Behind every great student is a great teacher. These teachers make spelling and vocabulary fun. They serve as spelling coaches, moderators and judges, but more often than not, they are simply motivators who encourage the students to be the best they can be. In the "Teacher Feature," we celebrate the men and women who educate the youth of our country.
Dylan Olster (right)
knew he had a long road ahead. Winning the Pembroke Pines Charter Middle West
Campus spelling bee was just one step on his journey that ultimately led to a
spot in the 2014 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. Thankfully,
Dylan had a secret weapon -his middle school language arts teacher, Mrs. Karina
Raimont.
"Every single morning up until the day of the Broward County spelling bee, I would get to school 1-2 hours early to study and learn everything Mrs. Raimont could teach me regarding spelling," Olster said. "All this assistance was given during her own time and at her own expense, with nothing expected in return."
This shouldn't come as a surprise. Mrs. Raimont (below left) has been very involved with the Pembroke Pines community since joining the staff at the charter school in August, 2004. She has served as English teacher, department chair and curriculum specialist, while also sponsoring the Builders Club, a service organization that stresses the importance of giving back to the community.
"Karina is
singularly focused on student achievement, which is evident in her
relationships with students and their families," said Michael Castellano,
Assistant Principal at the school. "She encourages students to participate in
numerous competitions where they have always earned top honors."
Dylan agrees that the encouragement from Mrs. Raimont helped him reach a new level of a success.
"I truly believe that without Mrs. Raimont's support, enthusiasm and positive attitude, I wouldn't be able to say that I took part in the 2014 Scripps National Spelling Bee," Olster said.
Congratulations to Mrs. Karina Raimont for being our featured teacher on spellingbee.com and thank you for inspiring students to participate in academic competitions.
If you'd like to nominate a teacher for an upcoming teacher feature, let us know. Fill out your contact information at the link, then nominate the teacher on the following page.