Award Winner: Sharon McDonald, Athol High School

 Schoolyard Teacher, Sharon McDonald, Twice Awarded  

Sharon was nominated by her school principal for one award, and by her students for another.  She is pictured below holding the Award  for Excellence in Environmental Education by the Commonwealth of Mass.   See the photo and article posted in the Athol Daily News on May 22nd. 

RECOGNIZED -- Athol High School teacher Sharon McDonald was honored at the May 20 meeting of the Athol-Royalston Regional School Committee with the Secretary's Award for Excellence in Energy and Environmental Education by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. McDonald was recognized for her work with students at AHS in environmental science and the Environmental Club. 

Left to right -- AHS Principal Steven Meyer, who submitted McDonald's name for the award, AHS Science, Technology, Engineering and Math teacher Jeff Weston, McDonald, and ARRSD Superintendent of Schools Anthony Polito.Photo by Keith Kent *

Sharon was also recognized by the Athol High School Honor Society at Athol H.S.  Unfortunately, we have not yet accessed a photo or any formal write-ups from that event.  Stay tuned for that...

Highlights of Sharon's work at Athol High School :

• Excellent overall science teaching in biology and environmental science 
• Advisor for the Environmental Club  
• Led a "Trash Ball"; Dance in which students dance in "upcycled" attire made from trash.
• Organized a school-wide  environmental fair for Earth Day
• Worked with an outside agency to provide opportunites for students to travel to Central America to engage in ecological research.
• Led 2 Harvard Forest Schoolyard Ecology projects: Vernal Pool and Our Changing Forests. 

Athol H.S. Principal Meyer sums up Sharon's work as follows:  

Ms. McDonald is able to deliver a message to students that goes far beyond the classroom and truly impacts the way they view the world.

* Excerpt from the Athol Daily News, May, 22, 2015