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Spotlight on New PGS Materials
MBNA Affinity Credit Card Program
FFA Convention Teacher Workshops
1998 NAAE Convention Invitation
1998 NAAE Convention Highlights
Chelewski Named Disney Teacher-of-the-Year!
Ray E. Chelewski, an agricultural education teacher from Presque Isle Regional Technology Center in Presque Isle, Maine, was named Outstanding Teacher of 1998 at THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY PRESENTS THE AMERICAN TEACHER AWARDS at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California, on June 10, 1998.
Chelewski currently is the NAAE Region VI alternate vice president. He is a former recipient of the NVATA Outstanding Agriculture Teacher award, the NVATA Outstanding Program award, and the National FFA Agriscience Teacher of the Year award.
The American Teacher Awards pays tribute to America’s outstanding educators by honoring 36 teachers representing 12 subject categories. During the star-studded celebration, Matthew Broderick, Candice Bergen, Jeff Goldblum, Jenna Elfman, Dennis Franz, Kim Delaney, Scott Hamilton, Hector Elizondo, Rob Estes, James Cromwell, Kathy Kinney, Steve Guttenberg, Shelley Long and Tia, Tamera and Tahj Mowry presented awards to the 12 educators named the outstanding teacher in each category. Chelewski was one of three candidates in the vocational education category.
At the conclusion of the show, the 36 teachers themselves, by secret ballot under the supervision of Price Waterhouse, selected Chelewski as the Outstanding Teacher of 1998. As the Outstanding Teacher of 1998, Chelewski received an honorarium of $25,000, his school received $25,000, and the school district received $10,000.
When Chelewski arrived at the Presque Isle Regional Technology Center, the agriscience program had been closed for two years waiting for a teacher to helm the program. He diversified the curriculum by adding additional agricultural fields of study and units on agribusiness, marketing, leadership, ecology, and natural resources; integrated core education such as math and English into classes; and worked with other high school and middle school teachers to provide agriculture content in their lessons. In addition, he has been instrumental in developing laboratories such as greenhouses, a trout and tropical fish aquaculture center, a 38-acre school farm, and a farm store.
“When I was a high school sophomore, I was told I would never amount to anything. Fortunately, an agriculture teacher directed me to opportunities of learning and growth. It was the beginning lesson for me of the impact a positive teacher can have on a student’s learning and future life successes." Ray Chelewski
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Then and Now: To the PC From the Plow NVATA/NAAE at 50! |