Hanna Tomhave, who teaches a K-1 multiage class at Mantua Elementary School in Fairfax, has been named winner of the Virginia Lottery Super Teacher Award for the Alexandria district. Tomhave will receive $2,000 from the Virginia Lottery and a $2,000 credit from the Supply Room Companies Inc.
Parent Mary Jo Kavjian nominated Tomhave, praising her for "excellent communication skills, a caring and positive demeanor, and well-thought-out homework packages." The homework packages include materials to suit each individual student’s needs; Tomhave then reviews and provides comments on the work students submit. Kavjian also appreciates the teacher’s weekly reports about student learning that include questions for parents to ask their children to augment classroom activities.
Tomhave also created a class web site for parents and students to use, featuring photos she has taken in class and on field trips. "Ms. Tomhave goes the extra mile again and again," says Kavjian. "She is a wonderful, caring teacher who brings her love of teaching to the class every day."
A Fairfax County Public Schools employee for four years, Tomhave previously taught students in grades 1-8 in a one-room school house in Montana. Each year, she directs her students in a musical production that incorporates a content area.