The Lewis Award Committee is pleased to announce the following Finalists for the 2015-2016 Monsignor Gerald L. Lewis Award for Excellence in Teaching:

Mr. John H. Bell, St. Peter Catholic School, Greenville
Mrs. Shelby C. Hamilton, St. Mark Catholic School, Wilmington
Mrs. Marilyn Stuit, St. Thomas More Catholic School, Chapel Hill

The selection of the Recipient will follow onsite classroom visitations and interviews by the committee during the month of February. Congratulations to the Finalists!

Mr. John Bell, with 25 years of teaching experience, has taught PreK through Grade 8 Art at St. Peter Catholic School for the past 14 years. Mr. Bell focuses on an interdisciplinary approach to teaching and presented STREAM (Science, Religion, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) workshops at the Diocesan Teacher Conference, as well as multiple workshops throughout his years in the Diocese. He was the Visual Arts chairperson of Catholic Schools Live in 2014 and 2015. When asked the rewards of teaching in a Catholic School Mr. Bell wrote, “… a Catholic school gives students a sound philosophical foundation upon which to build their lives. Although the personal moral compasses of the vast majority of our students are firmly set in accordance with the teachings of Jesus, St. Peter graduates are able to respect others with differing views and to prosper in a pluralistic society.”

Mrs. Shelby Hamilton, with 19 years of teaching experience, has taught Grade 6 Social Studies at St. Mark Catholic School for the past 11 years. Mrs. Hamilton is the co-leader of the Catholic Identity Committee for St. Mark, coaches volleyball, and is involved in multiple ministries of the parish. Mrs. Hamilton wrote, “The rewards of teaching in a Catholic school include guiding students to the realization of their true identity, created in God’s image for a divine purpose. Teaching in a Catholic school feeds my own spiritual life and keeps Christ at the center of everything I do.”

Mrs. Marilyn Stuit, in her 30th year of teaching, has taught Grade 5 Language Arts and Science for the past 7 years. Mrs. Stuit is a member of St. Thomas More School Improvement team, and serves in multiple ministries of the parish. She was selected by the Diocese to attend the 2012 Excellence in Teaching Conference at the University of Notre Dame. When asked the rewards of teaching in a Catholic School Mrs. Stuit wrote, “Teaching in a Catholic school enables me to share my faith… on a daily basis through my words and actions. I also find that families who send their children to STM value education and show great support for me as an educator.”