessons,” Principal Allyson Douthit shared about Toney. “The times in which we are currently navigating are challenging. Mrs. Toney has developed rich relationships with her students that have yielded remarkable results. With all the change, Mrs. Toney remains a constant, reliable refuge for her students. Whether she is in the classroom or at home planning, she pours her heart into cultivating this love of learning.”
Edgar, stated, “This year is our first year to honor a teacher each month within the Harris County school system. We typically honor a student of the month for their accomplishments as they finish out their final year in school. But these students don’t get there by themselves.”
