Lara Dickens has been selected as the Patrick Henry High School Teacher of the Year. Dickens has been a teacher at PHHS since 2001 and teaches AP Environmental Science and Physics. Her colleagues nominated her based on her commitment to students that is seen in everything she does.

The principal’s recommendation letter for Lara stated:

“Getting students excited in class is one thing, but pushing students to think beyond the classroom, school, or community is a whole different set of ideas. Let’s talk about recycling efforts alone. Lara noted that our footprint at school was too large and got her students to participate in a campaign to cut the energy usage down schoolwide. Or let’s look at our trashcans for a lesson. Lara noted that the trashcans exceeded the recycling bin usage and ran a campaign with her students. Her students wrote a PowerPoint, with her support, that went schoolwide about the effects of trash and the environment. The campaign earned PHHS a second-place prize districtwide for our reduction in school waste. Or what about the plastic bag issue that has plagued our society? Lara read about a project and introduced it to her students. The next thing I knew, the club had purchased tools to weave bags into mats that could be used by people on the street to sleep on. This year, her mission to repurpose clothing so that students who don’t have the latest fashion (or can’t afford it) can shop in our own Patriot Thrift Store. Donations are collected, everything is priced for $1 (and less for students in dire situations), and the students are helping each other in such a kind and thoughtful way!”

Lara is an outstanding teacher and we are proud to submit her to the district competition that will culminate in May with National Teacher Appreciation Week.