Ms. Emily Ovenell 2024 Teacher of the Year
Royal Middle School's Ms. Emily Ovenell was selected as the Washington History Day Program 2024 Teacher of the Year in the junior division (grades 6-8).
Hannah Tofte, M.A., Program Supervisor for Civic Engagement of the Office of Superintendent of Public Intruction (OSPI) was delighted to share the news:
When considering candidates for this year’s award, Washington History Day’s Advisory Committee was particularly impressed with Ms. Ovenell’s commitment to History Day and the thriving History Day program she has built at Royal Middle School over the course of only a few short years. Having read a testimonial from Ms. Ovenell’s colleague, Teresa Piper, it was clear to us that Ms. Ovenell is held in highest esteem by her school community as well. In addition to her skilled and generous service to History Day at Royal Middle School, Ms. Ovenell has grown consistently in her leadership at the program’s regional and state levels, and we look forward to her continued partnership. Having started her History Day journey as a Washington student (her teacher having been a previous winner of this very award!), the Committee is particularly proud to uplift Ms. Ovenell’s story, especially as she carries this work forward to the thousands of young historians she will empower over the course of her teaching career."
As Washington History Day’s 2024 Teacher of the Year in the junior division, Ms. Ovenell will also serve as Washington State’s junior division nominee for the national Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award. Behring Award winners will be announced in June at National History Day’s 2024 National Contest.
Congratulations, Ms. Ovenell! We wish you well in competing for the national Behring Award.
To learn more, contact Hannah Tofte, OSPI State Coordinator, Washington History Day, at [email protected].