2017 FLAVA Awards Recipients

Heidi Trude, 2017 David Cox Teacher of the Year Recipient

FLAVA is proud to announce Heidi Trude as the 2017 David Cox Teacher of the Year Award recipient. Heidi is a French teacher at Skyline High School in Warren County Public School Division.

Colleagues, administrators and students describe Heidi as innovative, giving and an invaluable resource. She gladly shares her ideas and cutting-edge methods that use technology to foster second language acquisition. By creating a relationship with a school in France via technology, Heidi gives her students real time interactions with students there. Trude describes her students’ response to the real-world connection as “magic.” “They were no longer just taking a foreign language to fulfill the advanced diploma requirement – it was now real life application of the language.”

Different, innovative, tech-laden, creative, and hands-on (known as DITCH) from Matt Miller’s book, Ditch That Textbook, reflect Heidi’s philosophy of education. She has dared to be different, in trying new things and exposing her students to authentic language situations.

Heidi shared a quote from a previous mentor, “Do what you love, and love what you do.” This exemplifies her passion and joy for being a very effective educator.

George Van den Bergh, This Is Language, 2017 Friend of FLAVA Award

As a staunch supporter of language programs in Virginia for a number of years, George Van den Bergh has been a constant exhibitor and presenter at the FLAVA conferences. He entered into a partnership with the Virginia Foreign Language Supervisors Association to offer a pilot program with free access to his platform, thisislanguage.com, to every world language teacher in Virginia. Teachers and students alike find “the Nutty Tilez game to be addictive and fun.” George also presented at numerous workshops around the state to provide no cost professional development to classroom teachers.

Although the pilot program has ended, George continues to support Virginia teachers, and this is at no small expense as he travels from England to Virginia to provide this service. He visited as a sponsor of the first annual Virginia Foreign Language Association’s Visioning Institute at which he gave an update on the thisislanguage.com website.

Because of his commitment to improving the teaching and learning of world languages in Virginia and his charming and encouraging manner, George Van den Bergh is a very deserving recipient of the 2017 Friend of FLAVA award.

Carol Bass, 2017 Helen Warriner-Burke Distinguished Service Award

This year’s recipient of the FLAVA Helen Warriner-Burke Distinguished Service Award is Carol Bass, World Language Supervisor for Prince William County World Language Program. Carol has served as a dedicated leader for over 30 years. Her constituents remark that Carol is “among the most visible proponents of staff development, always looking for the best practices in the field of languages, a strong voice for change.”

Carol’s career has been framed by her spirit of service, leading efforts to enhance the Spanish for Native Speakers program, ESL program, International Baccalaureate Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programs.

One of the hallmarks of Carol’s leadership is her “consistent positive attitude and willingness to go above and beyond on behalf of students and Division.” In addition to her impressive history as a division supervisor, Carol also serves as an Adjunct Graduate Professor of George Mason University.

Carol Bass personifies effective, distinguished service.

2017 College/University Recognition

Courtney Rose (Longwood, French)

Brandie Zelaya (Longwood, ESL & Spanish)

Savannah Aigner (VCU, Spanish)

Justin Ferranto (Longwood, German and French)

Not pictured: Liam Deihr (UMW, Latin) and Maria Wilcox (ODU, Spanish)

2017 Best of FLAVA Recognition

Effie Hall, Woodgrove High School
German Teacher & Department Chair

Effie Hall will represent FLAVA at NECTFL in February, 2018.

Devyn Keller, Matoaca High School
Latin Teacher

Devyn Keller will represent FLAVA at SCOLT in March, 2018.

