Wilson math teacher named as Educator of the Year

“I am very surprised and grateful to have been nominated as Educator of the Year,” she said.

Boggess was selected from a field of five finalists for the award as part of the 11th annual Harry T. Wilks Hamilton Celebrates Education dinner held Thursday at the Courtyard by Marriott. The event is sponsored by the Hamilton Community Foundation.

Her colleagues described her as “a hard working team player and a natural in the classroom.” They said “Rebekah’s unique classroom management style has students loving math.” She is known for using practical examples to show students the connection between math and the real world.

Boggess’ enthusiasm is evident as she starts each of her classes with a welcome cheer.

Another colleague said in Boggess’ nomination: “Her unwavering passion for her profession and hard work ethic make her an exemplary instructor.”

Boggess serves as the math department chair, serves on the Leadership Team, and is the cheerleading advisor at Hamilton High School. She also organizes the annual “Pi Day” to raise funds for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

The other finalists for Educator of the Year were Amy Davenport, a first-grade reading intervention teacher at Riverview Elementary; Mark Kalugyer, a social studies and physical education teacher at Hamilton Freshman School; Tari McKee, an elementary school music teacher at Bridgeport Elementary; and Renee Smallwood, a library clerk at Crawford Woods Elementary.

Boggess received a $3,000 honorarium and the other four finalists received $500. These funds are to be used in the school or district to promote educational excellence.

Each Hamilton public and parochial school building may submit a nominee to the Hamilton Community Foundation and are judged each June.

The program also recognized the seven 2013 Hamilton Celebrates Education grant recipients. The grants range from $200 to $1,000 that can be used for classroom, school-wide or district-wide projects.

Receiving grants were Carol Meade of Bridgeport Elementary for the “iKids.i Learn.iPads” project; Audrey Scarbriel of Garfield Middle School for the “Math Pentathlon” project; Alexandria Frost of the Hamilton Freshman “School for the Building a Beat” project; Susan Rowsey Damm of Highland Elementary for the “Take a Stand: Lend a Hand-Stand up to Bullying” project; Amy Davenport and Melissa Doerr of Riverview Elementary for the “Oh Gee, I’m Reading” Parent/Community Support; Kristin Yordy of Wilson Middle School for “The Great Pringles Challenge” project; and Sheryl Burk, Brad Watkins, Robert Burk and Doug Leist of Wilson Middle School, Hamilton Freshman School and Hamilton High School for “The L.A.B. (Leadership Academy at Blue) project.

Neil Cohen, event chairman, encouraged all of the educators present to continue to work to make Hamilton the “City of Education” and not just the City of Sculpture as well as to continue to raise the level of awareness for teaching and education.

“We can become the city of education if we all come together,” he said.