Tully Elementary Teacher Wins ExCEL Award

Holly Hawkins, a fifth-grade teacher at Tully Elementary School, has been presented with the Excellence in Classroom and Educational Leadership (ExCEL) Award. Representatives from Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) and from the award sponsors — LG&E and KU and WHAS11 — honored the teacher on Feb. 6 during a ceremony at the school.

“Throughout her tenure at Tully, Holly has designed an exemplary classroom that has met with great success,” said Principal Linda Dauenhauer. “You cannot walk into her classroom without instantly becoming motivated yourself.  She motivates students because of her high energy and belief that all students can learn.”

“Mrs. Hawkins encourages her students to work to their highest potential and to always put forth their best effort,” said Missy Schutte, a fellow teacher at Tully. “I witness her on a regular basis trying to pull out the very best in every student.  She inspires them to become better by persevering and not giving up – valuable life skills.”

Hawkins dedicates time to her students and school community outside the classroom as well, serving on the School-Based Decision Making Council as well as numerous other committees, and organizes many of the school’s instructional nights, student council activities and extracurricular events.  She also serves as assistant coach for both the cross country and track teams.

As part of LG&E and KU’s commitment to supporting education across the communities it serves, Hawkins and other ExCEL Award-winning teachers each receive a $1,000 instructional grant from the company.