THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 19, 1995 TAG: 9504180105
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY DEBBIE MESSINA, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 290 lines
MARIE P. REARDON'S first-grade class at Trantwood Elementary School is huddled together cross-legged on the floor at the blackboard, fidgeting and eager to get on with the day's lesson.
``Today is . . . ,'' Reardon gets them started.
``Wednesday, April the 5th, 1995,'' the children call out in unison.
``Quelle est la date en Francaise?'' the teacher asks.
``Aujourd'hui c'est Mercredi, le cinq Avril, mille neuf cent quatre-vingt-quinze,'' the 6- and 7-year-olds say clearly and confidently.
``Tres bien,'' Reardon chirps.
The children proceed to talk about the season and the weather in French.
They even count in French, not just in sequence but also by fives. All the way to 100. ``Cinq, dix, quinze, vingt. . . cent.''
``Wow, we made it,'' Reardon praises.
The children turn to each other and wide smiles spread across their faces.
Whether her class is working on spelling, writing or math, ``Rie'' Reardon integrates French lessons throughout the school day.
It was her vision of bringing French to her students that inspired a schoolwide initiative to teach a foreign language to every Trantwood student during school as well as an after-school foreign language program.
That vision is one of the reasons Reardon, 46, was selected Virginia Beach's Teacher of the Year.
Reardon is also the school's lead math teacher and was the first to introduce the manipulative math curriculum to the school. She organizes special Family Math Nights to familiarize parents with the math program.
She is also the first to team-teach at the first-grade level at Trantwood, bringing her French and math expertise to two classes of first-graders.
``Her enthusiasm is contagious,'' said Eileen Scotti, a parent. ``She passes it to the kids, the parents, the school.''
``She's a teacher of teachers,'' said Tammy Bowyer, staff development specialist who coordinates the Teacher of the Year program. ``The committee was impressed with her total involvement in the school.''
Talk about total involvement. Reardon spent time during last week's spring vacation decorating the principal's and assistant principal's doors as a surprise for her ``mystery number'' math unit. She also worked from her Wellington Woods home on French flags for her classroom. She even got her visiting mother involved.
``When you open the door of her classroom, it's like seeing a mother teaching her children,'' said Denise Passagaluppi, Reardon's mother, who lives in Fredericksburg but was raised in France.
A perky Reardon, with her long, blond tresses, sweeps through the classroom with a pat on the shoulder for one child and with praises for another's work. She often thanks the children for their attentiveness and good behavior.
``It's breathtaking, the things she does for those children,'' Passagaluppi said. Whenever Passagaluppi's in town, Reardon invites her into her classroom to read to her students in French.
Reardon believes in exposing her students to many guests who have something special to share.
On a recent visit, Reardon's class had two visitors. One was a student's mother who talked about Passover, read a Passover book and shared some matzo (Hebrew for unleavened bread). The other was a French woman who comes twice a week to help the students with their accents.
``I like to have other people's input,'' Reardon said. ``I'm into getting things done as a team.''
So it's fitting that Reardon is quick to share the credit with her teaching colleagues and her parent volunteers.
``She is one of those people who quietly achieves a tremendous amount and never blows her own horn,'' said Trantwood principal Judy Lewis. ``She'd be the first to say that a lot of what she does is because of people with her.''
Involving others in her classroom is how her French lessons began four years ago.
It was one French lesson from one parent, Cathy Richwine, that sparked Reardon to use her expertise to incorporate French into every subject, every day. To labeling everything in her room with its French name, ``les crayons de couleur'' on the crayons, ``les ciseaux'' on the scissors, ``la chaise'' on the chair and ``l'ordinateur'' on the computer.
``She personally inspired me to do it,'' said Richwine, now chairman of the school's Foreign Language Action Team. ``She can take anything, make it work and make it go.''
And she did it quietly and without fanfare.
``Rie is not a pushy person,'' Lewis said. ``Things happen around her because she's so positive, so eager to try things. She makes it look so easy.''
She even makes controlling a class of 26 students, ages 6 and 7, look easy. Her classroom is always quiet and orderly. No voices are raised and no tempers flair.
