dwyer-and-sanchez-are-davis-teaching-award-recipients

Dwyer and Sanchez are Davis Teaching Award Recipients

Faculty and Staff Recognized for Years of Service, Retirement

The 2017 Davis Award recipients for excellence in teaching are John Dwyer (Middle School) and Josephine Sanchez (Upper School). The awards were given at the end of year faculty luncheon on Thursday, June 1.

Established in 1992, the Mary Lou and Dan Davis Awards for Excellence in Teaching are presented each year to selected Episcopal School of Jacksonville teachers who personify quality in their teaching and in their influence on student learning; who consistently and unselfishly go above and beyond normal expectation of time, energy and devotion in working with students; who demonstrate the rare ability to motivate students to higher and higher levels of achievement; and who have consistently made use of opportunities for continuing education to improve themselves professionally. This award is intended to inspire all Episcopal teachers to pursue uncompromising excellence and caring in the classroom.

John Dwyer was nominated for the “dedication to his craft [that] has motivated him to further his own education and in turn foster a sense of collaboration among his peers both inside and outside of his own department. Coach Dwyer’s “ideas are thoughtful and grounded in a pedagogy that complements the direction our school is headed in.”  In addition, his nomination stated that he raises consciousness “about the value of Physical Education in the lives of students so that they grow to have healthy lifestyles.”  John is Physical Education Department Chair and has coached many teams at Episcopal, including volleyball and basketball.

Josephine Sanchez was described in her nomination as a “master teacher,” lauded for her creativity and high demands in the classroom. Her approach in the classroom was described as “student centered at its best.” Her nomination stated:  “She is always improving herself and her teaching by finding ways to get her students interested in learning more about language and culture, and she also share what she learns with her department.”  She is dedicated to continuing education, helping herself and her fellow teachers to “stay current with the best practices of their fields.”  Josephine teaches Spanish and is the World Languages Department Chair.

Faculty and staff years of service and those retiring were also recognized at the luncheon. Margie Stevens was recognized for 40 years of service at Episcopal.

Five Years

Lisa Allen
Mike Alton
Patti Fink
Cordell Goodman
Meg Haston ’01
Mary Hayden
Natalie Herford
Courtney McCaughey
Chad Senesac ’98
Perry Walthour
David Wandel
Brandon Westerman ’99
Jennifer Windley

Ten Years

Julia Daze ’72
Matthew Levenson
Jennie Rankin

Fifteen Years

Gail Connery
Mary Hartley
Lucy Hoffman
Tracy Jester
Mike Jones
Alex Nichols

Twenty Years

Bert Harrell
Christy Hodges
Carlos Madrigal
Heather Oulton-Rousseau
Ted Pina

Retiring Faculty & Staff

Peggy Fox
Mary Hartley
Bill Hoffman
LV Wrice