2010-2011 Marcellus Senior High School Mustang Award Winners

Congratulations go out to Marcellus Senior High School teachers Thomas Shea/Special Education, Ellen Schneider/Science, and Stephanie Ward/English on their selection as 2010-2011 Mustang Award recipients. In an effort to combine recognition with character education, the Marcellus Senior High School Character Education Committee has initiated the eighth annual Mustang Awards. The purpose of the Mustang Awards is “to recognize staff members, students, and community members who consistently demonstrate the high school character trait motto of ‘Integrity, Tenacity, and Community’.” Staff members are selected by students, students are selected by staff recipients, and community members are selected by previous Mustang Award honorees and the Character Education Committee.
Outlined below are the testimonial statements for the 2010-2011 staff member Mustang Award winners:

Stephanie Ward/English Teacher - “First period English is generally not something students look forward to seeing on their schedules. Mrs. Ward changed this for our AP Literature class last year. Mrs. Ward put a lot of time and energy in making the class exciting. She was determined to make us love the books we read as much as she loved them. She made us enthusiastic to write papers on those novels and to express our ideas. Through the year she never gave up trying to engage us in the course, and she never failed. Mrs. Ward was also committed that we would succeed on the exam at the end of the year. She read through our papers over and over, helping us make them better so that when we got to the AP exam, we would know exactly what to do. When test day came, our reactions to the essay portion were instinctual because we were so well prepared. We were excited to write about one of the books that we loved to read, that we understood so well from class. Mrs. Ward’s determination in making English exciting ensured that we were amply prepared for the exam. It also made it so that we were looking forward to first period English every morning.

Thomas Shea/Special Education Teacher – “Mr. Shea, a teacher at Marcellus High School, is the epitome of the word tenacity. Mr. Shea is unbelievably committed to helping others with anything he can, in any way he can. A prime example of this is his involvement in helping advise the Character Education Committee here at Marcellus High School. He helps out with this group in many ways. He is more than willing to stay after late and help set up for coffee houses or help out organizing trips and meetings. Mr. Shea is one of the most dedicated people we have ever seen, putting his time and effort into everything he does. He is all about the people and students and putting his best foot forward inside and outside the classroom. Mr. Shea is a positive role model for students and even other teachers. He is very determined to have a purpose and to make a difference in everything he does. He loves to make this difference each and every day. Mr. Shea is a committed person and teacher who makes a difference in people’s lives because of the amazing person he strives to be.”

Ellen Schneider/Science Teacher – “To say that Ellen Schneider is an important member of the Marcellus school community is an understatement. We all know her as a dedicated teacher. She is truly committed to the success of her students, staying after school for hours to help them with chemistry. Outside of school she can be found climbing up mountains with the Outdoor Club or as a dedicated volunteer at the Samaritan Center. Her bubbly personality and positive attitude, along with her dedication to her community, make Ellen Schneider the perfect choice for this award.”