Spring Branch Middle School counselor Shannon Boyer was one of three local educators to receive the Anti-Defamation League’s annual Walter Kase Teacher Excellence Award during a luncheon held May 6 at the Westin Galleria Hotel. The awards are named after Holocaust survivor Walter Kase and are presented by ADL to teachers who nurture mutual understanding and respect in the region’s increasingly diverse student populations.
Boyer, who played a key role in Spring Branch Middle designation as a No Place for Hate® campus, leads a nationally recognized girls’ group program that promotes respect and listening among peers and counteracts the name-calling and bullying that has grown increasingly common in many schools. Other educators honored by the group this year are Stephanie Collier of Roth Elementary School and Clements High School English teacher and Student Council sponsor Sheila McAninch.
“At a time when teenage bullying has made the news on the Internet and on television, Shannon Boyer dedicates much of her time to providing a girls’ group for Spring Branch Middle School students who want to voice their dreams, their concerns and their thoughts,” the ADL stated in its awards press release. For more information on ADL programs, contact Dena Marks at 713-627-3490, ext. 3490, or at 832-567-8843.
In separate but related news, Holocaust survivor Walter Kase will share his incredible story during an 8:30 a.m. assembly on Friday, May 9, at Spring Branch Middle School. Kase has spoken to more than 35,000 students about his Holocause experiences and personal testimony.