Walter Kase Teacher Excellence Award Recipients Announced

Date: February 16, 2010

Two educators from the Klein Independent School District and one from the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District will receive ADL's 2010 Walter Kase Teacher Excellence Award for their work in creating an atmosphere of respect and appreciation for diversity on their campuses.

Associate Principal Karen Kulhanek-Rochin of Doerre Intermediate School and Counselor Yolanda Garcia of Lemm Elementary School in the Klein ISD will receive the award April 22, along with speech and drama teacher Jillian Bontke of Hopper Middle School in the Cypress Fairbanks ISD.

Kulhanek-Rochin founded the Doerre Culture Club to help educate students, parents and others about the diversity on her campus.  Members attend monthly meetings where they share information about their family's native culture, ethnicity, and national origin.  She also created a Spanish Language Exchange on her campus, to help participants overcome language barriers and embrace all aspects of Latino and American cultures. 

Garcia oversees the No Place for Hate® campaign at Lemm Elementary School,  and helped Lemm gain No Place for Hate® designations for the past four years.  Activities include No Place for Hate® student assemblies during which students present skits, songs, and other presentations which stress inclusion and acceptance.  Lemm's Fall Festival focused on exposing students and faculty to various cultures from different countries around the world.   Garcia says she also encourages individual students to learn about their own cultural identity, and use what they learn to develop cultural sensitivity toward others.

Bontke sponsors the No Place for Hate®campaign on the Hopper Middle School campus, which includes lessons, films, awards and events geared to help students examine their own biases and work to encourage kindness and respect.  Twice a month, on No Place for Hate®  Wednesdays, the entire school views a student-produced No Place for Hate ® film.  Students also work toward engaging in random acts of kindness, receive No Place for Hate®  guidance lessons from counselors, and receive awards called Halo Awards for fighting prejudice on campus and in their community.

All three educators will receive their awards  at the Walter Kase Teacher Excellence Award Luncheon.  For more information on the luncheon, or to buy tickets and tables, call ADL's Southwest Regional Office at 713-627-3490.