Past Recipient

Each year, the Alpha Delta Chapter of the Delta Pi Epsilon Society awards an outstanding teaching award. This year's award was received by Ms. Cheryl Thomas, Business/Computer Applications Instructor at Pomona High School, Pomona, Kansas, and Adjunct Faculty in Microcomputer Applications for Neosho County Community College in Chanute.

Mrs. Thomas is a graduate of Emporia State University where she received her bachelor and master degrees. She has 40 additional hours beyond her master's degree. She holds professional memberships in KBEA, NBEA, and NEA.

Cheryl is heavily involved in professional, school and community activities including: FBLA local adviser to a chapter which has been awarded the Gold Seal for 11 years, had qualifiers to National Leadership Conference for 11 years, and has had a state officer for 6 years. She has served on the FBLA State Executive Board; been PHS class sponsor, served on the Site Council, Tech Prep Committee, School to Work Committee, School Improvement Team, SWIFT (School to Work Integration for Teens) Project Team, ESU Business Ed/Office Systems Advisory Council for 10 years, DPE Executive Board for 3 terms, Secretary and Negotiating Team for the West Franklin Teachers Association, and served on the Committee to revise Kansas Business Education Certification Standards. Cheryl was on the USD 287 Technology Executive Committee, a technology grant writing team that earned over $250,000 for her school district. She was a Kansas Master Teacher Candidate after being awarded 1988-89 USD 287 Teacher of the Year. Cheryl has made presentations on the School to Work Project to the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, and to the Franklin County Economic Development Committee; she has made presentations on innovative teaching to Rural and Small Schools Conference, to FHERDA Regional School Inservice, and to Three Lakes Educational Cooperative.

Some of Cheryl's extracurricular activities are supervising and participating in numerous FBLA community service projects, Secretary and Planning Committee for the American Cancer Society Fundraiser (raising over $350,000 the past 10 years), Editor of a quarterly newsletter for the Kansas Horse Council, Planning Committee/Staff of the Equifest of Kansas (annual 3-day conference with attendance over 50,000 in its 3^rd year). Cheryl and her husband are serious about horses.

Cheryl's innovative teaching techniques involve providing real world work experience for the business students at her school. As Cheryl says, these experiences help the students relate what they've learned in the business classroom to actually producing work and using their skills to fill a need in our small community. With Pomona being a small, rural community with limited local work experiences for the students, she developed on the job experiences for junior or senior at the District Office. She also found full time employment for high school graduates in Ottawa, 10 miles from Pomona, rather than full time employment in Kansas City, which helped create a directory of job opportunities in Franklin County. As a result of gaining positions in nearby Ottawa, students were asked to make presentations to several groups, including the Chamber of Commerce, the Franklin County Economic Development Commission, and to a local group of human resource officers. The SWIFT project will be extended to Osage County per their request. Also, students in computer applications classes offer a printing service for the community. They have completed mass mailings, completed databases, printed over 2000 business cards, prepared full color Christmas programs and flyers for the Ottawa Suzuki Strings Christmas program, prepared three fold brochures for a local caterer and craft business, wedding programs, greeting cards, tickets, and more for local businesses and individuals.

Cheryl's colleagues are very complimentary of her achievements. One person said, "Cheryl expects quality from herself. She exemplifies strong work ethics and established a good example for fellow teachers and students alike to follow. She spends extra time to provide excellence in education for our school and community. Her goal is to provide the highest possible education for all her students and to challenge each to reach his or her highest potential. She also, continues to be a forerunner in developing creative and innovative programs that improve the overall quality of our educational programs. She is an excellent department head. Cheryl is the kind of teacher that makes our profession proud. She conducts herself with dignity and gives way beyond the required."

Cheryl's principal says that they have been fortunate to have her as a business educator at their school. He said that for the first thirteen years Cheryl was the only teacher in the business department. Now, with the demand for more business courses, a second business teacher has been added. The principal is very appreciative of Cheryl's involvement with tech prep grant funds, Carl Perkins funds, VE2 funds, QPA, and purchases of technology. He said, "although Mrs. Thomas is involved in many different areas dealing with education at Pomona High School, it is her teaching that sets her apart from many in her profession. She is an excellent teacher that puts the needs of the students first. She is willing to stay late after school to help students. She is willing to help students during the school day when time permits in order to finish projects using the computer software. She is often cited as a teacher that seniors will miss when they graduate from high school."

Cheryl is indeed an Outstanding Teacher!!

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