Kelly Elementary teacher Emily Dawes named Grand Forks Public Schools' teacher of the year
Emily Dawes was honored Wednesday afternoon at Kelly's April student assembly. Dawes has worked as an elementary school teacher in the district for the last 10 years, spending the last four years teaching first grade at Kelly.
"Emily Dawes embodies what it means to be an outstanding educator," Principal Kelli Tannahill said, reading from a testimonial provided by one of her coworkers. "Her No. 1 focus is always her students, as well as the students of her teammates."
Dawes, her coworkers also wrote, is a team player, a consummate professional, and has a genuine passion for teaching.
Superintendent Terry Brenner visited Kelly to announce the award.
"Today, we give her the recognition she so richly deserves, not just for her instructional talent but for the heart she brings to our schools and the difference she makes," Brenner said.
Dawes was joined in Kelly's gymnasium by her husband and three of her four children as she was honored.
She said she was still processing the award when asked for her reaction from the Herald.
"I teach with so many wonderful teachers and to be picked, this is pretty amazing," she said.
Every year, parents, students and district employees submit nominations for teacher of the year, which are reviewed by a committee of around a dozen principals, administrative staff, and a representative from the Grand Forks Foundation for Education.
Assistant Superintendent Matt Bakke, who served on the committee for the first time this year, said committee membership was meant to reflect a "wide plethora" of views within the district.
Dawes first worked as a teacher before leaving the classroom to raise her kids.
She substitute-taught in the district while her kids were young, and later taught music and health classes to kindergartners and first- and second-graders as an instructional paraprofessional at Century Elementary School.
In 2014, she applied for a full-time teaching position at Lewis and Clark Elementary.
"I needed a class, I wanted a classroom," she said. "I wanted my own little people."
Tannahill, then at Lewis and Clark, said Dawes was already well-liked as a parent and educator when the latter was hired to teach third grade.
After six years at Lewis and Clark, Dawes moved over with Tannahill to Kelly, where she's worked as a first-grade teacher ever since.
Dawes says she feels like she's "at home" in a first-grade classroom.
Her first-graders seem to think so too: she was mobbed by her students in a dogpile as they returned to the classroom after the assembly.
Tannahill said one of Dawes' best assets as a teacher is her ability to adapt and stay current with changing mores in elementary education.
"In education now, with the way things change rapidly, you need to do that along with your students," Tannahill said. "She's willing to take risks and do that without hesitation, because she's willing to do what's best for kids."
As part of the award, Dawes received a check for $500 from the Grand Forks Foundation for Education.
Previous award recipients each received $1,000 in 2023 and 2024, according to Herald reporting and a district press release, respectively.
Dawes will also be considered to be Grand Forks County's Teacher of the Year, a prerequisite for the statewide teaching award given by the Department of Public Instruction to one North Dakota teacher.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
This Couple With Spina Bifida Was Denied Adoption—Until a Child Like Them Made Their Dream Come True
When Kelly and Larry Peterson — both born with spina bifida — first applied to adopt a child, they were heartbroken to be turned away. Some agencies told them their disability disqualified them from becoming parents. But the couple never gave up hope. They knew they had the love, experience, and determination to raise a child — and they were right. Today, they're proud parents to a daughter with spina bifida, the perfect match they never stopped believing in. 'Junk, junk,' Kelly Peterson said aloud as she sorted the mail. But when she came to the envelope at the bottom of the stack, her heart sank — it was from an adoption agency, and the news was bad. We are sorry, but we cannot help you with an adoption, the letter read. We have a list of disabilities we don't work with, and yours is one of them. Tears filled Kelly's eyes. She and her husband, Larry, both had spina bifida — a condition in which a baby's spine doesn't form and close properly before birth. They rely on wheelchairs and heavy leg braces to get around. The couple first met at a Chicago-area spina bifida camp when they were just 10 years old and discovered they shared the same birth date and year. They quickly became camp buddies, and despite living miles apart, they always kept in touch — even