MONTHLY TEACHER APPRECIATION CONTEST

Click here to nominate your favorite teacher!

There is no doubt 2020 was an incredibly difficult year for many workers. Almost every business had to reimagine how they interacted and served their customers.

One group that really had to pivot how they did their job and also learn new skills was our teachers. Not only that, teachers always spend a good amount of personal money on school supplies--in fact, some studies suggest many spend upwards of $1000 out of their own pocket. So the attorneys at Diehl & Hubbell decided to give back to these people who are so important in our kids' lives.

To show our appreciation, the law firm of Diehl & Hubbell started a Teacher Appreciation Program in which we award one awesome teacher each month with a $500 check!  All teachers from elementary through high school are eligible.

If you know an outstanding teacher whom you feel deserves some special recognition,  you can nominate him or her to win! To participate in the Diehl & Hubbell Law Firm Teacher Appreciation Program, fill out the easy entry form below, share the link with your family and friends to increase your teacher’s chances of winning, and go back and nominate him/her again. We encourage schools to put the link on their school website to help their teachers receive nominations and for teachers to share the link with their friends, family, and parents of students.

Kathy Ross

West Carrollton Schools

September 2024

Congratulations to Ms. Kathy Ross - Diehl & Hubbell Teacher of the Month!

We are thrilled to honor Ms. Kathy Ross from West Carrollton Schools as our Teacher of the Month for September 2024! She has truly gone above and beyond to support her students, both academically and emotionally. One grateful mom of a former student shared this with us:

"In 26 years, I've never met a teacher like Ms. Ross."

At the start of the school year, this appreciative mom was in a difficult divorce situation which was very hard on the family and greatly impacted her daughter. Ms. Ross would sit with this little girl and give her extra love and attention when she had emotional outbursts at school. When she wasn't getting help with her homework, Ms. Ross took extra time in the morning before the rest of the class came in to help her complete it. On days when she arrived without a packed lunch, Ms. Ross made sure she got lunch.

"This teacher did so much more than just those few things. She is such a blessing to the school and our family. I wish I could do so much more to show her how much I appreciate everything she has done for us! Ms. Ross has a passion for what she does, and it truly shows in her actions. If anyone deserves this, it is Ms. Ross."

Ms. Ross is a shining example of dedication, compassion, and kindness, and we're so proud to recognize her for her extraordinary efforts. Please join us in celebrating her amazing work!

Pictured L to R: Ms. Kathy Ross, Donna Diehl, and Principal Mr. David Conger.

Susie Sanford 

Donovan Elementary

April 2024

Congratulations  to Susie Sanford of Donovan Elementary for being selected as the Diehl & Hubbell Teacher of the Month for April 2024!  Mrs. Sanford had a small army of students and parents who all took the time to share many of the characteristics that make Mrs. Sanford a really special teacher!  She “makes the lessons fun and engaging”, “truly cares about her students' success”, and “goes above and beyond to help her students learn!”   Thank you, Mrs. Sanford, for your outstanding efforts!

Patrick Hardin
Waynesville High School
March 2024

Please join us in congratulating our March 2024 Diehl & Hubbell Teacher of the Month, science teacher, Mr. Patrick Hardin of Waynesville High school! His passion for the subject matter, his work ethic, and his strong desire to see them succeed all led to each of these students submitting his nomination! In fact, this passion is inspiring at least one of them to pursue a career in the science field! That's impactful! Congratulations again and thank you for all you do!

Pictured above: Waynesville HS students Abby Buck, Grace Royalty, and Kaitlyn Hanshaw with Waynesville HS science teacher Patrick Hardin.

Tim Mahoney
Donovan Elementary
February 2024

“Mr. T.! Mr. T.! Mr. T.!” all the students chanted when we announced Donovan Elementary teacher Mr. Tim Mahoney(affectionately known by all as Mr. T.) as the Diehl & Hubbell February 2024 Teacher of the Month! I think they like him just a little bit!! The letters we received from Adrian and Michael Bates, parents of student Jeremiah Bates, told us the WORLD of difference Mr. T. has made for their son and they truly cannot believe the improvement in his reading, his math, and even more in his enjoyment of learning and school! Jeremiah wrote his own letter to Principal Franz conveying his own sentiments about Mr. T. as well! Congratulations, Mr. T., and thank YOU for making such an impact on all your students in the Lebanon school district!

Ashley Wolf
Waynesville Elementary
January 2024

Congratulations to Waynesville Elementary's Ashley Wolf! She is our Diehl & Hubbell Teacher of the Month for January 2024. We get nominations from parents, students, former students, and co-workers in schools all over Southwest Ohio, and each month Diehl & Hubbell honors only ONE of those teachers to be presented with a plaque and $500. Mrs. Wolf had an army of people letting us know how awesome she is, and we are thrilled to be able to recognize her outstanding efforts. Congratulations, Ashley! Waynesville Elementary is lucky to have you!

Brooke Messinger
Donovan Elementary
November 2023

Jenna Anderson
Donovan Elementary
December 2023

"We hit the jackpot!" is what one parent told us is the consensus among parents when their student gets assigned to Brooke Messinger and Jenna Anderson's class! Please join us in congratulating this dynamic duo from Donovan Elementary in being selected as our Teachers of the Month for November and December 2023! These two had an army of parents and students who submitted nominations for them telling us things like "she bought a book at the book fair for any student who didn't have money that day", "both teachers are true rock stars", and "all students who have them or have had them are truly blessed." Need I say more?? Congratulations to Miss Messinger and Mrs. Anderson!
Also a BIG shoutout to all these parents who took the time to share their heartfelt
sentiments of appreciation for these two!

