Teacher And Para Of The Year Named In Southington

SOUTHINGTON, CT — School officials in Southington Monday announced the teacher and paraeducator of the year.

Here are the official announcements:

Teacher of the Year

The Southington Public School District is proud to announce that Kara Sievel, a Literacy Specialist at John F. Kennedy Middle School, has been chosen as the 2020-2021 District Teacher of the Year. Ms. Sieval will be recognized by the District and her peers at the 2020-2021 Staff Convocation. Also, she will be recognized by the Board of Education and the community at a reception prior to a Board of Education meeting in September at the Municipal Center.

Ms. Sievel began her teaching career in Southington in January 2003 as a sixth grade Language Arts Teacher at Kennedy Middle School. In August 2007, she was promoted to the position of Literacy Specialist and Coach, assigned to support students and teachers at both DePaolo Middle School and Kennedy Middle School, a position in which she served for four years. Ms. Sievel is currently a full time Literacy Specialist at Kennedy Middle School.

Kara has designed and presented numerous professional learning activities, most recently at
Yale’s Emotional Intelligence National Conference. Kara serves on numerous committees at Kennedy Middle School and serves on the District Emotional Intelligence Committee as well as the District Professional Development and Evaluation Committee.

Ms. Sievel received her Bachelor of Science degree from Providence College in 2000 and her Master of Arts degree from Central Connecticut State University in 2002. Additionally, she earned her Sixth-Year degree in school administration from Central Connecticut State University in May 2017. Kara has attended many professional learning sessions over the years, but the most memorable retreats in which she participated were with Dan Siegel and Bruce Perry in 2017. Kara is a founding member of the Ana Grace Project, an organization that focuses on choosing to love and educating others on the importance of mental health and interconnections. She is an active participant in Yale University’s Changemaker Fellowship.

Ms. Sievel has received grants from "Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education for Teachers" and "Fund for Teachers." In 2018, Kara traveled to Bali, Indonesia with some of those grant funds to study Mindfulness and
Leadership.

Ms. Sievel describes her goal in education as being able to help others recognize their true potential in order for them to live their best life. Ms. Sievel resides in Farmington, CT.

Para of thre Year

The Southington Public School District is proud to announce that Suzanne Topper, Paraeducator at Derynoski Elementary School, has been chosen as the 2020 - 2021 Anne Marie Murphy Paraeducator of the Year. Ms. Topper’s name has been submitted to the Connecticut State Department of Education and the School Paraeducator Advisory Council, as a nominee for the Connecticut 2020-2021 Anne Marie Murphy Paraeducator of the Year.

Ms. Topper began her career in Southington in September 2003 as a full-time Paraeducator at Derynoski Elementary School. Her colleagues describe her as the first person to volunteer and take on additional duties in her school. She always goes above and beyond to assist and advocate for her students. Sue is constantly learning new strategies to effectively support her students. She collaborates with the district to assist in planning meaningful professional development topics for all Paraeducators. Sue is admired for her passion to help those around her thrive. Her many commitments include her involvement as the "Little Dragon Mentor" as well as helping build the "Courtyard Classroom."

Sue is the District’s Vice President of the Local UPSEU Union and is a member of the school’s Crisis Team. She wears many hats and she truly understands what it means to be part of a school community. According to her colleagues, her devotion to her job truly impacts her peers, students, and administrators.

Ms. Topper will be recognized by the District and her peers at the Convocation ceremony. The
Southington Public School District is proud to be represented by Suzanne Topper, the 2020-2021 Anne Marie Murphy Paraeducator of the Year.

Other Awards

Southington Public Schools also announced Stacy Ferrett as the High School Teacher of the Year and Kathleen Wagner as the Elementary School Teacher of the Year.

Stacy has been teaching at Southington High School since 1993. She is a cooperating teacher and mentors new teachers. She has served on numerous committees including the Habits of Work Committee, various interview committees, and the Principal’s Advisory Committee.

Kathleen has been a Kindergarten teacher at Hatton Elementary School for the past six years. She is currently enrolled in a Master of Arts Program for Mathematics Education at Western Governor’s University. She served on the district’s Kindergarten mathematics curriculum writing committee in 2015 and serves on the Science Collaborative committee as well as several other district committees.