Cape Teacher of the Year to be named June 2
The Cape Henlopen School District will announce its Teacher of the Year June 2 at a special celebration honoring teachers earning building-level honors and their invited guests.
Teachers vying for the top honor represent the following schools: Brian Walley, Beacon Middle; Kelci Atkins, Cape High; Nina Wilkinson, H.O. Brittingham Elementary; Donna Gibson, Love Creek Elementary; Alison Herman, Mariner Middle; Panayi “Pete” Stephanos, Milton Elementary; Tiffany McMahon, Rehoboth Elementary; Maura Johnson, Shields Elementary; and Bob Sabolcik, Sussex Consortium.
The district Teacher of the Year will represent Cape at the state level in the fall. The 2022 Delaware Teacher of the Year will be named Monday, Oct. 11, Department of Education spokesperson Alison May said.
Brain Walley, sixth grade math teacher at Beacon Middle, has taught for 16 years and is currently team leader. After a career in computer support, Walley changed careers and saw that male African American students, in particular, who were struggling in school were often labeled “trouble” students. As a result, he focused his doctoral dissertation on ways to help these students. Walley has a bachelor’s degree in computer science, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, and a doctoral degree in educational leadership. He has been a part of several Delaware Department of Education teams and committees and is a member of Cape’s Community Minority Liaison Committee.
Cape High economics teacher Kelci Atkins holds a bachelor’s degree in social studies education. She initially worked at Beacon Middle, where she served on the PBS Team, initiated the school Diversity Club, was an AVID site team member and coached the first Girls on the Run team. In 2018, she transferred to Cape High to teach ninth and tenth grade social studies. A member of Cape’s attendance committee and equity team, she also choreographs for the theatre program, is the marching band dance coach, and coached the Mock Trial team that placed first in the 2020 state competition, and in the top 10 for the 2021 competition.
H.O. Brittingham Elementary kindergarten teacher Nina Wilkinson holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and elementary education and a master’s degree of education in applied educational technology. A 10-year district employee, Wilkinson helped pioneer the highly successful Immersion Program and serves as a model and mentor for other district teachers. Outside of the classroom, Wilkinson believes in teaching students to be active in their community; she has been involved in the local fire department for 10 years, and has planned profitable fundraising events that helped to pay for lifesaving equipment.
Cape High grad Donna Gibson is a Love Creek Elementary first grade Immersion English partner who holds a master’s degree in education and began her teaching career in the Milford School District. Gibson said she was ecstatic to work with such a contemporary language program that takes a new approach to learning. During the pandemic, she moved classrooms, taught two large classes of first graders, and welcomed 13 additional students for livestream instruction in January.
Alison Herman, seventh grade language arts teacher and volleyball coach at Mariner Middle, holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a concentration in sport pedagogy, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, and a doctorate in athletic administration. Herman is an instructional leader in her content area, driving the force for the American Reading Company curriculum at Cape, and promotes the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Program by running activities like Dance Crews, News Teams, Sing, Mingo and MMS Scavenger Hunts.
Milton Elementary fifth grade teacher Panayi “Pete” Stephanos holds a master’s degree in applied technology, equipping himself with the tools and experience necessary to provide a blended learning environment. Stephanos said his students come from diverse backgrounds and cultures, which he says makes the classroom environment rich and exciting. Stephanos’ passion for teaching and supporting young learners came from watching his mother, who was dedicated to the profession throughout his childhood, and from teachers who had patience and took the time to help support him in school.
Rehoboth Elementary fifth grade teacher and Cape grad Tiffany McMahon holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education K-6, a master’s degree in applied educational technology and a certificate in special education K-12. McMahon began her teaching career as a special education ILC teacher, and has taught small group special education students, as a team teacher in a TAM classroom, and most recently, serves as a remote and face-to-face educator for the general and special education population. McMahon serves on the PBS committee and is an active member of Delta Kappa Gamma.
Shields Elementary third grade teacher and Cape grad Maura Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and is currently taking classes toward a master’s degree in elementary and secondary school counseling. As a Lighthouse Coordinator at Shields, Johnson is a champion of the Leader in Me program and is a five-year volunteer coach for Delaware’s Girls on the Run program, which helps build confidence and teach social-emotional skills in young girls.
Sussex Consortium special educator Bob Sabolcik creates educational environments that support students in a separate setting, including a high school program at Sussex Correctional Institution to better address the needs of regular and special education students. He also created a program at the Sussex Consortium where students can learn in small groups, individually, or in online formats. Sabolcik is trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach to reading instruction, the trauma informed care approach to education, and interpersonal communication conflict resolution. He is certified as a reading specialist and in secondary English, secondary social studies, and special education. Sabolcik holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature, a master’s degree in secondary English education, and 30 credits in the master’s program for educational leadership at Wilmington University.
