The TCPalm Teacher of the Week for June 13 is Karen Petrun, voluntary prekindergarten teacher at North County Charter School in Indian River County.
TCPalm wants to recognize Treasure Coast teachers making a difference for their students and schools. Readers — parents, administrators, students, community members and other teachers ― nominate their favorite teachers each week. TCPalm lists four nominated teachers, and asks readers to vote for their favorite to be named Teacher of the Week.
This week, 2,254 votes were cast in the poll, with Petrun receiving 46% of the vote.
What the nominator said: “Ms. Petrun goes above and beyond for all her students. She strives to make every student succeed. Ms. Petrun has a heart of gold and takes time with each student. She truly cares for all of them and you can feel how happy she makes them. She brightens everyone’s day at North County Charter School, whether it’s other teachers, parents and students.”
What other nominators said:
“I have known Karen for over 15 years! I worked with her at Community Preschool in Vero Beach. Karen is a fantastic teacher. She was the most requested teacher of 3-year-old children every year!Besides working with her, she is a great friend. She most definitely deserves this honor!”
TCPalm invites you to support your favorite teacher by voting in this poll. And then revisit it to learn about the amazing teachers on the Treasure Coast.
Voting began 5 a.m. Sunday and ended at noon Friday.
Make your nomination: Nominate a favorite Treasure Coast teacher for TCPalm’s Teacher of the Week poll
Other teachers nominated this week were:
Rebecca Band, Weatherbee Elementary, St. Lucie County
What the nominator said: “(Band) is a relatively new teacher. This is her second year, but she does an excellent job already. She does everything in her power to make sure her students thrive. The way she adjusts based on each student’s strengths is wonderful. Any issues that may come up, she takes care of. Not to mention, Rebecca stays in constant communication. Both the parents and students love her.”
Jordan Claus, Stuart Middle School, Martin County
What the nominator said: “(Claus) is an AMAZING teacher. I watch her daily going above and beyond for every single student. Always making them feel loved and heard. Students and staff alike love being around her. She is incredibly smart, caring and always willing to help out in any way she can. As a parent: Jordan is the teacher I always want my child to have. As a co-worker: I am in awe of her incredible impact on students every day.”
Matthew Jones, Samuel Gaines Academy, St. Lucie County
What the nominator said: “I nominate Mr. Jones for Teacher of the Week because of the incredible way he connects with his students and goes above and beyond to motivate them. He takes the time to build strong relationships, knowing that students perform their best when they feel supported and understood. He gives up his own lunch period to play chess with students and buys them Chick-fil-A as a reward for hard work on assessments. He consistently shows that he cares!”
Colleen Wixon is the education reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers. She covers school districts in Indian River, Martin and St. Lucie counties.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: See who was named TCPalm Teacher of the Week for June 8-13
Reporting by Colleen Wixon, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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