Six receive Catholic education awards

LUMEN MEDIA Report – The Catholic Schools Office for the Diocese of Sioux City has announced winners of this year’s Bishop’s Education Awards.

They will receive their awards at the fall Ministries Conference.

Four teachers received the Excellence in Education Award: Trish Boettger of St. Rose of Lima School in Denison, Jennifer Clay of Sacred Heart School in Sioux City, John Jorstad of Bishop Heelan High School in Sioux City and Erin Miller of Bishop Garrigan School in Algona.

Two other Catholic school staff members were honored with the Good Shepherd Award: Deb Kollasch of Bishop Garrigan School in Algona and Rosie Kunkel of St. Mary School in Remsen.

Excellence in Education Awards

Trish Boettger, first grade teacher, has served at Denison St. Rose of Lima School for 17 years. Trish Boettger with Patty Lansink, diocesan superintendent.

In the letters of recommendation that were part of the nomination process, she was described as faith-filled and a great role model. She is someone who pours her heart out daily with a bubbly personality and makes learning fun. “Mrs. B also does a great job of connecting with her students by finding common interests, learning more about them, and having open communication with their parents. The students have a classroom store where they can purchase items with their behavior tokens. EVERY month there are students who choose to eat lunch with Mrs. B because they love her and enjoy that special small group time with her,” stated a fellow teacher in the nomination form.
 
Jennifer Clay, first grade teacher, has served at Sioux City Sacred Heart School for 10 years.

 Patty Lansink, diocesan superintendent, announcing that Jennifer Clays was named a winner of Excellence in Education.“If there was a person to be an ideal representative of the Catholic faith and teaching profession, Jennifer would be the perfect candidate. With a steadfast commitment to her students, families, coworkers and school, Jennifer personifies the ideal of Christ the Teacher. Through love, order, communication and compassion Jennifer is an example of Catholic teaching and living in our world. Her students feel comfortable, challenged, encouraged, supported and loved all while (experiencing) academic, religious and social growth,” said a parent in the nomination form. 

Letters of recommendation described Clay as a model Catholic educator who takes genuine interest in others – a person who approaches life with fun and enjoyment.
 
John Jorstad, a life science teacher and track/cross country coach, has taught at Bishop Heelan for seven years.
 
Patty Lansink, diocesan superintendent with John Jorstad and his family.“Dr. John Jorstad employs a diverse range of innovative and student-centered teaching strategies to ensure that every learner — regardless of ability level — feels valued, challenged, and supported,” said a fellow teacher, who called him an exceptional and versatile educator. “A key aspect of Dr. Jorstad’s teaching philosophy is his unwavering belief in each student’s intelligence and potential. He reinforces learning through repetition, encouraging students to confidently articulate key concepts. His signature phrase, ‘Say it like you mean it!’ fosters a classroom culture of enthusiasm and self-assurance.” 

Jorstad, in letters of recommendation, was described as having a dynamic and interactive instruction style whose dedication to faith is personally modeled and encouraged in others.
 
Erin Miller, high school teacher, coach and student services, has worked at Algona Bishop Garrigan for 18 years.
 
Miller was described as a wonderful listener, who is patient and always shows up for others. Another was she is someone who exemplifies service and leads by example.
 
“Erin allows students to shine in her classroom. Her strategies are very student focused,” said a Garrigan administrator in her nomination form. “She is always looking for new resources and the latest research when teaching psychology courses. Erin has continuallyPatty Lansink, diocesan superintendent, with Erin Miller, left, and Deb Kollasch, right.worked to find new novels and literature-based resources to use in her English courses. Students appreciate that she spends time trying to find ways to make English relevant to them.”

Good  Shepherd Awards 

Deb Kollasch, administrative assistant at Bishop Garrigan, has worked at the school for 22 years. Through the years, she has served in other capacities at the school including as assistant director of the early childhood program.
 
“Deb is highly respected by her peers, the students, and the Garrigan community. Her positive attitude and willingness to help others make her a ‘go-to’ person. Whether she is helping figure out bus schedules, helping teachers navigate communication with non-English speaking families, or proofreading field trip forms, we could not go without her,” said one teacher. “My favorite line from a student came from a kindergartner when a group of children were trying to figure out who the president was. After much debate one little girl chimed in: It HAS to be Mrs. Kollasch, she knows everything and she’s always here!” Other comments called Kollasch a testament to the Catholic faith and a cornerstone of the Seton building.
 
Rosie Kunkel, administrative assistant, has worked at Remsen St. Mary’s School for 30 years.
 
Patty Lansink, diocesan superintendent, with Rosie Kunkel.Called an icon at St. Mary’s Grade School and a behind the scenes leader who does not like the limelight, the school administrator said, “Rosie acts justly, loves tenderly, and walks humbly with our God when it comes to students. She makes sure their needs are taken care of and shows that she cares about them when they come into the office for something. She's kind and helpful to all students.” 

Kunkel was also described as faithful, organized, a good communicator with parents, creative and well-respected.

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