Cindy Steckel, Speech Pathologist for Sherrard School District earned the Tiger Talent award for the month of March.
"Cardinals. Baseball. Fan," said Matherville Principal Jeff Shillinger when asked to describe Steckel in three words... "That's the best thing about her," he joked.
Shillinger nominated her for the honor, “She comes in everyday looking out for the best for the kids. She takes the extra time - meets them where they are and makes sure she grows them individually… It’s that one on one attention that she gives them.”
“She’s always flexible with our plans, and her student needs,” said colleague MV language arts teacher Elisabeth Tomlin.
“There’s a lot more to it than just articulation,” explained Steckel, “We also work a lot on language, putting sentences together, using context clues - retelling stories. Some places we work on fluency and making our speech smoother.”
Student Liam Wells spoke about what her help means to him, “She helps teach how I can speak better. She’s so nice.”
Alyssa Shadden said she enjoys the games, Mrs. Steckel has them play, “(they) help us with how we communicate with other people.”
Jarron Davidson said, “I think she’s a great teacher. She’s very kind, and also she usually does candy at the end - if you are going out of speech.”
Tara Morey, Challenge teacher and parent of Harlan who uses her services, “I get a lot of feedback from Cindy about it. She always tells me how much she likes speech days. I’ve seen a lot of improvement overall with her understanding of language.”
Tiger Talent golden apple bell award to
Cindy Steckel during the March School
Board meeting.
Superintendent Dr. Carl Johnson implemented the award for:
“...those who model, build and encourage positive character qualities - speaking into students’ lives by word and deed that will resonate for years to come and help guide them to become the leaders and contributing community members of tomorrow.”
“We all remember that one person who said or did something that stuck with us - they made us feel important, they noticed our strengths, and it's something we revisit in times of struggle... Those deserve to be acknowledged for their dedication,” said Dr. Johnson.
Steckel received a golden metal apple with “Tiger Talent” inscribed to commemorate her dedication to Sherrard Schools.
