Local Teachers Recognized for Excellence

Local teachers Brian Wyss, of the Lindbergh Schools District, Tracy Childress, of the Northwest School district, and Jeffrey Sass, of Rockwood School district, were among 93 St. Louis area teachers who received Tiffany crystal apples Nov. 11 at the 2012 Emerson Excellence in Teaching Awards ceremony at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Clayton.

Wyss teaches instrumental music and band in 6th-8th grades in the Lindbergh middle schools. Childress is a social studies teacher at Northwest High School. Sass is a fine arts teacher at Rockwood South Middle School.

"Quality teachers are instrumental in helping students achieve the highest level of success,” said Patrick J. Sly, Emerson executive vice president. “And their achievements ultimately enable our communities to grow, companies to succeed and increase jobs, and provide more progressive employment opportunities in the future.” 

Award recipients also are also given an opportunity to apply for a Gold Star Grant from Emerson, which will be presented in spring 2013. Honorees from this year and the past five years are eligible to apply for the competitive grants, which are designed to fund educational projects that reflect the pillars of the Emerson brand – technology, innovation and leadership. Since 2006, Emerson has awarded $295,000 to area educators and schools through the Gold Star Grant program.  

The Excellence in Teaching Awards program is sponsored annually by St. Louis-based Emerson, a diversified global manufacturer and technology leader. Emerson and the Emerson Charitable Trust gave $10.6 million to more than 700 educational organizations and institutions globally for the year ending September 2012.

 “We are proud to celebrate the area’s most dedicated educators, and thank them for their commitment to education and to our children,” Sly added.