Rochester City School District teacher Jennifer Tomm DiPasquale has been named the 2008 Outstanding Elementary Classroom Teacher by the New York State Council for the Social Studies. She will receive the award on April 4 at the NYSCSS annual convention in Buffalo.

DiPasquale is a fifth-grade teacher at Henry Lomb School No. 20.

 “Jennifer was one of the first teachers in Rochester to receive National Board Certification, the highest credential in the teaching profession, which she earned in 1999. She has consistently demonstrated her professionalism as an educator and her talent at making learning relevant and exciting to her students,” said Rochester Superintendent of Schools Jean-Claude Brizard. “We are extremely proud to have a teacher of her caliber among our ranks, and we congratulate her on this well-deserved honor.”

From the award announcement by the Rochester Area Council for the Social Studies:

Jennifer Tomm DiPasquale is an outstanding elementary social studies teacher. As a classroom teacher, lead teacher, and mentor, she has impacted the learning of thousands of elementary students, both in the Rochester City School District and in districts of those teachers she has reached through professional development.
 
Jennifer is a National Board Certified Teacher. She was one of the first to receive that distinction in our area and has promoted the program so well that the RCSD now has more National Board Certified Teachers (40) than all of the suburban districts combined. She has provided moral support and guidance to those who are now pursuing that honor.
 
Jennifer currently teaches 5th grade students. To help them prepare for standardized testing, she has invited guests to come in and work with small groups before each test is administered. Her lesson plans address different learning styles and instill a love of learning. She arranges special projects to keep students interested. She has high expectations and believes in her students’ ability to rise to those expectations. She also promotes sharing of best practices among her colleagues.
 
Jennifer was on special assignment as a lead teacher for elementary social studies. In this role, she went into classrooms for special projects, guest teaching, and as a resource for teachers. During those three years, she went into more than 20 schools (more than 50 classrooms) to help prepare 5th grade students for the state social studies exam given in November of every year. Scores for the district 5th graders increased significantly.
 
For many years, Jennifer has been a mentor, both formally and informally. She has worked within the Rochester Teachers Association Mentoring Program which assigns a mentor for every first year teacher. She also takes newer teachers under her wing, giving them encouragement and advice.
 
Jennifer provides professional development on the school level, the district level, the regional level, and the state level. She has presented workshops on pedagogy, content and literacy in the content area. She also attends professional sessions to keep herself updated. She is a member of the Rochester Area Council for the Social Studies, the New York State Council for the Social Studies and the National Council for the Social Studies.
 
For the past few years, Jennifer also has taught pre-service students at Roberts Wesleyan College. She stresses the fact that social studies can be integrated into any other content area. She encourages her students to join professional organizations and helps them to find resources which will benefit their growth as teachers.
 
Jennifer is the kind of teacher we all want our own children to have. She is the kind of teacher we all strive to be.