Pentucket High School staff, Mr. Siegfried (teacher) and Ms. Costello (librarian) shared their thoughts and experiences on the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 Trailblazer Award Ceremonies and what could be changed for the better in the future.

After having taught at Pentucket for 18 years, Mr. Siegfried found himself honored to have received the award last year. Ms. Costello presented herself as grateful for being awarded the Trailblazer Award as well, after her 21 years of service to this school and its students.

However, not all students and parents are aware of how to nominate teachers for this award or even what it represents. In Anna Marie Beech’s words, it “is an award that recognizes teachers who have a passion for their subjects and communicate dynamically and powerfully with students.”

The Trailblazer Award offers $500 to each teacher who wins to buy new classroom items. One teacher is chosen from each Pentucket School, making a total of six winners each year. After speaking with Ms. Costello, she explained her 2016 Trailblazer Award Ceremony experience was “very nice. Winners had to attend a school committee meeting, and at the meeting they brought everyone up and handed out the awards and money.”

Mr. Siegfried also said his experience “was very nice” and he “even brought his daughter Ursula.”

A lot has changed from Ms. Costello’s to Mr. Siegfried’s Trailblazer Award experiences. According to Mr. Siegfried, there is now a “nice dinner, and even a guest speaker before handing out the awards.” The PEF (Pentucket Education Foundation) has clearly improved its standards and is showing teachers how much their dedication is appreciated.

Many students have no idea how to nominate a teacher for the Trailblazer Award, but the process is simple and quick. Although the voting for this year has closed, if you would like to make an impact on next year’s winner, here is what you can do. First, log onto the Pentucket Education Foundation website. Next, click on the category at the top of the page labeled Grants/Awards, and then click on the drop down that says “Trailblazer Award.” After that you will be brought to a different page, and you can then scroll down and click on the blue Trailblazer Award form. Once you have filled out the form you can return it to the PEF through their website located under “Contact Us.”

It may not seem like it is substantial, but these simple steps can make a teacher feel appreciated for all of the hard work and dedication they put into teaching students, providing them with a valuable education.

(Cover Photo Source: Tibco)