A Bridgman special education teacher has been honored by Berrien RESA with its Excellence in Education Award for the year. For 19 years, the parent advisory committee at RESA has saluted those teachers who make a difference in the special education community in Berrien County. RESA Superintendent Eric Hoppstock tells us Melissa Payne is a special education teacher at Bridgman Elementary School.
“She’s been a teacher in special education for quite some time,” Hoppstock said. “She is one of those tireless, relentless teachers that you hear about in terms of being well connected to her kids, their faces light up when they see her, and she is one of those dedicated, compassionate people that goes above and beyond.”
Payne received the honor out of eight nominees total. Hoppstock says those who choose to be special education teachers are driven by the desire to make a difference, with that drive often coming to them when they’re young.
Also recognized for their contributions to the special education community were:
Jeri Essig, Middle/High School Math Teacher at River Valley School District
Emily Grontkowski, Resource Room Teacher at Howard-Ellis Elementary, Niles Community Schools
Vanessa Harazin, 5th Grade Teacher at F.C. Reed Middle School, Bridgman Public Schools
Twonia Horne, Teacher at Fair Plain East Elementary, Benton Harbor Area Schools
Shelley Schmaltz, Occupational Therapist, Berrien RESA
Patricia VanAntwerp Reading Interventionist at North Elementary, Watervliet Public Schools
Kelly Westgate, Special Education Teacher, Ballard Elementary School in Niles Community Schools
