This just in...
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) today congratulated Springcreek Primary School teacher Karen Phlipot for winning the 2008 Time Warner Cable National Teacher Award.
“Karen Phlipot has made a positive difference in the lives of her students, and it is great to see an excellent teacher from our community receive this recognition for her hard work,” Boehner said. “I congratulate her on earning the Time Warner Cable’s National Teacher Award. She is a credit to Springcreek Primary School and to her profession.”
In October 2007 as Phlipot was teaching her students to identify problems and develop solutions, she asked a small group of 10 students to identify a problem at Springcreek. They discovered they needed more playground equipment.
After explaining to the students that no one would “just give” them money for playground equipment, the students appealed to the Piqua Wal-Mart. They used the Internet to research the importance of playground equipment and presented their findings to Wal-Mart, the Piqua City Board of Education and the community on a local cable channel. Wal-Mart rewarded the students’ hard work with a $1,000 donation.
Springcreek second graders wrote persuasive letters to the third graders for certain items, and the students settled on four-square balls, hula hoops, basketballs and foxtail balls. Additionally, all Springcreek students were invited to vote on a larger purchase, and the student body decided to get a sandbox. Using their math skills, Phlipot’s students graphed the voting results as part of their presentation to the school.
“The kids I worked with this past year made it the best,” Phlipot said. “They’re amazing kids.”
Phlipot asked Boehner to sign Washington , D.C. post cards for each of the 10 students who developed “The Playground Project,” which she will mail to them. Boehner also signed a copy of Doreen Cronin’s book, Duck for President, which Phlipot plans to read to her students.
Phlipot is in her second year teaching students with learning disabilities or cognitive delays at Springcreek, where she did her student teaching. Although she previously worked with first-, second- and third graders, this past school year, she taught only third graders.
Phlipot was one of 15 teachers honored with the Crystal Apple Award by Time Warner Cable. Phlipot will receive $2,000 and Springcreek Primary will receive $3,000 for school technology advancement.
Really, I published this story so I could publish the photo of Republican Leader, my Congressman and a Great American -- John Boehner -- wearing another one of those power pink ties that he's so fond of...
