SAVE-THE-DATE! The OTA Ceremony 2025 will be held on Monday, April 28, 2025 at the Belmont High School Auditorium.

Congratulations to our 2024 Outstanding Teacher Awards recipients!

Photographs from our ‘Reveal Day’ are courtesy of Belmont parent Natasha Bregel
Photographs from our ceremony, on Monday, April 29, are by High School photographer, Neer Singh

Outstanding Teacher Awards 2024

The Outstanding Teacher Awards (OTA), sponsored by Belmont Savings Bank Foundation, recognizes the extraordinary contributions made by teachers in the Belmont Public Schools. Community members, including high school and middle school students, nominate teachers who they feel deserve this special recognition. A sub-committee of the FBE then selects teachers from the nominations, one from each of the Belmont Public Schools, to be recognized as the Outstanding Teachers of the Year. The entire community is invited to celebrate these honorees at a ceremony April 29th.

The S. Warren Farrell Award

The S. Warren Farrell Award for Educational Excellence recognizes one educator for longstanding dedication and leadership in the Belmont Public Schools and contributions to the community. This award honors the legacy of S. Warren Farrell for his many years of dedicated volunteer work in Belmont community.

Outstanding Teacher Award Recipients 2024

Joshua Streit
Belmont High School, Social Studies Teacher

Brenton Lussier
Belmont High School, Math, Grade 8

Sara Carson
Chenery Upper Elementary School, Music

Wendy Hurwitz
Burbank Elementary School, Grade K

Molly Quinn
Butler Elementary School, Social Worker

Kendra Nnyanzi
Wellington Elementary School, Grade 1

Catherine Monnin
Winn Brook Elementary School, Grade 2

2024 S. Warren Farrell Award for Educational Excellence Recipient

Gregory Bruce
Belmont High School, Special Education

Outstanding Teacher Awards 2024
Ceremony:

Monday, April 29, 6:00pm,
Chenery Upper Elementary School, Belmont MA

The Nomination Process

  • Parents/guardians, students, and community members, can nominate teachers who they feel deserve this special recognition.

  • To be eligible for nomination, a teacher must:

    • Have completed 3 consecutive years teaching in the Belmont Public Schools and currently teach in the Belmont Public Schools

    • Teach students on a regular basis (40% of the time)

    • Have not previously received the Outstanding Teacher Award within the last 3 years.

  • Please select the appropriate school nomination form below and submit when completed. The nomination period only lasts March 6 – March 20.

    Belmont High School Application

    Belmont Middle School Application

    Chenery Upper Elementary School Application

    Burbank Application

    Butler Application

    Wellington Application

    Winn Brook Application

  • Nominations close March 20, 2024

    A sub-committee of the FBE will select one honoree from each of the Belmont Public Schools. The 2024 Outstanding Teachers of the Year will be announced in early April.

  • Award Ceremony & Reception
    Monday, April 29th, 2024, 6:00pm
    Chenery Upper Elementary Auditorium

    The entire community is invited to a ceremony to celebrate the 2023-24 Outstanding Teacher Award recipients.

Questions? ota@fbe-belmont.org

OTA Sponsor
Belmont Savings Bank Foundation

OTA Ceremony 2023 Photo Gallery

Photographs courtesy of Franklin Tucker & Lyn Hamer

Previous OTA Recipients

  • Ezra Flam, Belmont High School, Theater Arts Specialist

    Jonathan Marks, Chenery Middle School, Science Grade 8

    Nikolaus vonHuene, Burbank Elementary School, Grade 4

    Abbie Dufault, Butler Elementary School, Grade 1

    Jessica Endres, Wellington Elementary School, Grade 4

    Lauren Chancey, Winn Brook Elementary School, Grade 2

    2022 S. Warren Farrell Award for Educational Excellence Recipient:
    Victoria O’Regan
    Burbank Elementary, Reading

  • The 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years were turned upside down by pandemic and required all Belmont Public School staff members—teachers, custodians, paraprofessionals, guidance counselors, office staff, administrators, and food service staff to alter the day-to-day operations, think creatively and operate in a new and challenging world.  The Belmont Savings Bank Foundation, sponsor of the OTA, and the FBE did not want this tremendous dedication by ALL staff to go unrecognized.  Therefore, OTA 2020 and 2021 honored the entire staff of the Belmont Public Schools for their outstanding contributions. 

    On May 4, 2021, to celebrate the Outstanding Staff, each school was presented with a large poster of an image composed of words of gratitude solicited from the entire community. Each staff member received a small version of the Words of Appreciation image along with a gift card to a local Belmont small business as a token of appreciation for creatively and tirelessly supporting our students and each other throughout this challenging time. 

  • Mark Abruzzese
    Belmont High School, Chemistry

    Bhuvana Kaushik
    Chenery Middle School, Math, Grade 6

    Ellen Levy
    Butler Elementary School, Kindergarten

    Kelly Mastalong
    Belmont High School, Social Studies

    Colleen McBride
    Wellington Elementary School, Grade 2

    Sarah Pierson
    Burbank Elementary School, Grade 3

    Nicole Torniero
    Winn Brook Elementary School, Grade 2

    S. Warren Farrell Award Honoree
    Leon Dyer
    Chenery Middle School, Technology Education

  • Edward Trodden
    Butler

    Colleen Cox
    Burbank

    Christina Westfall
    Wellington

    Erin Gillies-Thibeault
    Winn Brook

    Denise LaPolla
    Chenery

    Catherine Larkin
    Belmont High School

    Warren Farrell Award
    Brian Dunn

  • Jennifer Pressey
    Butler

    Clifford Gallant
    Burbank

    Meaghan Clow
    Wellington

    Kathryn Doyle
    Winn Brook

    Dorothy Pulizzi
    Chenery

    Daniel Moresco
    Belmont High School

    Warren Farrell Award
    John McLellan

  • Justin Chiu
    Butler

    Lisa O’Sullivan
    Burbank

    Cheryl Lyons
    Wellington

    Kathleen Calhoun
    Winn Brook

    Michelle Connors
    Chenery

    Martha Bloom
    Belmont High School

    EXTRA: Sharon Phipps

  • Katie Caritey
    Burbank

    Audrey Ruddock
    Butler

    Steven Tenhor
    Wellington

    Danielle Pandolfo
    Winn Brook

    Ben Ligon
    Chenery

    Susanne Lijek
    Belmont High School

2023 Outstanding Teacher Recipients
Eileen White, Belmont High School, Social Studies Teacher

Brianne Panzarella, Chenery Middle School, Social Studies, Grade 6

Nicole Pond, Burbank Elementary School, Art Teacher

Samantha Sacco, Butler Elementary School, Grade 3

Kate Ebdon, Wellington Elementary School, Grade 2

Kerry Lapon, Winn Brook Elementary School, Grade K

2023 S. Warren Farrell Award for Educational Excellence Recipient
Cindy Crowley, Butler Elementary, Special Education