Detroit Lakes Public Schools Announce 2022-23 Building Teachers of the Year

Detroit Lakes, MN (KDLM) – Detroit Lakes Public School has announced that Dennis Weaver, Tim Siewert, Nicky Courneya, Jill Schramel, Kris Swenson, and Melissa Greene have been named the 2023-23 Building Teachers of the Year.

One teacher from each of the district’s six buildings (Lincoln Early Childhood, Rossman Elementary, Roosevelt Elementary, ALC, Middle School, High School, was selected for the award from a large pool of candidates.

Dennis Weaver, Science at Detroit Lakes ALC for 19 years: Mr. Weaver is always willing to help our students in or outside of class. He has a great sense of humor and our students warm up to him quickly, and love joking around with Mr. Weaver. He’s the type of teacher who’s never hidden behind his desk, anytime you poke your head in his classroom, he is always sitting at a table with his students. He also has created a fun Friday experience for our students to explore trade programs, and working hands-on in the community.

Tim Siewert, Band Director at DLHS for 8 years: Mr. Siewert has been the band director at DLHS for eight years. He has continually improved the Band Program at DLHS. The number of students involved continues to increase. Tim created the Drumline, a new offering at DLHS. This is a new venture that has provided a unique opportunity for our students. Tim’s students are engaged and have fun while kicking out some awesome music. We’re very fortunate to have Tim as the leader of our Band Program.

Nicky Courneya, English/Language Arts at Detroit Lakes Middle School for 18 years: Nicky is a consistent but quiet leader in our building. She teaches from her heart with a persistent sense of caring for her students. Her delivery of lessons is genuine and clear, and her ability to convey meaningful applications of language arts concepts ensures her students are able to identify relevance for the material they are learning. For my
students who are in SpEd, she incorporates accommodations and modifications into her
assessments without fail and in a manner that ensures the rigor of the material is not
compromised. Discipline is fair and gentle. And at the end of the day – she is a good
person with a big heart. How can you not feel welcomed and special after being in her
presence?

Jill Schramel, Special Education/Speech teacher at Roosevelt Elementary for 19 years:
Jill is truly outstanding at her work. She is popular with students, families, and
colleagues. She is kind and cares about each one of them. She can reach the most
difficult and loves the challenges they may bring with them. Her classroom always has a
positive atmosphere. She knows her discipline well and has shared numerous ideas
with others. She is a professional teacher. Jill is just the best. She’s a leader in our
special education program! She maintains a positive attitude even when crap hits the
fan. She always has a solution to any problem we bring to her & if she doesn’t, she will
find one. She is an expert at her craft & sooo many others as well. She truly is a wealth
of knowledge when it comes to all things Special Ed. Not only is she so good to us as
teachers, but the relationships she builds with her kids are second to none. She
encourages, teaches, & helps all kids grow. She builds relationships with every kid she
works with & the kids she doesn’t work with as well! She is their friend but holds them to
high expectations & provides such fun & unique learning experiences for our kids. She
is such an asset to our special education team & to Roosevelt!

Kris Swenson, PE teacher at Rossman Elementary for 17 years: Kris is a smiling face for the kids (and adults) to see every single day! The kids know that when they head to Phy Ed, they’re going to have a positive person encouraging them while they’re in the gym. In the short amount of time that she sees kids each day, Kris is exceptional at forming relationships with kids. Every year at back-to-school conferences, kids excitedly ask if they get Ms. Swenson for Phy Ed, and that’s a testament to those strong relationship-building skills! She’s also an amazing coworker and leader in our school. She has served our school community in numerous leadership roles and is a big piece of why Rossman is such a great place. Having a positive impact on kids and our school community are perfect examples of why Kris is more than deserving of being nominated for Teacher of the Year in Detroit Lakes!

Melissa Greene, Preschool teacher at Lincoln Early Childhood for 20 years: Melissa is a preschool teacher at the Lincoln Education Center. She has worked the majority of her career at Lincoln for the past 20 years. Melissa creatively teaches and is dedicated to the well-being of her students. She integrates her entire team to meet the educational goals for our littlest Lakers! It’s an honor to work with Melissa who is so deserving to be the DLPS Teacher of the Year award! Melissa is a passionate and skilled teacher with many years of experience and expertise. She is an incredible advocate for her students and provides individualized teaching to meet the needs of all her kids. Melissa provides a fun, nurturing environment in her classroom that is maintained by clear routines and expectations. Lincoln is lucky to have Melissa as a Kindergarten Readiness teacher.