Jena Phillips from Bogle Junior High School was named Teacher of the Month for April. She and her Principal Susan Avey were present at a recent meeting to receive her award of $200 presented by President Bill Schink and sponsored by Rotary and Trust Bank of Arizona. In her nomination, Jena Phillips was recognized as an incredible teacher whose own excitement and interest in learning inspires her students to dig deeper, think bigger and achieve more. She makes science come alive and continually challenges them to own their learning maintaining a perfect balance of support and struggle as she stretches their understanding. This year her students have had experiences that involved them in imagining and creating space stations for the Honeywell Aerospace competition, designing and building robotic vehicles as part of the AWIM project, utilizing the investigative process to develop and compete in the HISEF science fair and co-sponsoring the Design Squad after school club. For this incredible project Jena was a state finalist in the Honeywell Aerospace Challenge. Jena epitomizes what is best in education today and is more than worthy of this recognition. Our thanks and admiration goes out to this great representative of all the outstanding teachers in our schools and the great work they do.

For more information about Rotary and opportunities to serve and recognize outstanding members of our community please contact Membership Chair Charles Loew at 602-721-3680.