Teacher & Employee of the Year

2023-2024 Winners

Elementary Teacher of the Year - Andrea Choate

Andrea Choate is a kindergarten teacher at Solon Robinson Elementary with 18 years of service. Six of those years are with CPCSC. She has a Bachelor of Education degree from Purdue University and a Master of Education degree from Indiana Wesleyan.

“Andrea's love and dedication to her students and the professionalism of teaching is exemplified each and every day,” said Barb Merrill, principal of Solon Elementary. “Visiting her classroom is an unforgettable experience; Andrea brings creativity and energy to her classroom.”

Parent Amy Chomko nominated Mrs. Choate, noting that “Kindergarten can be a scary place with lots of the unknown. It's at this age that each child first forms how they feel about school as a whole and I am so thankful Mrs. Choate has given my son such an amazing experience.”

Parent Jennifer Chenault agrees. “She takes students that are coming in with very minimum understanding and truly sets them up with a foundation of success for years to come. She is kind, compassionate, she is so hard working and engaged with every single student no matter their level of readiness.”

Finalists for Elementary Teacher of the Year were:

Brandy Sims - Jerry Ross Elementary, 5th grade teacher
Alex Drakulich - Winfield Elementary - Music teacher
Jamie Pauley - Timothy Ball Elementary, 3rd grade teacher
Patty Begley - Eisenhower Elementary - Kindergarten teacher
Tiffany Markham - Lake Street Elementary - 1st grade teacher
Alicia Bellamy - MacArthur Elementary - Counselor

Secondary Teacher of the Year - Allison Florek

Ali Florek is an English 9 teacher at Crown Point High School. She has worked in the district for 10 years and graduated from Indiana University Bloomington with a degree in English Education. She currently co-sponsors student council, is an instructional coach for other teachers, and is the freshman class sponsor. She previously coached track and cross country at CPHS for eight years.

“It only takes a few minutes in the same room as Mrs. Ali Florek to realize that she is magic,” said Annie Lorek, CPHS Assistant Principal. “Mrs. Florek is the dinner-time conversation teacher: the one who students talk about when parents ask them about their day. She is the culture-builder: the one a colleague points to as the person who inspired them to pursue excellence in a new way. She is the joy-maker: the one who students and adults alike join in playful dancing as they make their way through the halls. She is the life-changer: the one a young adult remembers fondly as the person who saw them, believed in them, and inspired them to their greatest potential.”

Fellow CPHS teacher Rachele Raloff agrees. “Ali devotes all of her energies to CPHS. She is an engaging teacher, a connected co-worker, a respected leader, and a kind human.”

Finalists for Secondary Teacher of the Year were:

Devin Lewis - Taft MS, English teacher
Stephanie Olson - Col. Wheeler MS - Math teacher

Employee of the Year - Michele Kral

Michele Kral is the district’s catering manager. She has been employed at CPCSC since 2007 and has an Associates degree in Applied Science Culinary Arts from Joliet College. Before working in the district, Michele trained and cooked around the Chicagoland area, and worked in catering on the East Coast. “I love spending time with my family cooking their favorite meals when given the opportunity, family fun night and enjoying a good pizza,” said Michele. “I love using my creativity when it comes to preparing meals, knowing that food brings everyone together! “

“Michele makes sure all her food products are delicious,” said Pam Maloney, the district’s Director of Food Services. “Michele knows her audience and prepares food according to their preferences. We are lucky to have a chef on staff.”

Fellow employee Cathy Spencer nominated Michele. “Michele always puts her heart and soul into all the food and platters she creates. She treats all employees and co-workers as if they are family, and will drop what she's doing to help anyone she can.”

Finalists for Employee of the Year were:

Al Roach - Jerry Ross Elementary, Head Custodian
Jeannie Watson - Preschool, Paraprofessional
Karen Harmicar - CPHS, Custodian

Administrator of the Year - Jennifer Linsley

Principal Linsley smiles and applauds at a welcome breakfast for new teachers earlier this year

CPCSC is proud to announce that Jennifer Linsley, principal of Jerry Ross Elementary is the 2023-2024 Administrator of the Year. Ms. Linsley has been the principal of Jerry Ross since the building opened in 2009 and brings true dedication to her role.