``The committee noted how smoothly her class ran,'' Bowyer said. ``That does not happen by accident.''
``She's quiet but firm,'' said Kathy Wise, who team-teaches with Reardon. ``She lets the children know from day one what her expectations are. Even though she's soft spoken and mild, she has control of the children. And they just love her.''
Reardon says she's generally shy and introverted, but not in the classroom.
``With the children I'm different,'' she said. ``It's like an extension of mom. I'm their parent here. I'm natural here.
``It's adults that I'm not all that comfortable with.''
Reardon's also been described by parents and colleagues as creative, visual, hands-on, nurturing and supportive.
Reardon really began her career as a child, the oldest of five siblings.
``Since 5 or 6, she's been a teacher,'' her mother said. ``She's been a teacher all her life.''
Reardon finally started collecting a salary for her teaching talent after graduating from Radford College. She has taught for 19 years in Virginia Beach, at Trantwood as well as Aragona, North Landing and Cooke elementaries. She took five years off to raise her daughter, Jennifer Kyle, a junior at Cox High School.
She's married to Kenneth Reardon, assistant principal at Pembroke Elementary. The two met while teaching together at Cooke Elementary. Despite both being educators, Kenneth Reardon has not had the opportunity to see his wife in the classroom.
``If she's doing half as much in the classroom as she does at home working with her daughter and as a wife, then nobody can beat her,'' Kenneth Reardon said. MEMO: FOUR OTHER FINALISTS/10
SCHOOL-BY-SCHOOL LIST/10
TEACHERS OF THE YEAR AT EACH SCHOOL
HIGH SCHOOLS
Bayside - Kathy T. Holbert
CDC - Anthony J. Pawlowski
Cox - James M. Yano
First Colonial - Winifred M. Ridill
Green Run - James D. Miller
Kellam - Lynn O. Adams
Kempsville - Ellen M. Pitt
Ocean Lakes - Carolyn F. Thompson
Princess Anne - Scott R. Fowler
Salem - Nancy S. Moskway
Spec. Ed. Annex - Reba Jacobs-Shephard
Tallwood - Larry R. VanNostrand
Vo-Tech Center - Kenneth E. Anderson
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
Bayside - Gerald L. Bunting
Bayside 6th Grade - Janet L. Smith
Brandon - Dorothy G. Cox
CEL - Randall L. Forbes
Great Neck - Kerstin R. Devlin
Independence - Gerri L. Clement
Kempsville - Carolyn C. Stamm
Landstown - Darla J. Rupe
Larkspur - Laura B. Johnson
Literacy Center - Ella M. Maull
Lynnhaven - Mary H. vonKolnitz
Plaza - Debra C. Rollins
Princess Anne - Andrea H. Gangler
Salem - Joyce P. Danielson
Virginia Beach - Evelyn N. Steckrolh
ELEMENTARIES
Alanton - Susan S. Anderson
Arrowhead - Kathryn B. Bateman
Bayside - Scott C. Ferguson
Birdneck - Irvin E. Beard Jr.
