Santa Fe Trail Teacher Presented with “Read to Achieve” Award

SFT Read to Achieve
Shawnee Mission School District

Andrea Miller, second-grade teacher at Santa Fe Trail Elementary was the January recipient of the “Read to Achieve” award presented by KCTV5 and the Kansas National Education Association (KNEA).

Miller’s class and colleagues surprised her in the library. She received a check for $1,000 from Mark Farr, KNEA president, and was interviewed by Gina Bullard, KCTV5 news anchor. Bullard then read the students a story, “Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprises” by David Ezra Stein.

“This award is important because reading is the key to student success,” Farr said. “This honor helps us to promote reading and recognize great teachers.”

Miller was nominated by Lisa Dimond, a parent at Santa Fe Trail who wrote, “Mrs. Miller has inspired a love for learning in my son. With her help, he is practicing his sight words and reading almost nightly.”

“It’s important to develop a love of reading at a young age,” Miller said. “Students will use this skill all their life. It shouldn’t a tedious task but rather something they love.”

Dr. Mike Fulton, superintendent, Dr. Kenny Southwick, deputy superintendent, and Linda Sieck, NEA Shawnee Mission president all attended the presentation.