Forest Hills students and staff receive prestigious awards
Two Forest Hills students and two staff members have been recognized for their outstanding achievements.
The Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce honored Anderson High School senior Jason Moore and Turpin High School senior Matt Voorhees with Student of the Year awards.
Anderson High School Principal Rob Fellows nominated Moore and wrote, “Over the past four years, I have had the pleasure of watching Jason develop and mature into the man he is today. He has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to academic excellence while at the same time embodying the kind of well-rounded, good-natured personality we hope to cultivate at Anderson High School.” Among his many extracurricular activities, Moore is a Camp Kern counselor, youth soccer referee, tutor, and AHS soccer player. He is also senior class president and is part of the National Honor Society, Cum Laude Society, and has won various academic awards.
In Matt Voorhess’ nomination, Turpin High School Principal David Spencer wrote, in part, that Voorhees is a “hard-worker, involved in activities, and shows compassion for others….he is a reminder to his instructors why they chose the teaching profession.” In addition to his strong academics, Voorhess has taken on numerous leadership roles and is involved in Key Club, HOPE Squad, cross county, soccer, and track and field. He is also a Link Crew Freshman Orientation Leader and the Turpin Student Section Leader.
The chamber also honored Lindsey Stelzer, a calculus teacher at Turpin, with the Teacher of the Year award. Over the last five years, students taking Stelzer’s AP calculus test have averaged a score of 4.84 out of 5. The Ohio average for all students taking this test is 2.95 and the international average is 2.92. As a result of these high scores, 99% of Stelzer’s students receive an average of three college credit hours, saving roughly $1,800. Turpin families have saved over $500,000 combined as a result of ten years of Stelzer’s AP calculus courses. In Stelzer’s nomination, Principal Spencer wrote that her “ability to relate to her students, parents, and peers contributes to her success in creating a classroom environment that empowers and motivates students.”
Additionally, the Hamilton County Education Foundation honored Jean Bode with the Celebrate Excellence award. Bode has worked at the Forest Hills School District for 24 years and is currently the counselor at Wilson Elementary School. Bob Buck, the district’s Elementary Teaching and Learning Associate Director, nominated Bode and wrote, “Jean fosters the emotional well-being of our students by providing small group sessions with topics ranging from ‘changing families’ to ‘empowerment.’ She provides one-on-one support to students experiencing difficulty and even teaches whole class lessons on specific topics.”
Nearly 20 FHSD staff members were nominated for the Celebrate Excellence award.
“The passion, dedication, and expertise of the Forest Hills School District staff is second to none,” said Superintendent Scot Prebles. “Our staff is committed to providing a quality educational experience that prepares students to succeed in and out of the classroom. Congratulations to the students and staff being recognized with these prestigious honors,” he said.
