Date:  March 26, 2001
Contact: Irene Cromer
(703) 791-8720

The Dale City Civic Association recently honored three Prince William County teachers as Teachers of the Year and a Gar-Field High School student as the Youth Citizen of the Year.  Susan M. Hunt, teacher for emotionally disturbed students at Kerrydale Elementary School, was selected as Elementary Teacher of the Year.  The association’s selection for Middle School Teacher of the Year was Cynthia B. Sakshaug, who teacher Spanish, French, language arts and reading at Beville Middle School.  The High School Teacher of the Year is Amy Weiler, English teacher at Gar-Field High School.  Megan Garrett, a senior at Gar-Field High School, was chosen as Youth Citizen of the Year.

Susan Hunt’s nominators say she gives students her time and attention in ways that go well beyond her duties as a teacher.  She teaches with a high degree of tolerance, love and understanding in order for each child to feel secure in his or her environment.  Hunt has built an excellent rapport with her parents, and to her students, she is a loving, caring and inspiring role model, her nominators say.  She attends many school games, encouraging and cheering her students, and attends their birthday parties.   

Hunt adopted a positive behavioral reinforcement program for her students built on a teacher, parent and student partnership.  She is active in the school’s advisory council, serves as the teacher representative for the PTA, and is the Special Education grade level chairperson.  Hunt worked on a committee that developed the Kerrydale Discipline Plan and served as the Staff Development Coordinator and Quality Management Chairman.  
Cynthia Sakshaug has taught at Beville Middle School since 1993 and currently is chair of the Foreign Language Department and Foreign Language Club.  Her nominators describe her as extremely organized, a mentor to fellow teachers and students, and an enthusiastic classroom teacher.  She opens her classroom, figuratively, through a website she developed that helps parents find out what is going on in their child’s classroom.

Sakshaug coordinates a partnership with the German National Honor Society of Hylton High School.  Each month, the Hylton students and their teacher visit the Beville Foreign Language Club and plan German activities together.  Her French classes celebrate Mardi Gras with a party and sing French songs in the halls before winter break.

Amy Weiler, the High School Teacher of the Year, created the tenth grade pre-International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum and serves as the IB Language Arts Coordinator.  She willingly shares her teaching materials with other teachers and is described by her nominators as a cheerful mentor to teachers new to teaching or new to Gar-Field.

“Master storytelling” is one of Weiler’s strengths.  She often uses anecdotes as a way to relieve tension, lighten a mood and to teach a lesson.  The atmosphere in her classroom is comfortable and safe and students enjoy Weiler’s methods of teaching.  She “raps” poems to reach her students, sings songs to teach grammar, employs football analogies to teach essay structure, and acts out literary characters. 

Weiler connects with her students and tries to attend at least one after-school activity in which each of her students is involved.  Some of the ways she “walks into their lives” are her afternoon book talks, and for six years she coached Gar-Field’s Indianettes.  She is a volunteer for ACTS, the American Heart Association and the March of Dimes.

Megan Garrett was selected as the Dale City Youth Citizen of the Year.  Megan, daughter of Christopher and Rosemary Garrett, was recognized for her contributions to the community, which include serving as the American Legion Auxiliary Junior treasurer, visiting McGwire Veteran’s Hospital, collecting for Christmas Toys for Tots, and distributing Mother’s Day roses at a retirement community.  At Gar-Field she is the Spanish Club’s vice-president, a Key Club member, and active in her senior class functions and the Student Council Association. Garrett plans to enroll in a college ROTC program, honor her service commitment, and get a government job where she can use her Spanish.  

Other nominees for Teachers of the Year were Kendall Warren, Neabsco Elementary School; Betty Leassear, Kerrydale Elementary School; Millie Hollis, Beville Elementary School; Terri Lawson, Saunders Middle School; Steven Stoebe, Godwin Middle School; and Carrie English, Hylton High School.

Also nominated for Youth Citizen of the Year were Matthew Fritzinger, Farhad Gholizadeh, Kevin Hall, Keanna Scott, Kevin Raymond, Kirsten Rowe, Brittney Kershaw, Sean Michael Briggs, Gustin Terry and Krista Molingowski.