June 05, 2024
Page 5
Onpoint’s Prize for Excellence in Education
Four Local
Educators
Have Mortgage
or Rent Paid
for One Year
OnPoint Community Cred-
it Union has announced the four
winners of the 2024 OnPoint
Prize for Excellence in Educa-
tion Educator of the Year awards.
K-5 Educator of the Year, Rachel
Hertz 1st grade teacher at North
Star Elementary School in Bend,
Ore. Rachel Hertz has spent her
20-year career as a teacher work-
ing to give her students a sense of
belonging. Her philosophy as an
educator is simple: there is always
something new to learn, to experi-
ence and to better inform how she
teaches. When we stop learning,
Hertz says, we stop growing. A
proud representative of her Boliv-
ian and Mexican heritage, Hertz
ensures her classroom celebrates
every student’s background. She
encourages students to share their
cultures and traditions and uses
culturally relevant materials to
enhance their learning experience.
6-8 Educator of the Year, Sher-
OnPoint Community Credit Union has announced the four winners of the 2024 OnPoint Prize for
Excellence in Education Educator of the Year awards.
ry Reeder a 6th – 8th grade spe-
cial education teacher at Molalla
River Middle School in Molalla,
Ore. Sherry Reeder understands
students are more than just recip-
ients of knowledge - they want to
be active participants in their edu-
cational journey. Her student-cen-
tered approach means creating
an environment in her classroom
where students feel empowered.
Reeder's impact extends across
the school. She worked with the
administration to conduct focus
groups that helped identify the
causes of low satisfaction scores
among students. This led to the
implementation of "brain breaks"
to help reduce student anxiety and
stress. She is also helping to make
elective classes accessible for
English Language Development
students and those with additional
needs.
9-12 Educator of the Year, Mi-
chelle Colbert, 9th – 12th grade
art and career technical educa-
tion teacher at Fir Ridge Campus
in Portland, Ore. For Michelle
Colbert, art can be a powerful
tool to empower youth and allow
them to amplify their voices, ex-
press themselves and do so in a
setting where they feel comfort-
able. Colbert strives for that every
day, whether she is teaching art
or career and technical education
(CTE) at Fir Ridge Campus.
When her students returned to
in-person learning after the pan-
demic, she challenged them to
express how they were impact-
ed. The result was mixed media
self-portraits that gave Colbert an
important glimpse into that peri-
od of their lives. In her industrial
arts class, Colbert leads students
through the process of manufac-
turing skateboards – from design-
ing to adding graphics, grip tape,
trucks and wheels. The end result
is not just a skateboard but a boost
in confidence and skills.
Gold Star Educator of the Year
is Dr. Traniece Brown-Warrens,
principal at Markham Elementary
School in Portland, Ore. In January
2024, an ice storm left Markham
Elementary School inoperable.
Principal Traniece Brown-War-
rens immediately jumped in to
ensure as little disruption as pos-
sible. She worked with four oth-
er schools to “host” students by
Continued on Page 9
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