Honorable Mention:

Dr. Daryl “Gus” Grissom, BASIS Independent McLean
Latin teacher

Other FLAVA Member Recognitions for 2016-2017
(as reported by September 10, 2017)

Cecilia Abare, Gainesville Middle School 2016 Best of FLAVA Award

Myrna Barr, Cumberland County High School Cumberland High Technology Teacher 2016

Catilin Campbell, Dominion High School 2017 Modern Myth Chair, VJCL Convention

Jennifer Carson, Coordinator of World Languages for Virginia Beach City Public Schools Elected President of the National Association of District Supervisors of Foreign Languages (NADSFL)

Alba M. Croce-Andueza, Mills E. Godwin High School Henrico County Teacher Fest Presenter in 2016

Olivia Exum, Goochland High School Recipient of Goochland County’s flexible seating grant

Gisele Falls, Tallwood High School Masters in Spanish universidad de Salamanca; Trailblazers Award Recipient by the Hispanic Leadership Forum

Anthony Ferrara, Jr., William Monroe High School Studied Technology for Spanish teachers abroad this past summer in Salamanca, Spain

Deborah Ford, Amelia County High School 2016 Teacher of the Year for her school and county, reflecting 40 years of teaching

I-Ping Fu, Radford University 2016 Fellowship to research in Taiwan

Diamond Gee, Bethel High School High School Teacher of the Year for Hampton City Schools

Nyshae Gibson, Booker T. Washington High School 2017-2018 Booker T. Washington Teacher of the Year

Shirley Hall, Ocean Lakes High School Distinguished Teacher Certificate

Norah Jones, Fluency Consulting LLC Certified Gallup Strengths Coach; Keynoter, Mississippi World Language Conference 2017

Isidoro Kessel, Thomas Nelson Community College Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE), a highly competitive award presented annually to the one faculty member in the VCCS who best exemplifies teaching excellence and all the other responsibilities that go with instructional appointments

Devyn Keller, Matoaca High School 2017 Chesterfield County Public Schools Novice Foreign Language Teacher Award

Magdalena Markovinovic, E.C. Glass High School The U. S. Department of State recognition for crucial role in the 2016 German-American Partnership Program (GAPP) as E. C. Glass High School’s GAPP Coordinator

Catherine Mazzola, Midlothian High School French program was recognized as one of eleven schools and universities in the nation to receive an AATF Exemplary Program with Honors award

Jamie Midyette, Albert Hill Middle School 2018 Teacher of the Year for Albert Hill Middle School

Cynthia Moore, Waynesboro High School National Board Certification was renewed

Dr. Kathyrn Murphy-Judy, Virginia Commonwealth University Named Coordinator of French Program at VCU

Ester Orellana, ESL Richmond City Public Schools Top Ten Teacher of the Year 2017

Maria Parrales, Old Dominion University Inducted into Sigma Delta Pi, Spanish honorary

Amy Petersen, Midlothian High School REB Award Recipient to participate in an immersion French course and tour the Ancient Roman sites of Provence

Beatrix Preussse-Burr, Fairfax County Public Schools, Elected president of VFLSA

Timotha Rainey, Tuscarora High School One of fourteen French teachers nationally who were awarded a scholarship to complete pedagogical study at CAVILAM in Vichy, France for 2 weeks in July 2017

Megan Rebman, Midlothian and Monacan High Schools Inducted into Gamma Gamma Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International (teacher honorary)

Darrelle “Rudy” Smith, Elected Treasurer of VFLSA

JoAna Smith, Midlothian High School FLAVA representative to Leadership Initiative for Language Learning (LILL), 2017

Pamela St. Clair, Rockbridge County High School REACH Award 2016; 2017 Outstanding Teacher designation by an outgoing senior student

Bettina Staudt, Chesterfield County Public Schools Named World Language Curriculum Specialist for Chesterfield County Schools

Linda Szwabowski, Trinity Episcopal School, Chesterfield County’s World Language Novice Teacher Award has been renamed to honor her service and leadership in world languages

Heidi Trude, Skyline High School 2017 Virginia Region IV Teacher of the Year; EdTech Team MasterClass Leader for VA; Google Curriculum Development Specialist for VA

Karin Woodrum, Lafayette High School 2016 Best of FLAVA Award

Lorena Wornom, Alanton Elementary School Alanton Elementary School Teacher of the Year, 2018

Dr. Celia Zamora, Oakcrest School Received Ph.D. with honors from Georgetown University; had 3 articles published in peer-reviewed journals; Graduate Student Teacher of the Year from Georgetown University; a “Hispanic Scholar of the Year” from the Hispanic Scholarship Fund