Parent Fred Dobry was one of the individuals who nominated Ms. Linsley. “Starting towards the end of last school year through the beginning of 2023, our family navigated a difficult situation. As a result of Ms. Linsley's compassionate and empathetic leadership, we had an entire team at Jerry Ross involved in supporting our family. She had to wear multiple hats that go well beyond the role of a typical principal. We will forever be indebted to Miss Linsley, and her entire team (in particular Miss Reeder, Miss Berger, Miss Pape, Mr. Miller, and Mr. Roach for helping us through this challenging experience. I can think of no person more deserving of this recognition this year than Principal Linsley.”

2022-2023

Elementary Teacher of the Year - Kathleen Lucht

Kathleen Lucht teaches first grade at Eisenhower Elementary and has 34 years of service in Crown Point Schools.

“Mrs. Lucht loves her students! I appreciate that she treats each child as an individual and celebrates their successes. She has fun in her classroom and with her students. My son loves his teacher and wants to do his best thanks to the loving learning environment she creates!” said Katie Natt, a parent of an Eisenhower student.

"Her positive attitude, student-centered approach, and collaborative nature have resulted in a plethora of student successes throughout our school and school district. Kathleen builds long lasting and trusting relationships with parents and families. She provides meaningful opportunities for them to take part in and be a voice in their child's education,” Calli Dado, Eisenhower principal, said

Finalists for Elementary Teacher of the Year:

Shannon Carroll, Lake St.
Christina Curtis, MacArthur
Elizabeth Ewen, Solon
Maryann Howarth, Timothy Ball
Beth Morey, Winfield
Reena Foster, Jerry Ross
Andrea Avila, Learning Center

Secondary Teacher of the Year - Jill Vagner

Jill Vagner is a seventh grade teacher at Col. Wheeler Middle School with 17 years of service in Crown Point Schools. She is a school leader in many positions including School Improvement Team, Builders Club, Science Department PLC Leader, MTSS Leader, Instructional Leadership Team, Coffee and Chatter Club, Spirit Club, as well as a variety of community outreach activities.

“Mrs. Vagner is a tireless worker who ALWAYS puts students first. She is a team player who collaborates with colleagues, administrators, and extracurricular staff on a regular basis. She is an active instructional-leader from our seventh grade science team who has pioneered many initiatives over her tenure,” principal Jacob Rodriguez said.

Finalists for Secondary Teacher of the Year:

Rachele Raloff, Crown Point High School
Mary Jones, Taft Middle School

Employee of the Year - Chantel Pierce

Chantel pictured (center) with Art and Laura

Chantel Pierce is the Benefits Coordinator for Crown Point Community School Corporation. She was previously the district’s data specialist. Her positive attitude and willingness to help others is evident in her work each day.

“Chantel has continued year after year to help support CPCSC in the growth and expansion of the corporation. She has supported the staff with her ongoing commitment to her new roles,” Shaun Dunn, CPCSC employee, said.

Finalists for Employee of the Year:

Laura Renicker, Paraprofessional
Art Samano, K-8 Custodial Supervisor

Administrator of the Year - Annie Lorek

Annie Lorek pictured with her family at board meeting, receiving flowers and certificate

Annie Lorek is an Assistant Principal at Crown Point High School and has 17 years of service at Crown Point Schools. She is a former Teacher of the Year. In her role as assistant principal, Annie continues to focus on supporting students - specifically how staff can connect with students in a large setting like CPHS. She leads professional development opportunities at the high school and is an integral part of the administrative team.

“Annie goes above and beyond to help students and teachers succeed. It's clear by every action, every day that she cares so much about making our school a better place,” Lisa Keene, CPHS teacher, said.

