Spanish Teacher Victoria O'Connor Named 2003 Triple "I" Teacher of the Year

VIENNA, Va., April 30, 2003 -- Spanish teacher Victoria Ledford O'Connor was recognized tonight with the coveted 2003 Triple "I" Teacher of the Year Award at James Madison High School. The award, presented by Principal Mark Merrell and sponsored by the school's Academic Boosters and the JMHS Student Parent Teacher Association, honors the teacher who most exhibits excellence in innovation, instruction and impact on their students. Ten other Madison teachers also received Triple "I" awards (see list below).

Author and screenwriter John Gilstrap was the keynote speaker at this second annual teacher awards event. Gilstrap, the father of a Madison junior, is an acclaimed suspense writer, and his newest novel, Scott Free, was released in February by Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster.

Ms. O'Connor began teaching at Madison in 1996. A 1993 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she received her master's degree in Spanish from Middlebury College. At both schools, she studied abroad. She spent 11 months at the University of Sevilla, Spain, and earned her master's while studying at the Instituto Internacional in Madrid, Spain. In 2001, she won a scholarship to spend a month as a participant in the Embassy of Spain's Summer Program for Spanish Teachers at the Fundación José Ortega y Gasset also in Madrid. She previously taught Spanish and geography at Paul Junior High School in Washington, D.C.

"My study abroad experiences have changed my life," said Ms. O'Connor. "I try to impart to my students how much I learned not only about the Spanish language and culture while living abroad, but also how much I learned about myself while there. I tell them that I think it is an invaluable experience to live in another culture not only for what you learn about that country but also for what you learn about your own culture and country."

Academic Boosters President Maria Coyle said Ms. O'Connor has greatly impacted her students, based on the glowing nominations she received from them. "Senora O'Connor is the type of teacher who wants you to learn Spanish because she has such a deep passion for her subject," wrote one student. "There is a fire in the way she teaches that ignites the entire classroom "the time and energy she demands is only reflective of how much she gives back."

Another student wrote that that she "is an amazing teacher who motivates her students to reach new heights in their Spanish speaking abilities. She is brilliant, charismatic and perceptive "I am very grateful to Senora O'Connor."

She has inspired even the students who don't particularly like her subject area. "I wasn't looking forward to having her "I was proved wrong," wrote one student. "She exemplifies every day what I think a Triple "I" Teacher should be "I only wish she taught English too."

Gilstrap, who has a parallel writing career adapting books for the movie screen, conducted a book signing following the ceremony. A copy of his newest novel was given to each winning Madison teacher. His novels, including Even Steven, At All Costs and Nathan's Run, were available for purchase, with 20 percent of the proceeds donated to the Academic Boosters. Gilstrap, a former firefighter and EMT veteran, is currently adapting the Nelson DeMille novel, Word of Honor, for Hollywood. Also taking part in the program was last year's Triple "I" Teacher of the Year Toss Cline, conducting a demonstration by the JMHS Robotics Club. The evening also will included performances by the Madison Madrigals and members of the school orchestra.

Members of the Vienna-Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce and Madison parents provided support for the event and for the Academic Boosters. Special benefactors included The Peterson Family Foundation that donated $1,000. This past year, some of the projects funded by the Academic Boosters included SOL remediation classes, teacher workshops, a ceremony awarding academic letters and pins to honor students, the Madison Robotics Club and Civil Rights Awareness Week at JMHS. Projects for next school year will include SAT prep classes, a Summer AP Institute and opening the new Media Library Center to the public three nights a week.

The 10 other teachers (in alphabetical order) who received Triple "I" awards include:

Christina Banker: She has been an English teacher in the Special Education Department for the last three years. She has taught both team and self-contained English 10 classes, and has been a team 9th-grade English teacher. She is a graduate of Brigham Young University. Ms. Banker said she has enjoyed her time at Madison and have "learned much from my colleagues." She lives in McLean.

Mary Ann Barton: Joining the Madison faculty four years ago, she teaches Business Law, Business Management, Accounting I, Advanced Accounting and Computer Applications. She also is sponsor for the Class of 2006 this year, calling it "one of the most rewarding positions I have had in my years of teaching" because it "has shown me a side of students that teachers are not always fortunate enough to see in the classroom." A graduate of James Madison University, she taught at McLean High School and in Baltimore County, Md., before taking a 17-year leave of absence to raise three children (all Madison High School graduates!). She also taught nine years at Herndon High School.

