District teacher of the year, two school resource officers and two security staff members were honored.
This week’s Lenape Regional High School District meeting shined a spotlight on staff who stand as inspirations to others.
The meeting began with a presentation honoring the district Teacher of the Year, Seneca High School science teacher Dusty Carroll. Her supervisors, principal Jeff Spector and assistant principal Dave Maier, spoke about her qualifications.
Maier referred to Carroll as a student-centered, passionate person and stated she is a life-long learner who presents great leadership skills.
“Through conversations and observations through my six years as her supervisor, she has proven herself willing to go the extra mile to raise student achievement in her classroom. She demonstrates the highest level of content mastery and ability to make that knowledge accessible to students,” Maier said. “She identifies where students struggle, and her lessons help students push through those struggles and correct prior misconceptions.”
At Seneca, she takes the initiative to meet with colleagues in her department to build and refine lessons promoting science practices to help students learn the core ideas of science, officials said.
Aside from her involvement at the high school, she also keeps in contact with AP chemistry teachers across the region to meet regularly to share ideas. She serves on the state committee to oversee the formation of the updated New Jersey science assessment. Carroll is the vice president of the New Jersey Science Teachers Association, where she creates professional development opportunities for teachers.
In addition, she developed and runs a summer program at the University of Pennsylvania where students from across the country join to participate in lab activities and gain valuable experience.
Superintendent Carol Birnbohm introduced a video that Lenape District Television and Carroll worked together to create, that was shown to all staff across the district on opening day. Throughout the video, Carroll shared the things that keep her motivated and the people who keep her inspired.
“Congratulations, Dusty, and really thank you for being an inspiration for our staff on opening day, it really was a great way to start the school year — having them watch that video and really reminding us why we teach and how important it is to stay on top of our profession,” Birnbohm said.
Following that presentation, Cherokee High School principal Donna Charlesworth recognized two school resource officers and two security staff members, who worked together to use security technology and the established protocol to identify an individual who tried to enter the high school.
Jammie Clements, Bob Hansbury, Bruce LaCarte and Ben Kozarski were recognized for their efforts.
A press release on the issue stated that after a conversation over the intercom, Kozarski did not allow the individual to enter the building, but instead he met the individual outside of the school security vestibule. LaCarte recognized the individual through the security cameras as someone who has been removed from the property previously for trespassing.
The release stated the individual was escorted away from the main entrance, where school resource officers Clements and Hansbury met him, and from there the Evesham Township Police Department took over the situation. According to the release, the ETPD initiated an investigation “which led to the arrest of the individual and his removal from the premises. They continued their investigation until the late evening hours and determined this individual has no connection to any person at the high school.”
Charlesworth thanked the resource officers and security members involved, stating she is grateful for their expertise and their relationships with the students. She followed by thanking the families in attendance at the meeting.
“To our family members, our spouses in the audience as well as the children, thank you, because I know every day these people make a difference in your life, but every day they come to work they make a difference in our lives and the lives of our students.”
The next LRHSD board meeting will be held on Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Lenape District Administration Building.
