Wendy Hendry, Bransford Elementary School, is one of three teachers in the state to be named as a Texas finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching program. Hendry teaches kindergarten at BES and has been a teacher for 16 years, all of those at GCISD.

 

The PAEMST is the highest recognition that a kindergarten through 12th-grade mathematics or science teacher may receive for outstanding teaching in the United States.

 

"Wendy Hendry is an outstanding math teacher and is very deserving of this honor.  As a kindergarten teacher she makes numbers and basic operations 'real' for the students," said BES Principal Dr. Sarah Hodges. "Her students gain excellent number sense through her real world application and hands on activities.  Her  mathematical ability, teaching skills and love for her students as well as the subject matter are contagious."

 

Established by Congress in 1983, the PAEMST program authorizes the President of the United States to bestow up to 108 awards each year. Awards are given to mathematics and science teachers from each of the 50 states and four U.S. jurisdictions.

The award recognizes those teachers who develop and implement a high-quality instructional program that is informed by content knowledge and enhances student learning. Since the program's inception, more than 4,100 teachers have been recognized for their contributions in the classroom and to their profession.

 

Hendry is the second GCISD teacher in recent years to received this prestigious award. Barbara Kelley, GCISD Elementary Math Specialist, was selected as a Texas state-level finalist in the 2008 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching Program.