Larry Bennett: In his 34th year of teaching mathematics, Mr. Bennett has been at Madison since 1985. He has a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the United States Military Academy (West Point) and a master's degree from Monmouth College. Both his son and daughter are graduates of Madison High School. He and his wife Jean, and their three cats, live in Burke. They have four grandchildren, and he said he "treasures my time with family, traveling and fishing."

Gil Fegley: A graduate of Dickinson College and the Dickinson School of Law. he practiced law as a Judge Advocate in the U.S. Army for 22 years before retiring and earning teaching certification from The George Washington University. Madison is his first school. He spent one year as an intern and is in his third year as a teacher. He teaches AP Government and World History 2. His wife, Marion, teaches learning disabled students at White Oaks Elementary School, and they have two sons, Aaron, a senior at VMI, and Brett, in his second year at Clemson University.

Dick Gongaware: In his first year of full-time teaching after serving as a part-time instructor for two years, Mr. Gongaware teaches geosystems. He previously was employed by several large environmental consulting firms. He serves on Madison's Character Education Committee, is a faculty advisor for the inaugural senior-freshman mentoring program, and is helping to kick off Emmanuel Lutheran Church's tutoring outreach program. He also serves as a consultant with the National Science Teachers Association. A graduate of Allegheny College, he received an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. A Vienna resident, he is involved in coaching youth sports. He and his wife Diane have two children, Kathryn, a Madison freshman, and Paul, a 7th grader at Thoreau Middle School.

Sherry Levitt: A member of the Madison faculty since 1980, she is the chair of the English Department and currently teaches two AP classes as well as Film Study/Speech Communications. She also is in charge of the Morning Announcements Program. A graduate of American University, where she also completed her graduate work, she previously taught in Prince George's County and taught dance. Her senior AP students this year will work on a book about Vienna. She and her husband Bill live in Vienna and have two children: Katy, a Madison graduate, and Dan, a 10th- grader here. "I know, as a parent and as a teacher, what a fine school Madison is," she said.

Corinne Oliverio: A Fairfax County teacher for 28 years, she has been at Madison for 24 years as a member of the English Department, teaching primarily sophomores and seniors. This year she is teaching three sessions of English 10 and two sessions of Honors English 10. A graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, she earned a master's degree from St. John's College in Annapolis.

Colleen O'Neill: In her first year at Madison, she is a member of the Special Education Department, where she teaches World History and Basic Skills Resources. She also is a class sponsor for the Class of 2006. A 1999 graduate of James Madison University with a degree in psychology and special education, she worked for two Fairfax County elementary schools as a resource teacher for emotionally disturbed children. She then attended the University of Virginia where she completed her master's degree. She lives in Rosslyn and enjoys running on the Potomac trail every opportunity she gets.

Susan Robeson: In her fourth year at Madison, she currently teaches AP History and AP World History and is the chair of the Social Studies Department. Previously, she taught for 16 years in Loudon County. A graduate of Virginia Tech, she is currently working on a graduate program at the University of Virginia. She and teacher Sherry Levitt are working to establish a partnership between James Madison High School and the Smithsonian Institution so the students can examine and analyze the nation's treasure. She and her husband have three children, Tori, 15; Dylan, 13; and Taylor Ilene 6. She enjoys visiting historical sites and the beach, biking, gardening, reading and walking their Golden Retriever.

Natalie Vandever: In her second year as Madison's Theater Arts Director, Ms. Vandever is a graduate of Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Ore., where she received her bachelor's degree in Theater Arts with an emphasis in stage managing and performance and her master's in teaching. She has been teaching for five years, including two years in St. Mary's County, Md., and one year in Oregon at the Eagle Institute of Performing Arts. She is "thankful to be at a school where the arts are continuously supported by the community, administration and faculty." When her schedule is less pressing, she enjoys spending time outdoors hiking and rock climbing or visiting her family in Kansas City.

For more information about James Madison High School, please visit the school's Web site at www.fcps.edu/MadisonHS. For additional information about the awards ceremony, contact Priscilla Bell at 703/255-1478 or Maria Coyle at 703/281-0774.