MHS Teacher Named MPS 22-23 Rookie of the Year

Mustang Public Schools Names Three as Rookie Teachers of the Year

(Mustang, Oklahoma – April 22, 2023) – Mustang Public Schools has named three first year teachers as Rookie Teachers of the Year for 2022-2023.  Hope Berry of Canyon Ridge Intermediate, Sadie Maxey of Mustang High School, and Alexis Chaffee of Mustang North Middle School were surprised in their classrooms earlier this month by District officials with the announcement, and were subsequently recognized at the MPS Staff Recognition Ceremony on April 20, 2023.

MPS Rookie Teacher of the Year awards go to teachers in their first year of full time teaching at a Mustang Public School.  Candidates are nominated by Principals, Assistant Principals, Central Office Directors and first year teacher mentors for their outstanding work ethic, dedication and skill.  Once nominations are received, a committee reviews applications and selects the winners.  

What the nominators said about these outstanding educators:

Hope Berry

Hope Berry is a phenomenal 1st year teacher!  She involves students in HANDS ON highly engaging, chunked collaborative science lessons, and students are engaged bell-to-bell!  Her procedures are fun & students are clear of expectations; She monitors student understanding & engagement and adjusts instruction seemingly effortlessly in an ongoing highly effective manner!  Hope has a loving, calm yet enthusiastic, organized, and productive manner that is difficult for teachers to obtain after years of experience!  She inspires her students everyday and brings out the best in her students and colleagues in an unobtrusive, effortless and contagious manner!  Wow, she's a wonderful 1st year teacher - the type who doesn't come along often, but impacts all who know her.

Hope is a natural teacher who works extremely hard to make learning engaging, high-level, and fun. She earned the respect of her colleagues immediately. Hope is a motivated teacher who does whatever is best for kids."

Sadie Maxey

Throughout the overwhelming first year as a new teacher, Sadie has met challenges head on with gracious professionalism.  Over and over Sadie has had challenges that would be difficult for even the most seasoned veterans of education; however, Sadie sought guidance from experienced educators and humbly adapted to every situation in a manner that is great for her students.  Sadie has truly made a difference this year and we are very glad to have her at Mustang High School. Sadie has found her calling.

Sadie has proven to be a very passionate educator with her positive demeanor, professional attitude, kind heart, and effective skill set which is why I am nominating her for the MHS rookie teacher of the year.

Alexis Chaffee

As a special education teacher at Mustang North Middle School, Alexis Chaffee has made a profound impact on her students and the school community in just a short amount of time.  Before her students even arrived, Ms. Chaffee spent countless hours creating an amazing flexible learning environment for her students.  The amount of thought and care that went into these rooms is unbelievable. 

From the moment she stepped into the classroom, Ms. Chaffee has shown a unique ability to connect with her students and create a positive learning environment. Her passion for teaching and dedication to helping each of her students reach their full potential is truly inspiring. She goes above and beyond to create an engaging and meaningful classroom, and is always available to offer support and guidance to her students.  Her passion for education and her warm, caring demeanor have made her a beloved member of the MNMS family.

Alexis Chaffee is a first year Functional Skills teacher at MNMS. She has been an absolute rock star teacher this year. If you would visit her class for even 5 minutes, you would never believe that she is in her first year of teaching. I can personally attest to Alexis’ dedication, creativity, and passion for her students.

Alexis goes above and beyond to meet the needs of each of her students, regardless of their academic abilities or even their verbal communication abilities. She recognizes that each student has unique strengths and weaknesses and designs instructional activities that cater to the individual needs of each student. Every student feels accepted and encouraged as part of their classroom community and as part of our entire school. This is a HUGE undertaking due to the extreme variation in ability levels among her students. 

In addition, Alexis works tirelessly to get her students involved in classes and activities outside of the Functional Skills classroom as well as partnered with our Leadership Class for our TAG students to come in for activities with the students. Her students attend numerous elective classes that fit their ability level and her higher functioning students attend core classes that are able to meet them where they are academically, but also challenge them. She has organized several community based instruction field trips for the students along with organizing a potato bar luncheon for our staff that her students prepared. These efforts have had such a positive impact on her students’ confidence while at the same time created a supportive and inclusive school community for all of MNMS.

It is clear that Alexis has a genuine love for teaching and a deep commitment to making a difference in the lives of special needs students. She brings energy, creativity, and a sense of humor to the classroom every single day and her students have responded to this in such a positive way. Even on the toughest days...she has not waivered in her excitement and dedication to her students.

 

About Mustang Public Schools

The Mustang Public School District covers over 72 square miles in Oklahoma and Canadian counties with the City of Mustang at its center. The district is the largest employer in Canadian County, with more than 1,500 certified and support employees. As one of Oklahoma’s Top Workplaces, the school district offers a comprehensive compensation package for full-time employees, in addition to a satisfying working environment. There are eight elementary schools (grades PreK-4), three intermediate centers (grades 5-6), three middle schools (grades 7-8), one high school (grades 9-12), and an educational center which houses pre-kindergarten and alternative education.

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