Boulder County Head Start Teachers to Receive Early Childhood Education Awards

Deanna Whisle, Suzanne Sobczak named top educators

Boulder County, Colo.
– Two Boulder County Head Start teachers will be honored by the local chapter
of the Colorado Association for the Education of Young Children on April 19.

Deanna
Whisle will receive theHawkins
Lifetime Achievement Award, while Suzanne Sobczak will receive the Educator of
the Year Award.

What: Boulder County Early Childhood
Education Awards
When: Tuesday, April 19, 6-8 p.m.
Where: Boulder Country Day School, 4820 Nautilus Court N, Boulder (Gunbarrel)

Deanna Whisle has worked with low-income families
at Head Start for nearly a decade. Many of her students are dual language
learners and she incorporates both languages into her lessons and daily
interactions. Whisle has worked closely with BVSD specialists to provide
excellent care and services for students with learning and physical differences.
She is set to begin work on her Master's in Early Childhood Education in the
fall of 2016.

As a Head Start Lead Teacher, Suzanne Sobczak puts her 20 years of
experience to work every day. Working with 3- to 5-year-old students, she integrates
art, literacy, math, and science into all of her lessons, centers, and daily
activities. Sobczak is noted for modeling inclusion and compassion in her
classrooms while making extra effort to give her students of all abilities and
skill levels individual attention to help ensure their success.

Head Start parents were full of praise for both
teachers after learning of the award. Comments about Whisle included: “She
forms an attachment with the kids that is amazing.”, “She has taught two of my
children and is the best teacher!”, and “She is so good with the kids, they
really love her.” Parents with children inSobczak’s class were just as complimentary, saying: “She
takes the time at parent conferences to share the important things about our
children”, and “She is a great teacher and a great person, she really
appreciates and loves the kids and families.”

“I am truly honored to have both Deanna and
Suzanne on our staff, notes Olivia Coyne, Director of Boulder County Head
Start. “They have both raised the bar for our program as leaders by mentoring
new staff, holding teacher trainings, and consistently demonstrating best
practices in Early Childhood Education. We serve the most at-risk children and
families in Boulder County, and both Suzanne and Deanna provide a caring space for
our families while preparing the children for their future education needs.”