TURNER – Jeanne Drews, a teacher at Turner Elementary School, has been awarded the Patience W. Norman Award for excellence in teaching. Drews was recognized for her ability to stimulate intellectual curiosity, raise aspirations and demand critical thinking in her classroom, as well as for her lifelong commitment to students.

Drews has worked at Turner Elementary School for 22 years and she has taught for ore than 30 years. When she is not teaching her fifth-graders, she has remained active, giving back to her SAD 52 community. She has served on the Science Curriculum Committee, the TES Student Assistance Team and she also has taken on a leadership role, serving as a district grade level teacher leader.

The Norman Award was established in memory of Patience W. Norman, a history teacher who had an inquisitive mind and believed her students were capable of academic excellence.

Norman required her students to work hard and she challenged them to surpass her own and their own expectations. Annually, teachers in SAD 52 (Turner, Greene and Leeds) are nominated for the award by students, parents or fellow colleagues. A committee reviews the nominations, interviews principals and staff and chooses a recipient.

Principal Kay Slusser said it was not a surprise that Drews won the award. She said, “When you walk into Jeanne’s class, words like community, kindness and teamwork come to mind. She models these traits and holds her students to high standards in learning. Positive words about learning, tasks, school, students and adults are heard throughout the day. Jeanne goes above and beyond the call of duty every day. She is the type of teacher that dreams about ways to help her students experience success and she gives extra time and support to students. She is responsible, honest, caring and has a wonderful sense of humor that is so needed in this profession. Nothing brings Jeanne greater joy than to talk about successes experienced by her students. She is an exemplary teacher.”

Drews was presented the award recently in a surprise ceremony before staff at Turner Elementary School. Superintendent Tom Hanson and Assistant Superintendent Darlene Burdin read from the nomination that was submitted, then surprised Drews with a check for $5,000.

In addition to the monetary award, Drews will be presented a plaque to commemorate this honor, and her students will celebrate with her at a class party.