The Lewis Award

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Accepting Nominations Sept. 1-30th

Accepting Nominations Sept. 1-30th

by | Aug 4, 2021 | Uncategorized

LewisAward nomination
Currently, there is a growing teacher shortage country-wide. Many teachers are taking early retirement or finding other jobs. Without a dedicated teaching staff, Catholic schools will not survive.

One way to ensure that teachers know that they are valued is to nominate a teacher for the annual Lewis Award for Excellence in Teaching. For more than 25 years, this award has recognized teachers throughout the Diocese of Raleigh.

Nominating a teacher raises the morale of the school. The publicity around this award informs the community of the excellence of our Catholic Schools.

Consider nominating a teacher who has made an impact on you or your child. The nomination form will be posted on this page at the beginning of September.

Long-Awaited Mass Celebrating the 2019–2020 Lewis Award Recipient, Tina Isenbarger

Long-Awaited Mass Celebrating the 2019–2020 Lewis Award Recipient, Tina Isenbarger

by | Apr 23, 2021 | Excellence in Teaching, News

Tina Isenbarger, St. Ann Catholic School, FayettevilleCongratulations to Tina Isenbarger, the 2019-2020 Recipient of the Monsignor Gerald Lewis Award for Excellence in Teaching. Ms. Isenbarger teaches at St. Ann Catholic School, Fayetteville. She was notified of her selection on March 13, 2020, the Friday before schools were closed due to the pandemic. The long-awaited mass to honor Ms. Isenbarger was finally celebrated at St. Ann’s Church on April 21.

You can read more about this beautiful event, covered by Mandy Howard, writer for the NC Catholic, on the Diocese of Raleigh website:

https://dioceseofraleigh.org/news/after-year-delay-lewis-award-mass-honors-tina-isenbarger (Linked with permission from NC Catholic editor Kate Watson.)

Keith Brown, Chair of the Lewis Award Committee

Keith Brown, Chair of the Lewis Award Committee

Monsignor Lewis and Tina Isenbarger

Monsignor Lewis and Tina Isenbarger

Anne Stahel, Founder of the Award, Monsignor Lewis and Tina Isenbarger

Anne Stahel, Founder of the Award, Monsignor Lewis and Tina Isenbarger

Tina Isenbarger, Recipient, and Rene Corders, Principal of St. Ann Catholic School

Tina Isenbarger, Recipient, and Rene Corders, Principal of St. Ann Catholic School

Special Recognition from the Lewis Award Committee

Special Recognition from the Lewis Award Committee

by | Dec 29, 2020 | Excellence in Teaching, News

Expressing Our Gratitude

The purpose of the annual Monsignor Gerald Lawrence Lewis Award for Excellence in Teaching is to recognize, promote and encourage teaching excellence in the Diocese of Raleigh Catholic Schools. Considering the uncertainties of the pandemic, the Award Process was paused for this year.

The Lewis Award Committee, however, recognizes the unprecedented challenges faced by the faculty in all schools. During this pandemic year, every teacher should be recognized for demonstrating a selfless commitment, both professional and personal, to excellence in Catholic education.

The Committee chose to honor and express our gratitude to the teachers with a special prayer, composed and blessed by Monsignor Lewis. The week before Christmas, the principals were presented a plaque with the prayer and logos of each elementary and high school as a reminder of the sacrifices the teachers have made and continue to make in the 2020–2021 school year. Please take the time to listen to the video from Keith Brown, Chair of the Committee, followed by a gallery of photos from presentations across the Diocese. May the Lord bless you and your families abundantly throughout this Christmas season and the coming year.

Sincerely,

The Lewis Award Committee:

  • Keith Brown, Chair
  • Lesley Ferguson
  • Susan Goethals
  • Cynthia Hanks
  • Rosalie Innacelli
  • Michelle Silva

Ex-Officio:

  • Father John Forbes
  • Monsignor Lewis
  • Superintendent Lytia Reese
  • John Ruocchio
  • Anne Stahel

Video of presentation by Keith Brown, Committee Chair to Joyce Price, Principal of St. Mary’s in Wilmington.

Monsignor Lewis blessing the plaques and cards to be presented to each school.

The plaque with the prayer composed by Monsignor Lewis.

Bless Our Catholic School Teachers

Dear Lord, this has been a trying time for the dedicated teachers in our Catholic Schools caused by a virus that has infected our whole world. Loving Father, our teachers have continued to teach our children of your love and presence as well as the sciences of life amid great hardship. We beg your blessings on these dedicated teachers and upon those whom they teach. Let them know that your rainbow of love is over them and that their efforts will be rewarded by your protective love. We ask this through our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Great Teacher, in Union with the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2020/2021
Msgr. Gerald Lewis

Gallery

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Announcement for The Lewis Award for Excellence in Teaching

by | Aug 19, 2020 | News

On behalf of the Lewis Award Committee, welcome to the Diocese of Raleigh Catholic Schools 2020-2021 school year! Albeit an unusual beginning, and whether your children will attend class in a virtual classroom, on-site, or a hybrid, the school Administrators and Staff have done a remarkable job of creating safe and productive classrooms.

The Lewis Award for Excellence in Teaching is presented annually. The nomination period is normally September 1 through September 30. In light of the uncertainties of the coming months, the Lewis Award Committee has decided to pause the Award Process for this school year and resume in August 2021. The Committee will continue their work throughout the year and evaluate how to proceed with scheduled activities for this school year.

In March, the 2019-2020 Award Recipient, Ms. Tina Isenbarger, St. Ann Catholic School, Fayetteville, was announced just a few days before schools closed due to Covid 19. Consequently, we were unable to appropriately celebrate this prestigious Award. We will recognize Ms. Isenbarger with a Mass and presentation later this school year as we hopefully see a slowing and eventual end to this pandemic.

May the Lord bless you.

The Lewis Award Committee

Welcome to the New Superintendent of Schools, Lytia Reese!

Welcome to the New Superintendent of Schools, Lytia Reese!

by | Aug 3, 2020 | News

Lytia Reese, Superintendent of Schools of the Diocese of RaleighThe Lewis Award Committee extends a warm welcome to Lytia Reese, the new Superintendent, Diocese of Raleigh Catholic Schools. She comes to Raleigh with a strong commitment to her Catholic faith and particularly Catholic education. The Committee looks forward to working with Reese to recognize and highlight the excellence of teaching in the Diocesan schools.

To learn more about Reese, read the article at https://dioceseofraleigh.org/news/diocese-raleigh-names-new-superintendent-schools