ACADIA Academy, a public charter school serving children in pre-K through grade 6 in Lewiston, recognized one of Maine’s leading education experts and two of its own teachers at its annual awards event this summer.

Dr. Joseph Mattos, retired school administrator and consultant to the Maine Charter Commission, received the Eagle Award in recognition for his many years of guidance to the school, particularly during ACADIA’s leadership transition through the 2021-2022 academic year. The award was created in 2019 to honor community members who had made extraordinary contributions to the school and its families, according to a news release from Victoria Stanton, ACADIA Academy Board of Trustees.

In 1990 Mattos received a prestigious Milken Educator Award, a national program that recognizes early and mid-career professionals for outstanding achievement, and he later served as president of the Maine Elementary Principals Association.

Amy Dieterich, president of ACADIA’s Board of Trustees, said of Mattos, “We are grateful that Joe agreed to bring his considerable experience, knowledge, and insights to ACADIA over the years, first through his role as consultant to the Maine Charter Commission, and most recently in a part-time staff consulting role alongside our administrative team.”

Among the ACADIA staff recognized this year were music teacher Mara Dale and art teacher Rebecca Trujillo. Together they shared the David M. Gendron Award for Excellence for their joint efforts to bring cultural enrichment and the arts back to ACADIA in the aftermath of pandemic restrictions. Their work on the school play, “Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory,” marked an unofficial turning point for the school.

Executive Director Casey Baugher remarked, “The pandemic took a lot of things away from our students and families, including the ability to create and share together. This spring at ACADIA Academy, we started to see some of that color come back into our lives thanks in large part to the efforts of Ms. Dale and Ms. Trujillo.”

The David M. Gendron Excellence Award was created in 2019 to celebrate ACADIA staff and to honor Gendron, a benefactor of ACADIA Academy. Honorees are nominated each year by their peers.

For more information, visit acadiaacademy.org.

 

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