dating throughout high school. But when they went off to different colleges, they fell out of touch. Kelly studied special education and Larry built a career in customer service. But one night in 2016, Larry's name popped up as a friend suggestion on Kelly's Facebook page. How have you been? She messaged him. A few months later, the former high school sweethearts wed. Kelly had always dreamed of raising a family. She'd babysat since she was 13 and even worked with special needs children and kids with autism, and she loved all her students. But it wasn't the same as having a child of her own, and though doctors said there was no reason Kelly couldn't get pregnant, it just wasn't meant to be. The couple soon decided it was time to try adoption and were interviewed by various agencies. 'You're going to have to educate us,' social workers said reasonably and asked several questions. 'For example, how would you do things like lifting a baby into a crib from a wheelchair? What would you do if your child decided to bolt toward busy traffic?' Kelly and Larry patiently addressed their concerns. They showed the social workers the Pack 'n' Play they planned to use as a bassinet, which included an easy-to-reach changing table. Kelly described her years of babysitting twins and caring for an entire classroom of children with various physical and learning disabilities. 'And as far as our child bolting, I can move pretty fast in my wheelchair,' Kelly said. 'But first of all, our child wouldn't ever be playing anywhere near traffic.' Dreams do come true The couple was ultimately approved for adoption, but then letters began drifting in from various adoption agencies, each more hopeless than the last. 'Is this ever going to happen for us?' Kelly asked Larry, feeling downtrodden. But they were determined. Eventually, Kelly found an agency called Special Angels that helps children with disabilities find forever families. 'We can definitely help you,' they said, and true to their word, the couple was soon matched with the perfect child. A woman in Missouri was in her final months of pregnancy, carrying a baby girl with spina bifida. She couldn't care for the child, and another family had already applied to adopt. Ultimately, the birth family would decide who would adopt the baby girl. 'This is the child we are meant to adopt,' Kelly and Larry said as they submitted their application, outlining their medical histories and Kelly's teaching experience. 'We'll know how to help her through the tough times and show her it's possible to flourish and build a wonderful life despite her disability.' The birth mom agreed, and in November 2018, the couple drove to Missouri to meet their new daughter. 'Hello, Hadley,' they said as they cuddled the newborn, who was already scheduled for the first of many surgeries to come. A true forever family Like all parents, Kelly and Larry celebrated their daughter's milestones — her first smile, her first word, 'Go!' because she wanted to be on the move. Instead of learning to crawl, Hadley learned to roll, and her first steps were in leg braces. Hoping to inspire and encourage other potential disabled parents or parents of disabled kids, Kelly created a Facebook blog, 'Journey Down a Country Road: Spina Bifida + Adoption = Our Family,' where she shares the challenges, joys and rewards of being called 'Mom' by Hadley, now 6 years old. 'I love all my students at school, but Hadley is my daughter. I get to take her home, be silly and do everything with her,' she says. 'She's our perfect little angel and it's a dream come true to be her mom! For more stories about heartwarming families, keep reading… Meet the Therapy Llamas Bringing Smiles to Airport Travelers and Nursing Home Residents These Dads Formed a 'Dad Squad' to Show Up, Support and Spread Joy at Their Kids' High School She Watched Her Dad Fight Cancer—Then She Started a Book Drive That Helped Thousands of Kids Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
18-07-2025
- CBS News
Michigan U.S. Army veteran receives new service dog in passing the leash ceremony
A U.S. Army veteran in Brighton, Michigan, received a new service dog named River on Friday. River, a 1-year-old Bernedoodle, will accompany Yvonne Allen, who served four years in the Army, to work, to the grocery store, and just about everywhere she needs to go. "He's a rock star; he makes things easier for me," Allen said. "I'm able to cope a lot better with him by my side." River is trained to help spot panic attacks, notice when blood pressure or sugar levels are too high or too low, and help Allen improve her quality of life. Kelly Meade took the lead on training River. "They are bred to be service dogs; they start training essentially at three days old, before their eyes are open," she said. Meade said the first thing to look for in a potential