| Carolyn Wheat | 210-999-8406 | cwheat@trinity.edu |
| Three San Antonio Teachers Awarded Trinity Prize |
| April 7, 2000 - Three San Antonio teachers will be awarded the 2000 Trinity prize for Excellence in Teaching for their outstanding performance in the field of public education. Linda Ann DeMino of Howard Early Childhood Center, Debbie Hayes of Somerset Intermediate School, and Arthur G. (Trip) Sullivan III of John Marshall High School, have been selected from 17 distinguished educators nominated by their San Antonio area school districts. The Trinity Prize winners and nominees will be honored Friday, April 14, at 4 p.m. during Trinity University's annual H.E.B. Grocery Co. Kappa Delta Pi Lecture and Awards Ceremony at the Margarite B. Parker Chapel.
Linda Ann DeMino teaches the preschool program for children with disabilities. She takes three-year olds with disabilities, including autism, Down's syndrome, and other health impaired problems, and turns them on to a world of endless possibilities in their first classroom experience. Gifted at working with special needs children and their families, DeMino possesses a unique communication process that maximizes parental involvement in day-to-day activities of the children. Parents feel this is an invaluable component of the PPCD program, since their children are not able to communicate with them on their own. Additionally, DeMino has created a curriculum to teach all children at Howard what it is like to have a handicap, help alleviate fears about differences, and show how we are all alike in many ways. She has also created a "Mother's Night Out" where mothers of disabled children can share their experiences. Debbie Hayes excels at motivating and teaching students who have failed to be reached by others. Her refusal to accept failure for her students resulted in the PRIDE initiative. Hayes developed PRIDE (Program of Recreational Incentives for Demonstrated Effort) to provide an opportunity for at-risk students to "catch up" to their peers, both academically and socially. PRIDE students, who have been retained one or more times in their academic careers, can earn promotion to their appropriate grade and earn two high school credits. In its first year, 90% of the students were successful in meeting the program requirements to advance one academic year. Arthur (Trip) Sullivan III has an infectious enthusiasm for teaching and an uncanny ability to relate to students of all levels and abilities. Considered an institution at John Marshall, he is a motivator and nurturer who inspires his students to success they never thought possible. His AP English III class is known as one of the most demanding at the school. Students wearing T-shirts reading "I survived Mr. Sullivan's AP English class" have become a campus tradition. He established the English department writing lab, is co-author of Northside ISD's 11th grade curriculum, serves as a grader for the AP English language exam, and is a faculty consultant for the College Board, frequently presenting at AP workshops all over the southwest region. Along with recognition as the 2000 Trinity Prize winners, DeMino, Hayes and Sullivan will each receive a $2,000 cash award from Trinity University. The other 14 distinguished educators will receive a $1,000 cash award from H.E.B. Grocery Co. A panel of San Antonio business and community leaders selected the Trinity Prize recipients. This year's selection committee included Kenny Wilson, president, Bank of America-San Antonio; Janice Brazil, wife of Trinity University President John Brazil; Barbara Gentry, senior vice president community affairs, USAA; Bert Pfiester, general manager external affairs, Southwestern Bell; and Brian Ferguson '01, Kappa Delta Pi Outstanding Senior in Education. The April 14 program is free and open to the public. A reception, sponsored by the San Antonio Express-News, will follow. For more information, contact Trinity's department of education at (210) 999-7501. |
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Last updated on November 8, 2000 by the Office of Public Relations |