Hazel Grove Elementary School kindergarten teacher Debbie Schildbach is the recipient of this month’s Extra Mile Award from the Habersham County School System. The award recognizes certified employees who go “above and beyond” their job responsibilities. In her nomination letter, Schildbach’s principal Misty Turpin says the 37-year veteran educator does just that:
“Debbie Schildbach goes the extra mile in so many ways that it is difficult to narrow down. She brings daily enthusiasm, passion and energy to ensure every student has the same opportunities to learn. This past summer, Ms. Schildbach coordinated with parents and teachers to open the library so that students could continue to check out books. She also met with a family of a student with special needs during the summer in order to develop a relationship with the child and help her become familiar with school routines.
Ms. Schildbach is constantly looking for creative and exciting ways to motivate students and her classroom is always brimming with active learning. She often comes to school on Friday with her dog, Socks, who listens to children read. Ms. Schildbach does not allow the word “can’t” to be used in her classroom. She believes in each and every student and, in return, they believe in themselves and consistently meet or exceed grade level performance standards.
Last year, a parent brought her child to school late and said her child was not feeling well but she could not get her to stop crying about missing her teacher. Ms. Schildbach met the child in the hallway with a greeting, smile and hug and this mother said, ‘Tell her thank you for caring for my child as if she were her own, my child loves her teacher.’
This is Ms. Schildbach’s 37th year as a classroom teacher, with many of those years spent teaching Kindergarten. She exemplifies devotion to teaching and is very deserving of the Extra Mile Award.”
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
Thank you, Debbie Schildbach, for your nearly four decades of devotion to Habersham County’s school children. Thank you for going the extra mile to insure that every child you teach has a chance to dream, believe and achieve. Their future is your legacy.
Congratulations on a career well spent, a job well done and an award well-deserved!
