This program recognizes outstanding teachers in South Wisconsin District preschools, elementary and high schools. Nominations may be made by administrators, teachers, parents, pastors, congregation members, and students (past and present).
Criteria: A person currently serving in one of the Lutheran preschools, elementary, or high schools in the South Wisconsin District who has given unselfishly of time and talents for the work of the Kingdom and is truly worthy of recommendation and nomination. The person may teach any level from preschool through the high school.
Nominations may be made by administrators, teachers, parents, pastors, congregation members, and students (past and present).
Nominations due Dec. 20.
Go to online nomination form.
2008 award winners
2007/2008 Teacher of the year award winners (left to right): Paula Pierce, Gary Janetzke, SWD executive for congregational services—schools, youth, family and Mark Newman
Early childhood: Paula Pierce, St. John, North Prairie
Paula has been the administrator at St. John’s Lutheran Preschool and Daycare for over four years. She works tirelessly to make the preschool & daycare a top quality school and works even harder to make sure that the focus is on the proclamation of the Gospel. During her time as administrator, enrollment in both the preschool and daycare has doubled and the school has received great recognition within the community.
Her greatest attribute is her strong faith. She has been a member of St. John’s her whole life and is faithful in weekly worship and Bible study. She also directs the Vacation Bible School, helps with the youth group and witnesses her faith to everyone. Through her hard work of connecting the preschool and the congregation, we have had many families join our church.
As Paula’s background is in business, she has brought great administration and organizational skills. She keeps strong communication with her teachers and the church, and always makes sure that her staff is taken care of.
Paula makes professional growth a key component for her and her staff. She consistently attends conferences and workshops provided by the District and brings in continuing education programs to the church for the teachers and staff. She is also in the process of starting the colloquy program so that she will be Synodically trained.
Paula is a loving and encouraging wife and mother to her two children. She volunteers at her children’s schools and has volunteered at many local community projects. She has a great love for each child, parent and teacher in her school and an even greater love for St. John’s and her Lord.
Secondary education: Mark Newman, Lake Country Lutheran High School
Mark Newman influences young people every single day of the school year by presenting to them God's Word in an unadulterated and meaningful way. Mark is the Spiritual Life Director at LCLHS and teaches Scripture to the sophomore, junior and senior students. In his role as Spiritual Life Director, he organizes the chapel speakers, encourages student leadership for devotionals and prayer times, coordinates faculty bible study and prayer times, and cultivates appropriate presentations and speakers for the student body.
As religion teacher, Mark daily opens the Bible to our students for in-depth study and discussion. He has done a masterful job of communicating the LCMS doctrine and positions to a student body where over half the students are not Lutheran. He teaches in such a way that provides sensitivity to students of other faiths while lovingly confronting them and challenging them to substantiate their beliefs using only Scripture in that defense.
He is extremely well respected by the school community. Mark has led Bible studies for young adults through his church, Hales Corners, and has been a presenter at teachers’ conferences. He has been extremely valuable to our ministry mission and growth at LCLHS.
2007 award winners
2006/2007 Teacher of the year award winners (left to right): Brad Alles, Jeanne Meyer,
Laurie Prewitt and Gary Janetzke, SWD executive for congregational services—youth,
family and education.
Early childhood: Laurie Prewitt, New Hope, Neenah
Because of the role models that God placed in her life, Laurie Prewitt knew at the age of seven that she wanted to be a teacher. A product of Lutheran school from grade school through college, Laurie also received a master’s degree in elementary education with an emphasis in early childhood and administration.
Laurie loves teaching children of all levels, but her passion is with four- and five-year-olds. She also is the administrator of New Hope Christian School, Neenah, since its founding in 1991. This is the first year that she actually has two afternoons a week to focus solely on administrative needs in a school of 240 students.
As a reflection of her philosophy that Christian education should be for all children, she has made New Hope a school for children with all kinds of learning needs, from sensory needs, to visually challenged, to children with Down’s Syndrome and CP. To affirm that commitment, the school provides occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech, and they also have reading specialists and paraprofessionals so that the best education plan can be developed for each student.
Because of her philosophy and love of children, the school has been a contributing factor for many unchurched families to connect with New Hope. It has an excellent reputation in the community as evidenced by a legendary waiting list.