2021-2022

2021-2022 Teachers of the Year

Jennifer Pollitt, a third grade teacher, has been part of the staff at Timothy Ball Elementary since her student teaching experience in 2008. She then moved to the position of Instructional Aide and became a classroom teacher in 2011. Beyond her successes in the classroom, Mrs. Pollitt also coordinates Spell Bowl, Math Bowl, and Lego Club.

“Mrs. Pollitt works tirelessly to help each child grow academically...She forms meaningful relationships which help her know what each student needs emotionally and academically.” - Nicholas Ciochina, Principal, Timothy Ball Elementary

“During the ups and downs, and ins and outs, of COVID, Mrs. Pollitt has remained steady and calm. She is fantastic at communicating what needs to be done each day. As a parent, I truly appreciate how easily we could follow her online agendas. She continues to be encouraging. My son enjoys her as a teacher and is turning corners in areas he was behind in before.” - Laura Berry, Timothy Ball parent

Jeremy Walker is a Geometry teacher and Blended Learning Specialist at Crown Point High School. Mr. Walker has been part of the CPHS teaching staff since 1995. As part of his blended learning position, Mr. Walker has provided teachers, parents, and students with countless hours of help to navigate technology and learning in a non-traditional year. He is also a sponsor of the CPHS Latin Club.

“Jeremy is a major contributor to our faculty. He leads several professional development sessions for our teachers, and our administrative team relies on him to provide leadership in the area of technology and technology-based instructional practices.” - Russ Marcinek, Principal, Crown Point High School

“The pandemic has been hard for everyone, and I know teachers in particular, have been pulled in so many new directions. As a parent, I’m grateful for Mr. Walker’s dedication. His commitment to teaching and to his students has had such a positive effect on my daughter. He was able to connect with her, and his enthusiasm and upbeat nature helped her day by day.” - Heather Cain, CPHS parent

The annual Teacher of the Year award is formally presented each year at the May board meeting. Recipients are then eligible to apply for the state of Indiana’s Teacher of the Year Award.

Teacher of the Year nominations are solicited from parents, teachers, and staff every February. Staff from each building then vote for a representative from the nominations. A review committee narrows the representatives to a list of finalists. The committee reviews finalists’ applications, letters of recommendation, and conducts interviews before choosing an elementary level teacher and a secondary level teacher.

This year’s finalists for the award included Amanda Kosiba (Winfield Elementary), Danielle Mulder (Lake St. Elementary), Jamie Edgington (Learning Center), Katie Rice (Solon Elementary), Melissa Donaldson (MacArthur Elementary), Nicole Sekulaski (Jerry Ross Elementary), Sarah Fritz (Eisenhower Elementary), Jill Vagner (Col. Wheeler Middle School), and Scott Reid (Taft Middle School).

Employee of the Year

The 2021-2022 Employee of the Year is Dana Torreano, the head of CPCSC’s school nurses. Dana has tirelessly worked to support all of our schools during the health and safety issues surrounding COVID. Our nurses helped complete the contact tracing when we received news of a positive case, which has made their jobs very difficult. Dana has been a leader to our nursing team throughout the year and an integral part of CPCSC’s response to COVID.

Finalists for this year's Employee of the Year were Chantel Pierce, ASC; Mike Carnahan, MacArthur Elementary.

Administrator of the Year

Our 2021-2022 Admin of the Year is Karin Toth, Director of Transportation. Karin has been with CPCSC for 23 years. She ensures that our drivers receive training, that routes are efficiently planned, and she works with parents to make sure students arrive to and from school safely. COVID challenges made transportation very difficult last year. Even on distance learning days, Karin had to configure transportation for distance learning students so they could take required state standardized tests. She also makes sure services are provided for students with disabilities or who are experiencing homelessness. Karin is planning to retire this year, but we thank her for her years of expertise and service for our students.

Mike Carnahan Spirit of a Bulldog Award

This special award recognizes an employee whose years of service leaves a long-lasting impact on students and the school community. Read more about CPCSC's Mike Carnahan Spirit of a Bulldog Award.

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