Date:  March 25, 2003
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 Senior High student as the Dale City Youth of the Year.  Patti Scott, second grade teacher at Kerrydale Elementary School, was selected as Elementary School Teacher of the Year.  The association’s selection for Middle School Teacher of the Year was Richard Kneubuchl, a special education teacher at Saunders Middle School.  International Baccalaureate Gar-Field High School science teacher Brian Bassett was named High School Teacher of the Year.  The Dale City Youth of the Year is Gar-Field High School junior Bathsheba Bryant. 

Patti Scott, a second grade teacher at Kerrydale Elementary School has been teaching for thirty-four years.  She knows the strengths and weaknesses of every student and works with them to excel.  Her nominators say, “When one walks into Mrs. Scott’s room, the first thing one notices is the establishment of standards of conduct that are appreciated and respected by students.  The environment that Mrs. Scott creates provides on-going motivation for the students to become more involved in the learning process and the entire class displays a shared purpose in working together.”  Wayne Ralston, principal of Nokesville Elementary School, worked with Scott for seventeen years and was impressed with her leadership skills; she showed teachers how they could make a difference in each of their students.  She was a 2003 nominee for the Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award.

Special education teacher Richard Kneubuchl has worked at Saunders Middle School for the past nine years after a career in the United States Army.  His nominators say he is a warm and caring teacher who strives for the personal best in each of his students.  Kneubuchl’s structured teaching, along with his nurturing ways, have effectively transformed even the most difficult students.  The students trust him and gain self-worth.  Students transition to high school with relative ease because he has prepared them.  Kneubuchl works closely with the regular education teachers and monitors his students who have mainstreamed into the regular education program.  As a mentor to new teachers, he has shared his expertise in behavior management and helped them understand the special education paperwork.  In the past Kneubuchl has presented at the Virginia Middle School Association annual conferences. 

Brian Bassett, a 1991 graduate of Gar-Field High School, has been teaching at his alma mater for several years and was recently named the 2002-2003 Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher and Prince William County Teacher of the Year.  A member of the Gar-Field science department, Bassett teaches Biology, Pre-IB Biology, and International Baccalaureate Environmental Systems.  Gar-Field principal Roger Dallek said, "He has grown up in this neighborhood, has been an active member of the department since he started teaching, and is becoming a strong leader among our faculty."   

Bathsheba Bryant is an eleventh grade International Baccalaureate candidate at Gar-Field High School who has a long resume of civic and community service activities.  Between studying for her IB assignments and exams, Bathsheba participates in Girl Scouts, volunteers in daycare centers, and helps young homeless children develop literacy skills through various community service programs.  A volunteer at the Human Rights Commission, she is drawn to activities that provide her an opportunity to have an impact on her community, especially among young and underprivileged children.  A civic-minded student throughout middle and high school, Bryant plans to translate her IB experience at Gar-Field into a career as an entrepreneur.  

Other nominees for Teacher of the Year were Dennis Brown, Hylton High School; Kim Butaitis, Enterprise Elementary School; Debbie Floris, Hylton High School; Mary Jo Howarth, Enterprise Elementary School; Karen Majeske, Saunders Middle School; Judith Orazi, Enterprise Elementary School; Kathleen Pollock, Minnieville Elementary School; Sarah Schuller, Godwin Middle School; and Ron Whitten, King Elementary School. 

The Youth of the Year nominees included Stephanie Bearden, Hylton High School; Michael Edeke, Gar-Field High School; Jeffrey Hughes, Gar-Field High School; Michael McCarren, Hylton High School; Erin Raymond, Gar-Field High School; and Samantha Shields, Hylton High School.