Top employee honors go to Huntingtown, Barstow

All nominees recognized at banquet

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Huntingtown High math teacher Rolf Arnesen and Barstow Elementary head custodian Alphonso Willet received their honors on Thursday night at the Outstanding Employee of the Year Banquet, held at the Rod ‘N' Reel Restaurant in Chesapeake Beach. The event drew individuals from not only the school system, but the community and the state.

"First off I want to say hats off to all of you who are recognized," said Calvert County Board of County Commissioner's President Wilson Parran [D], who said he still remembers the teacher who persuaded him to run for student government.

"I think he had more confidence in me than I did … I know some of you have worked with students and have done the same thing with the students you have worked with," Parran said.

Darla Strouse, who is executive director for the Maryland State Department of Education Partnership and Recognition Program, also spoke at the program, saying "I want to commend your wonderful superintendent, Jack Smith, who frequently says ‘the best and the brightest teachers reside here in Calvert.'"

Calvert County Board of Education President Eugene Karol, whose wife, Assistant Director of Human Resources Victoria Karol, presided over the program, lauded all employees present, telling them that they have touched the lives of possibly thousands of the county's youth.

"Teaching is a calling; neither the challenge nor the rewards can be equal …. You are appreciated. You are the very best," Karol said.

Arnesen, however, said that he never saw himself as superior amongst his colleagues.

"I can honestly say I didn't expect it in the least," Arnesen said, adding "one of the reasons I was surprised I won was because I just do my job … I do have a strong commitment to the students, but that's just part of my job."

Willett responded to his victory saying, "I just feel hard work pays off."

While interviewing before a committee after receiving his nomination, Willett said he was asked what he contributes to the education of students at Barstow Elementary School.

"I said I worked with them … but I said actually the kids taught me a lot too. They teach me about friendship, fellowship and respect … they know there's nothing I won't do for them to make their day better," Willett said.

The candidate interviews were conducted by two committees, each made up of nine individuals from both the school system and the community. The committees interviewed 25 nominees for Teacher of the Year and 26 nominees for Educational Support Person of the Year, as this category included an individual from the central office.

Each committee member, Victoria Karol explained, had an individual tally list, all of which were eventually added up. She said the committees also gathered feedback from the central office and the community after receiving nominations from each school.

"It was like ‘American Idol,'" laughed Mutual Elementary School secretary Karen Lewis of her interview. "You walk in and there are nine people staring at you … I had no idea what to expect," she said.

Appeal Elementary School special education teacher Barbara Matthews said that just being able to return to her school the next day was a reward in and of itself.

"I feel like I am the luckiest person in the world to be able to teach at Appeal Elementary," she said. "We work hard, we play hard and we take care of each other and our students."

Southern Middle School instructional assistant Phyllis Dawkins said that despite the 30 years she has spent at her job she was still "very surprised" to learn of her nomination.

"Some of the names went in and I was one of them, and when they say ‘you won,' I thought ‘that's great.' It's such an exciting moment."

lbuck@somdnews.com