Brookwood - Jennifer M. Callahan
Centerville - Jennifer S. Chaplain
College Park - Suzanne O. Thomas
Cooke - Dawn E. Garvey
Corporate Landing - Kimberly S. Sutherland
Creeds - Gloria J. Davis
Dey - Tracy E. LoAlbo
ESL - Doris G. Collier
Fairfield - Carol A. Stover
Glenwood - Mary J. Fama
Green Run - Renee J. Seller
Hermitage - V. Carole Weigand
Holland - Patricia A. Jackson
Indian Lakes - Effie H. Epps
Kempsville - Carol A. Kinsey
Kemps Meadows - Denise S. Cole
King's Grant - Christine D. Buller
Kingston - Janice M. Johnson
Landstown - Catherine O. Gray
Linkhorn Park - Catherine T. Smith
Louisa Luxford - Patricia H. Graves
Lynnhaven - Claudia B. Gallegos
Malibu - Patricia H. Mills
Newtown Road - Nelda W. Cardoza
North Landing - Patricia H. Csenar
Ocean Lakes - Lisa A. Scott
Old Donation Center - Sharon W. Bowers
Parkway - Lisa K. Gegner
Pembroke - Patricia A. Mashek
Pembroke Meadows - Wendee S. Long
Plaza - Linda S. Curtis
Point O'View - Wendy A. Testa
Princess Anne - Christine A. McClenny
Providence - Jeanne E. Connelly
Red Mill - Susan L. Robinson
Rosemont - Lillian L. Nolan
Rose Forest - Beth G. Ash
Salem - Leslie A. Booth
Seatack - Robin L. Patrick
Shelton Park - Jorie S. Boyca
Strawbridge - Shelli D. Hodges
Tallwood - Melissa S. Weber
Thalia - Susan M. Leonard
Thoroughgood - Sarina S. Coffin
Trantwood - Marie P. Reardon
White Oaks - Kathleen M. Kutnak
Williams - Samlya M. Stallings
Windsor Oaks - Patricia N. Skiles
Windsor Woods - Michele H. Powell
Woodstock - Sara J. Blake
4 runners-up for top teacher
Marie Reardon was one of five finalists chosen as candidates for
Teacher of the Year honors.
The four runners-up are:
Sharon Bowers, a science teacher at Old Donation Center. She began her
teaching career in 1978 in Maryland. Bowers has been with Virginia
Beach schools since 1993. She previously worked as a science and gifted
teacher in Chesapeake and as science resource and planetarium director
at The Calvert School in Baltimore, Md.
A particular interest of Bowers' is consulting, writing and reviewing
for textbook publishers. In addition, she teaches graduate and staff
development courses.
Kathy Holbert, a mathematics teacher at Bayside High School, who began
her teaching career in 1987. Holbert has spent eight years with
Virginia Beach schools, four years at what was Bayside Junior High and
most recently, four at Bayside High.
A hallmark of Holbert's is her dynamic teaching style and her
determination that all students will succeed in algebra I. Holbert is
deeply involved in promoting the teaching of mathematics.
Patty Mashek, a second-grade teacher at Pembroke Elementary School. She
began her teaching career in 1977. Mashek has been with Virginia Beach
schools for 18 years teaching everything from kindergarten to third
grade.
Mashek has been grade-level coordinator, held various PTA offices,
taught workshops to her peers, held parent workshops and acted as a
liaison to the gifted and talented.
Carolyn Stamm, gifted education resource teacher at Kempsville Middle
School. Stamm began her teaching career in 1981 in Colorado. She has
been with Virginia Beach schools since 1988 at the Old Donation Center.
Before that she held the same position at a Louisa elementary school.
Under Stamm's tutelage, elementary school students have competed in the
Future Problem Solving Program, winning the international competition
in 1992. Her students have also appeared before city and state
governmental bodies to promote changes in the laws to benefit
children.
Stamm has published several articles, her latest, ``Toy Safety: Playing
for Keeps,'' in Gifted Child Today in 1993.
ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
ON THE COVER
TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Outside Trantwood Elementary, Marie P. Reardon was photographed by
staff photographer Charlie Meads
Staff photos by CHARLIE MEADS
Marie Reardon incorporates French into every subject, every day.
Items in her room are labeled with their French names: ``les crayons
de couleur'' on the crayons, ``les ciseaux'' on the scissors, ``la
chaise'' on the chair, ``l'ordinateur'' on the computer and ``le
calendrier'' on the calendar.
Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
Marie Reardon, here with Meagan Simms, has been described by parents
and colleagues as creative, visual, hands-on, nurturing and
supportive.
Her vision of bringing French to her students inspired a schoolwide
initiative to teach a foreign language to every Trantwood student.
In addition, she is Trantwood's lead math teacher.
First-grader Nathan Gayhart has his classwork checked by Marie
Reardon, who says she is normally shy outside the classroom. ``With
the children I'm different,'' she said. ``It's like an extension of
mom. I'm their parent here. I'm natural here.''
by CNB