Three Teachers from New Prague Schools Earn Awards
Minnesota Waterfowl Association Recognizes Local Teacher

The Minnesota Waterfowl Association has named Jeff Decker Conservationist of the Year at the Professional Level. Jeff is a Biology teacher at New Prague High School. As part of Jeff's teaching duties, he conducts two classes in the fall and three in the spring related to wildlife and fishery biology.

Students in Jeff's classes over the last ten years have recorded changes in the wildlife habitat, number of animals, birds and fish in study areas. Jeff has been very creative in finding and securing funds to enable students to expand the areas students are able to study. Jeff will be formally recognized at the Annual Minnesota Waterfowl Hall of Fame Induction and State Conservation Awards in February.

Educators honored as TIES Educational Teachers

Carrie DeValk and Nick Meyer of New Prague Public Schools were recognized as TIES Exceptional Teachers at the 2011 TIES Education Technology Conference at the Minneapolis Hyatt Regency on December 13. They were among 83 teachers from 43 districts.

The teachers were chosen by their superintendents for the TIES Exceptional Teacher award, which recognizes teachers who model the best practices in using technology in their classroom and engaging students in learning.

The accomplishments of these teachers, along with a photo suitable for printing, can be viewed on the TIES web site (here).

Besides being recognized at the conference level, each teacher is featured in the TIES Exceptional Teachers publication and received a certificate.

School districts participating in the TIES Exceptional Teacher award program are members of TIES, an education technology consortium of 46 Minnesota school districts.