A parent wrote, “Laurie’s commitment to Christian education is unwavering. New Hope is first and foremost a school committed to furthering the kingdom of God. Laurie’s classroom reflects her love for God and her desire to pass on that love to each child in her classroom. God, Jesus Christ, and the Bible are the foundation for the learning and living that takes place within the school. What is offered at New Hope Christian School is truly unique in this area. With the combination of the godly learning environment, emphasis on learning styles, hands-on learning and the acceptance of special needs children into such a program, she has truly improved education for so many children.”
Elementary education: Jeanne Meyer, Grace, Oak Creek
Jeanne Meyer brings an unbridled enthusiasm to her classroom. Her creative approaches to teaching help 1st and 2nd grade students at Grace, Oak Creek, grow to their fullest potential and beyond. With over thirty years of teaching experience, Jeanne has many tried-and-true units, lessons, and teaching methods. Yet, a great strength of hers is that she does not rely solely on these. She is open to innovation and readily implements new teaching methods. Currently, she is pursuing a second master’s degree in special education, and is using all she is learning to enrich the education of each child in her class.
Jeanne has a tremendous love for science, animals, and hands-on learning which she shares with her students. The centers in her classroom allow the children to explore, be creative and learn. Her science unit on hatching chick’s eggs involves lessons in math, art, reading, English and religion. As an English unit, the children write, practice, and perform their own plays; but, spontaneously, as a fun, creative activity to do when their other work is done, the children write, practice and perform additional plays, often based on book they have read, their religion lesson or other recent class activities. Jeanne shares her love of reading with the students through a wide variety of group and individual activities, one-on-one practice reading time with volunteers, and the intentional use of various trade books and reading activities across all subject areas. Likewise, she weaves her faith into every subject she teaches, and shares a genuine love of Christ with the children through her words, music, and action.
Jeanne is a kind, considerate person who helps students by trying various approaches to a lesson. Her winsome and truly shepherding ways motivate children and serve to minimize discipline problems. Parents are welcomed by her openness to them and the opportunities they have to volunteer in her classroom.
Jeanne brings a contagious enthusiasm to whatever she is doing. This is evident not only in the classroom and other school activities, but also in her role as lease coordinator and trainer for the Stephen Ministry program. In this role, she also helps to provide training for the Stephen Ministers of St. John, Cudahy. She is a caring and dedicated wife, she travels weekends to West Bend to care for her aging parents, and until their recent deaths, and she also provided much care for her in-laws. Until its sale four years ago, she also provided much help running Meyer’s Orchards, her husband’s family farm. Jeanne is an exceptional Christian individual, and a treasure to have as a teacher for our children.
Secondary education: Brad Alles, Milwaukee Lutheran
Brad Alles’ path to greatness began when he was in eighth grade where his teacher so inspired him that he wanted to inspire young people himself.
Brad is also a product of Lutheran schools culminating with a master of arts degree in Christian education. He taught for three years at Concordia Lutheran High School in Tomball, Texas and the rest of his career has been spent at Milwaukee Lutheran High School. He teaches senior religion, has been the drama department chair, light and sound crew director, and is currently the humanities division chair.
His personal mission statement is summarized as, “making learners read to communicate Christ.”
His principal states that his teaching “culminates in the ability of his students to witness and defend their faith when they leave our building, providing them with a lifelong skill.”
Brad is not only highly respected at MLHS but is also well through of throughout the LCMS. He has been invited to make presentations at twelve LCMS district youth gatherings and has been a leader and a presenter at the National Youth Gatherings. He has worked with the LCMS youth ministry office on a number of projects over the years, including writing the teen Bible study training material and oversaw the training of the young adult trainers who in turn led the training in their districts.
Brad also leads various Bible studies at churches in our District and is a featured speaker at congregations, PTL meetings, and elementary school chapels. He has led the faculty of MLHS in a weekly Bible study for the past 10 years.
He has helped design and implement an interdisciplinary course which integrates a social studies contemporary issue class with the senior religion class, which has led Brad to incorporating current events and contemporary issues into the general Epistles and Revelation portion of the senior religion class.
Brad was selected as the Outstanding Student Teacher in 1987 from Concordia, Seward, and also the Heartland Funds Teacher of Merit at MLHS in 2000.