St. Charles County Alliance for Business, Learning and Education announces 2013 award winners

Published: 06/05/2013

The purpose of the ABLE Excellence in Education Awards is to recognize excellence in the teaching profession to those individuals who play a vital role in making a difference in the lives of area children and the community. 

Mitzi Eise, teacher at United Services for Children, received the 2013 ABLE Excellence in Education award in the pre-school/kindergarten category. Eise invests herself in teaching and strives to help each child progress. This past year, her classroom was identified as United Services for Children’s model classroom for child interactions. Teachers spent time in her classroom observing how she relates to and empowers her students. Nominators described Eise as nurturing, kind and compassionate.

Lori Racine, first grade teacher at Saints Joachim and Ann Catholic School, received the 2013 ABLE Excellence in Education award in the elementary category. Racine is a teacher who challenges students individually at their own level through fun and creative learning projects. As stated in her nomination, she is respected by not only her colleagues, but students and families throughout Saints Joachim and Ann Catholic School as well. She is known for her high energy and her willingness to leap beyond the expected responsibilities. Nominators described Racine as patient, caring and encouraging.

Molly Kleiber, middle school teacher at Frontier Middle School, received the 2013 ABLE Excellence in Education award in the middle school category. Kleiber has made many changes in her classroom in the last two years in order to prepare her students for Common Core Standards by incorporating the use of technology on a daily basis. She has been very involved and was recently in charge of the school-wide assembly to get students excited for Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) testing. Outside of the classroom, she has coached multiple sports, sponsored Student Ambassadors and the All of Us Club, and worked summer camps for students with developmental disabilities. Nominators described Kleiber as dedicated, knowledgeable and charismatic.

Hannah Gage, English teacher at Orchard Farm High School, received the 2013 ABLE Excellence in Education award in the high school category. Her nomination noted Gage’s strong understanding of various instructional strategies as well as her ability to engage students in classroom activities. Gage is the sponsor of her high school’s National Honor Society. Nominators described Gage as welcoming, friendly, motivating and talented.

Lisa Stoner, professor of psychology at St. Charles Community College, received the 2013 ABLE Excellence in Education award in the post-secondary school category. Stoner has been the sole faculty member of the Behavioral Intervention Team since its inception. As a volunteer, she spends 90 minutes each week meeting with the BIT Team, in addition to fielding crisis issues throughout the week via phone and email. Stoner has also been trained to work a suicide hotline and gives time each week answering phones. In addition, she organized SCC’s Child Abuse Prevention Week, which drew more than 1,000 students. Nominators described Stoner as student-centered, goal-driven and approachable.

Nomination letters were submitted by parents, current or former students, teachers, staff members, administrators and community leaders. 

The St. Charles County Alliance for Business, Learning and Education was created in 2008 in collaboration with local business leaders and participating school district personnel to foster workforce readiness and educational programs for kindergarten through 12^th grade students and teachers in the community. ABLE partners with local schools, businesses and organizations to design and deliver quality programs that focus on career development, career readiness and career exploration. For more information on ABLE, visit www.stccable.org. 

For more information on the ABLE Excellence in Education Awards or to learn how to become involved in ABLE, contact Tammie De Los Santos, SCC manager of workforce initiatives, at 636-922-8342 or TDelLosSantos@stchas.edu.

St. Charles Community College is a public, comprehensive two-year community college with associate degrees and certificate programs in the arts, business, sciences and career-technical fields. SCC provides workforce training and community-based personal and professional development as well as cultural, recreational and entertainment opportunities. For more information, visit www.stchas.edu.