Riverside Elementary School Teacher of the Year
This year's Riverside Elementary School Teacher of the Year is Mrs. Tete. She has been a Physical Education and Health teacher at RES for 18 years. Mrs. Tete plans lessons that always have as many students as possible fully engaged at all times. This kind, caring, and dedicated staff member is part of many committees and is always willing to join another! She supports staff morale by attending outings and plans events like the "Soup"er Bowl Chili cook-off. She jumps in and helps staff with whatever needs pop up throughout the day or school year. Mrs. Tete will answer the phones in the office, help execute field day, or assist with student dismissal without being asked. Of course, Mrs. Tete is ALWAYS there for the students. She assures that her students develop confidence, strong self-esteem, and an ability to persevere in difficult situations. Mrs. Tete takes ownership of our school and our children and continuously supports both by going above and beyond.
Riverside Middle School Teacher of the Year
This year's Riverside Middle School Teacher of the Year is Mrs. Smith. Mrs. Smith is not only a member of our Riverside Middle School community but also a member of the Riverside Township community. During Mrs. Smith's four years of teaching in Riverside Township School District, she has worked diligently in developing our ESL program, which has flourished into its own department due to her advocacy and knowledge of instructional best practices. She serves as a mentor to many of our teachers to provide insight, professional development, "Can Do" indicators, and advice on instruction for our ELL students.
During Mrs. Smith's first year, she taught during a global pandemic. Due to language barriers, student participation was lower than usual during this time. Mrs. Smith went from home to home and spent time with students at their residences to assist in her class and other curricular domains to ensure students understood course information.
While Mrs. Smith's job title is ESL teacher, she holds many undefined job titles. Students and faculty view her as a surrogate mom, mentor, confidant, sounding board, shoulder to cry on, advocate, translator, and the list goes on. Most recently, she was asked by students to be a volunteer coach for a much-desired dance/drill team. As the district continues to focus on culturally responsive practices, Mrs. Smith welcomed this position to integrate these practices into our athletics. Mrs. Smith also serves as the advisor of our Language Club, which is in line with the culturally responsive practices but allows all our students to be seen, heard, and experience other eager cultures.
Riverside High School Teacher of the Year
This year's Riverside High School Teacher of the Year is Dr. Zoll. Dr. Zoll’s commitment to the Riverside Township School District is outstanding. Raised in Delanco, Dr. Zoll graduated from Riverside High School in 1990 after being highly involved in various sports and activities. This trait still holds true today, 20 years into his teaching career. ln those two decades, Dr. Zoll has coached football, basketball, track, and most recently, volleyball. This Fall, he coached the first-ever Riverside Girls’ Volleyball team with Dr. Atkinson and is already planning for their spring Boys' Volleyball season. Dr. Zoll is also involved in leading or supporting the Chess Team, the FCA, the Band, and the Drama Club by helping to build their sets (and, this year, their sleigh) for Elf, Jr.
Above all else, Dr. Zoll is especially appreciated for his tireless efforts to coach our students in the learning process. After recreating the Geometry curriculum during the pandemic and then again when we returned from uncertain times, Dr. Zoll has spent these past two years building an inclusive but rigorous learning environment that supports the needs of our English Language Learners.
He is well-known for his ability to connect with all of our students, finding ways to help them make the most of their abilities, which is the most important trait he exhibits. Coach Zoll is one of the most upbeat staff members we have and definitely deserves to be honored as the Riverside High School Teacher of the Year.