service dog is their natural temperament, and on days like Friday's passing of the leash, she said it feels good to give back. "It's very rewarding, extremely rewarding," she said. Roger Deaton, who serves as second vice commander for Michigan's American Legion, says he sees a true partnership between River and Allen. "These dogs are going to be a great way for them to feel loved, feel comfortable with society," he said. "A lot of veterans are coming back, and they have a lot of mental issues, so this dog is going to just be wonderful for the whole family. The dog is going to be loved, and the whole family is going to love this dog as well." If you or someone you know could be a good candidate to receive a dog like River, you can reach out to the Veteran Treatment Assistance Corps here.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Yahoo
An Oklahoma Teacher Took a Leap of Faith. She Ended Up Winning State Teacher of the Year
This article was originally published in Oklahoma Voice. OKLAHOMA CITY — Those who knew Melissa Evon the best 'laughed really hard' at the thought of her teaching family and consumer sciences, formerly known as home economics. By her own admission, the Elgin High School teacher is not the best cook. Her first attempt to sew ended with a broken sewing machine and her mother declaring, 'You can buy your clothes from now on.' Still, Evon's work in family and consumer sciences won her the 2025 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year award on Friday. Yes, her students practice cooking and sewing, but they also learn how to open a bank account, file taxes, apply for scholarships, register to vote and change a tire — lessons she said 'get kids ready to be adults.' Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter 'Even though most of my career was (teaching) history, government and geography, the opportunity to teach those real life skills has just been a phenomenal experience,' Evon told Oklahoma Voice. After graduating from Mustang High School and Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Evon started her teaching career in 1992 at Elgin Public Schools just north of Lawton. She's now entering her 27th year in education, a career that included stints in other states while her husband served in the Air Force and a break after her son was born. No matter the state, the grade level or the subject, 'I'm convinced I teach the world's greatest kids,' she said. Her family later returned to Oklahoma where Evon said she received a great education in public schools and was confident her son would, too. Over the course of her career, before and after leaving the state, she won Elgin Teacher of the Year three times, district Superintendent Nathaniel Meraz said. So, Meraz said he was 'ecstatic' but not shocked that Evon won the award at the state level. 'There would be nobody better than her,' Meraz said. 'They may be as good as her. They may be up there with her. But she is in that company of the top teachers.' Like all winners of Oklahoma Teacher of the Year, Evon will spend a year out of the classroom to travel the state as an ambassador of the teaching profession. She said her focus will be encouraging teachers to stay in education at a time when Oklahoma struggles to keep experienced educators in the classroom. Evon herself at times questioned whether to continue teaching, she said. In those moments, she drew upon mantras that are now the core of her Teacher of the Year platform: 'See the light' by looking for the good in every day and 'be the light for your kids.' She also told herself to 'get out of the boat,' another way of saying 'take a leap of faith.' Two years ago, she realized she needed a change if she were to stay in education. She wanted to return to the high-school level after years of teaching seventh-grade social studies. The only opening at the high school, though, was family and consumer sciences. Accepting the job was a 'get out of the boat and take a leap of faith moment,' she said. 'I think teachers have to be willing to do that when we get stuck,' Evon said. 'Get out of the boat. Sometimes that's changing your curriculum. Sometimes it might be more like what I did, changing what you teach. Maybe it's changing grade levels, changing subjects, changing something you've always done, tweaking that idea.' Since then, she's taught classes focused on interpersonal communication, parenting, financial literacy and career opportunities. She said her students are preparing to become adults, lead families and grow into productive citizens. And, sure, they learn cooking and sewing along the way. 'I'm getting to teach those things, and I know that what I do matters,' Evon said. 'They come back and tell me that.' Oklahoma Voice is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janelle Stecklein for questions: info@
