The Above and Beyond Award i is named after Shelley Erb, a retired TK elementary teacher. It is given to honor someone in the district who does more than what's expected to help students. This year high school art teacher Barb Maring and middle and high school choir director Laura Oprea received the honor. Both said they were honored and humbled by the recognition.
Maring has been an art teacher at TK since 1994 - choosing to spend her career at TK. She earned her bachelor degree from Grand Valley State University in 1993 with majors in art and social studies and a Master’s degree in educational leadership in 2002.
“There is nothing better than waking up in the morning and loving what you do. After 25 years I can still do that,” said Maring in an interview for The Key a year ago.
When she started teaching at TK, Maring was the only art teacher in the district. Today, there are six art teachers. “As far as we have come, we have her (Maring) to thank for it,” said fellow art teacher Tonya Woods.
Maring has served as the art department chairperson, co-chairs the district art festival, serves in numerous volunteer capacities, has served as a coach and class advisor, and spends “countless” hours with her students. Woods said many of her students affectionately refer to her as “Mom” because the class feels so much like home.
She has also served as an Odyssey of the Mind coach and helped her team advance to the World Finals three times. She was also named the Kent County Education Association High School Teacher of the Year in 2015.
Laura Oprea was also honored with the Above and Beyond Award. Mark Hagemann said Oprea knows how to get the best out of each of her students. TK choir students have earned top ratings at state contests and been named as members of the All State Honors Choir several years.
“She puts in countless hours helping create a middle school musical production,” said Hagemann.
Hagemann said her commitment and dedication to her students is obvious and that she always wants her students to reach their full potential.
Oprea began teaching at TK in 2005. Last year she had 275 students in five choirs at the high school and middle school and works tirelessly with all students. “One of the things I love to see is confidence grow through singing in choir. I have many times witnessed students who come in as a 6th grader, very shy and unwilling to sing along, who grow and blossom, and by 7th or 8th grade are auditioning for solos in front of the class,” said Oprea in an article for The Key in 2018.
Oprea earned her bachelor’s degree from Hoe College and then her master’s degree in education from Grand Valley State University.
Other recognition was given to staff members who have reached milestones in their careers at TK.
10 Years: Jeff Barnes, Ashley Garrett, Tom Sines.
20 Years: Mark Anton, Jamie Bowman, John Dombrowski, Brian Hanna, Fran Jones, Bob Kaminski, Sandy Klein, Theresa Michalski, Jaime Nelson, Tricia Rickert, Mike Rynearson, Shelly Siekman, Karen Seifert, Char Thomas.
30 Years - Kim Chausow and Deb Tomko. Chausow is the Director of Curriculum for TK Schools and Tomko is a second-grade teacher at Lee Elementary.