Teacher, Administrator Honored by PTA Council
Former Harvest Hills Elementary School teacher Peggy Shirey and Putnam City High School Principal Dr. Don Wentroth were named Putnam City PTA Council's Teacher of the Year and Administrator of the Year at the organization's April meeting.
Dr. Don Wentroth, Administrator of the Year
In presenting the award to Wentroth, PTA Council President Trisha Sims compared Wentoth to the Energizer Bunny.
"He just keeps going and going," Sims said.
Sims says Wentroth has attended about 85 percent of the PTSA meeting since he became principal at Putnam City High, always bringing information for parents and students need and want to know.
One one PTSA meeting Wentroth explained the Adequate Yearly Progress status for the school. At another meeting he discussed the requirements for students to attend the Winter Dance, and the followed up at another meeting with charts how new requirements helped bring up the averages of attendance and lowered the number of students that were failing classes.
Any problems that might exist at the school -- and the resolution of those problems -- are talked about so that parents will know the true story and rumors can be minimized.
Sims also cited the Putnam City High Crew Camp held in summer 2004 for incoming freshmen and an August 2003 hot dog meal for seniors picking up their schedules as successful events for students.
Peggy Shirey, Teacher of the Year
Peggy Shirey, a fifth-grade teacher at Harvest Hills Elementary School for the past 25 years, was named by the Council as Teacher of the Year. Shirey passed away in early April. Her award was accepted by Debi Mahoney, Harvest Hills parent, and Mickey Wilson, principal at Harvest Hills. Below are comments from Mahoney and Wilson as they accepted the award:
Comments from Debi Mahoney, Harvest Hills parent
As many of you know, our wonderful Ms. Shirey passed away last Friday, and many young and older hearts are in pieces at Harvest Hills Elementary School. I would like to share some of our entry with you:
Peggy Shirey is an outstanding fifth grade teacher and has been a highly involved PTA member at our school for the past 25 years. She has been called "an anchor of the faculty" by her fellow teachers, "a master teacher who challenges children through hands-on learning" by her principals, and "a dream come true" by her students and parents. If a parent tossed a coin in a fountain and wished for a teacher who would help a child be and feel successful, the reflection looking back would be Ms. Shirey.
Peggy always takes the high road and never takes the easy way out – in anything she does! She touches each heart and mind she teaches. She makes her students laugh and think and hope. She challenges her students to do their personal best and to believe in themselves. Ms. Shirey is the kind of teacher who puts her students all over the playground as planets to help them understand the solar system, works with students to build and shoot off rockets, individualizes each child’s math lessons, and brings stories to life. She inaugurated taking our 5th graders to Camp Classen. Each year, she works with her students to raise Monarch butterflies and then set them free. She also planted our butterfly garden and created our bird watching area.
Ms. Shirey is an extremely effective communicator, and no matter what topic she is bringing to the parent’s attention, she is always positive, helpful, and hopeful about the child. She communicates to the parents that her goals not only include academics but also development of the child’s character. She shares with the parent that there is a solution to every problem and she is there to help in any way she can.
Peggy is honest and forthright with parents when they seek her consult, which builds a relationship of trust and teamwork. If she knows a child needs extra help in his/her work, Ms. Shirey discusses it directly with the parent and provides tutoring before and after school at no charge to the family! She says, "I see this as part of my job." And at a time when cultural and religious differences have been magnified, she has supported and embraced every family represented in her class.
Collaborating with the Community is another area of strength for Ms. Shirey. She has been involved at the school, district, state, and national level of professional teaching associations to improve the quality of education for children. Never tiring of the ongoing need for lending her voice, time, and talent to other teachers, organizations, and causes, she has been a leader in this arena for a quarter of a century. Many of her coworkers have said her passion far surpasses that of any other, and since she is the spark, she helps their passion stay lit. From working with the school district, neighborhood, and city to provide the beautiful butterfly garden and bird watching area on the school grounds and taking our students to Camp Classen for the first time to being a Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation Teaching Partner and Boy Scouts of America Eagle Project Advisor, Ms. Shirey has gone above and beyond in collaborating with the community more than any teacher we have ever known.
Her honors and awards, as well as her membership and involvement in professional organizations, literally extend for pages and cannot be detailed in this entry.
In closing, I would like to share a comment from each of my children which came from letters they have written about Ms. Shirey:
From our youngest child, who was in her class this year, Kieran wrote, "She was my mentor, teacher, tutor, friend, kind of like a mom to me, and also my hero!"
From our oldest, who had her three years ago, Danielle wrote, " Every time I see a Monarch butterfly, I think about the gifts, laughs, ideas, and inspiration Ms. Peggy Shirey brought to the world. I love her so much!" Before Peggy even knew she was ill, she wrote the following in Danielle’s yearbook: I adore you! You will do great things…and I will be there.
Thank you on behalf of her family and her school family for naming Peggy Shirey Putnam City PTA Teacher of the Year.
Comments from Mickey Wilson, Harvest Hills principal
Peggy was a very caring, dedicated, fun loving teacher. She loved kids and received their love in return. I count it a blessing to have had the opportunity to know and work with Peggy.
She didn’t like a lot of fanfare, so I’m not going to read you all the quotes that I’ve gathered that I think characterize her, her teaching, and her love of kids. I’m just going to read you one:
"I hope my achievements in life shall be these: That I will have fought for what was right and fair; That I will have risked for that which mattered; That I will have given help to those who were in need; and that I will have left the earth a better place for what I’ve done and who I’ve been."
— C. Hoppe
I believe Peggy did just that – left the earth a better place for what she did and who she was.
I think Peggy would have told you how much she appreciated receiving this award, how much she appreciated our Harvest Hills PTA, said "thank you", and then told you that she needed to get back with her kids.
Thank you on her behalf.
PTA Council President Trisha Sims (left), presented Shirey's award to Debi Mahoney, Harvest Hills parent, and Mickey Wilson, Harvest Hills principal.