Germann received a basket of marigolds, a book, a certificate, a copy of her nomination letter, and a $100 Amazon gift card to build her classroom library. Award nominees received a certificate, a copy of their nomination letter, and a marigold.
Germann has been teaching for 29 years. She began her career teaching 1st grade. Inspired by her own 1st-grade teacher, Mrs. Wolf, Germann has known since elementary school that she wanted to teach. It was while pursuing her master’s degree in reading she realized her passion to help struggling students improve their reading comprehension.
Currently, Germann works as a reading interventionist helping kindergarteners, 1st, and 2nd graders. During the second half of her day, she works one-on-one with students in a reading recovery program to help them significantly improve their reading skills. The program takes 20 weeks and by the end of the course, most students are reading at or above their current grade level.
Having coached volleyball for 30 years, Germann’s competitive spirit drives her to want to help students succeed. She doesn’t want any student to fail. “If something isn’t going well, it’s my job to find a way to break-through,” expressed Germann. It makes it all worth it when she sees students independently using strategies they learned or when a student realizes they can do it without her by their side.
According to the Regional Office of Education #47, the Marigold Award is an annual award given to teachers in Whiteside County in memory of Jen Banks, whose passion as a teacher and improvement coach was an inspiration to many. Teachers who are nominated demonstrate being encouraging, supportive, and nurturing. They are leaders in their community, classrooms, and families; they possess a love of learning and share that learning with others. Here is the list of nominees:
- Addisen Thayer, Paraprofessional, Lincoln Elementary School
- Amanda Abbott, Guidance Counselor, Erie Elementary School
- Amber Schott, 1st Grade, Jefferson Elementary School
- Ann Heyvaert, Special Education, Jefferson Elementary School
- Ashley Heun, 3rd Grade, Unity Christian School
- Aubrey Farrell, STEM, Lincoln, and Jefferson Elementary Schools
- Chris Lantz, 3rd Grade, Merrill Elementary School
- Christie Houck, 2nd Grade, Jefferson Elementary School
- Diane Gould, 3rd Grade, Washington Elementary School
- Emily Grady, 5th Grade, Tampico Elementary School
- Enrica Jacob, One-on-One Aide, Lincoln Elementary School
- Heather Geary, Pre-Kindergarten Teacher’s Aide, Franklin Elementary
- Jennifer Popejoy, Special Education, Riverdale Preschool
- Jessica Moreno, Speech Language Pathologist, Washington Elementary School
- Kara Wisdom, 2nd Grade, Erie Elementary School
- Katie Wilcox, School Nurse, Franklin Elementary School
- Kayla Messer, One-on-One Aide, Lincoln Elementary School
- Kristi Chavira, Interventionist, Merrill Elementary School
- Kristin Ports, 1st Grade, Jefferson Elementary School
- Lacy Halverson, Special Education, Challand Middle School
- Maggie Block, Special Education, Challand Middle School
- Marchet Harts, Preschool, Jefferson Elementary School
- Melissa Kyarsgaard, 1st Grade, Franklin Elementary School
- Missy Foster, Social Studies, Challand Middle School
- Rebecca Temple, Itinerant Orthopedic Impairment, Bi-County Special Education Cooperative
- Scott Rogers, 7th Grade Social Studies, Rock Falls Middle School
- Shelby Melton, 3rd Grade, Lincoln Elementary School
- Stacy Germann, Reading Interventionist, Fulton Elementary School
- Tracie Power, Title 1 Reading, Jefferson Elementary School