Cinda Metzger
Kings Local School
October 2023

Please join us in congratulating Cinda Metzger of Kings Local School's South Lebanon Elementary! It was so much fun to see Mrs. Metzger's surprised look when she realized that the staff meeting was solely to recognize her outstanding dedication to teaching over 1000 kindergartners through the years! Mary Reece(pictured with Cinda), who taught with Mrs. Metzger for years and also had 2 children go through her classroom, wrote a very compelling letter of nomination. We were so happy that Mary could be on hand to present Cinda with a plaque and some cash!
Congrats, Cinda Metzger, for being the Diehl & Hubbell Teacher of the Month for October 2023! And a shoutout to Mary Reece for taking the time to write a wonderful letter and SLE Principal Belinda Atkins for her support!

Cathy Bowersox
Waynesville Elementary
September 2023

Please join us in CONGRATULATING Waynesville Elementary's Cathy Bowersox!! Diehl & Hubbell Attorneys at Law was so proud to recently honor Cathy as our September 2023 Teacher of the Month and present her with a $500 check!
There are many truly outstanding teachers who deserve special recognition and may not always get it. We received multiple nominations for Cathy Bowersox and one said exactly that--that Cathy is "a quiet achiever whose accomplishments are often overlooked." She felt Cathy deserved a little something extra for her "exemplary work." We agreed!! Well done, Cathy!
We also know teachers spend a lot of their own money to buy school supplies. In fact, according to the National Education Association(NEA), educators spent more than $822 on average in the 2022-23 school year on unreimbursed classroom supplies. Hopefully, this will help to offset some of those expenses!

Katie Isaacs
Kings High School
May 2023A BIG congratulations to Kings High School’s Katie Isaacs who was selected as the Diehl & Hubbell Teacher of the Month for May 2023 Ms. Isaacs was nominated by senior student Bella Cantrall and could not have been more surprised by her award As always, we presented our winner with a plaque and a $500 check Special thanks to Bella for submitting this awesome nomination(btw Katie did shed tears as we shared with her what Bella had written) and congrats again to Ms. Isaacs Pictured below(l to r)are KHS Principal Doug Leist, Katie Isaacs, Bella Cantrall, and D&H’s Donna Diehl. — at Kings High School (Kings Mills, Ohio)

Meggie Bierkan
Lebanon High School
April 2023

Congratulations to Super Teacher Meggie Bierkan of Lebanon High School! We are so proud to honor her as the Diehl & Hubbell Teacher of the Month for April 2023! We received a wonderful letter of recommendation from student Aiden Camarena who cited Mrs. Bierkan's work ethic, outstanding positive ATTITUDE(a.k.a. ARTitude!), mentorship, energy, and devotion to each and every student among other things! We presented her with a plaque and a $500 check! Congratulations again!
Pictured below(l. to r.) are Donna Diehl of The Law Offices of Diehl & Hubbell, Meggie Bierkan, and student Aiden Camarena.

Waynesville Junior High
Michelle McCarthy
March 2023

The law firm of Diehl & Hubbell is pleased to recognize Waynesville Junior High teacher Michelle McCarthy as our March 2023 Teacher of the Month!  Michelle's nominator was both a fellow teacher as well as the parent of a former student.  She told us about Michelle's dedication in the classroom as well as the community but also how much her son loved Mrs. McCarthy's class.  Mrs. McCarthy had such a lasting impact that years later "he still talks about the novels they read and the engaging discussions they had about them in class.”  Well done!  Congratulations, Michelle!

Waynesville Elementary
Denise Hartzell
February 2023

Please join us in congratulating Waynesville Elementary's Denise Hartzell on her selection as our Diehl & Hubbell Teacher of the Month for February 2023!  Marical Joy who was Denise's former student and became Denise's adopted daughter, told us that Denise is "literally an angel" who "changed the course of my life".  Marical also stated “Thank you for recognizing her and all the amazing things she has done for not only me, but so many others. I’m merely a representation of the hundreds of lives she has touched over the years. Well done, mom Denise Hartzell. I love you!!"  It doesn't get any better than that!  Congratulations, Denise!

Pictured L to R: Teacher of the Month Denise Hartzell, Donna Diehl of Diehl & Hubbell, and Waynesville Elementary Principal Anna Garafolo.

LHS
Randi Michna
January 2023

Please join us in congratulating Lebanon High School's Randi Michna on her selection as our Teacher of the Month for January 2023!

We were so inspired to hear about Randi's passion about teaching literature and her ability to bring stories to life and "lighting the curiosity in her students" but Randi also does so much more to show how much she cares about these kids.  Every year she organizes a Secret Santa program to ensure that EVERY student is remembered and feels loved!  She is  also one of those teachers who students feel comfortable coming to for guidance about some of their most serious concerns.  Thank you, Mrs. Michna, for all you do and congratulations again!

Pictured are LHS Principal Robert Reynolds and Randi Michna.

Donovan Elementary
Isabel Delvalle
Jennifer Francis
November & December 2022

Congratulations to Donovan Elementary's Spanish Immersion teachers, Sra. Isabel Delvalle and Ms. Jennifer Francis on recently being selected as the Diehl & Hubbell Teachers of the Month for November and December 2022!

The best part of this presentation was the excitement of all the students literally jumping up and down and mobbing these awesome teachers! It is clear that these two truly "do not only help students to learn Spanish but also to LOVE learning Spanish!" as one parent told us. 

The Law Firm of Diehl & Hubbell was pleased to present each of them with a $500 check and a commemorative plaque in recognition of their honors! Congratulations again! 

Pictured are (L to R) Donovan Elementary teachers Jennifer Francis, Isabel DelValle, and Principal Cliff Franz. 

Lebanon Christian
Amanda Szeghi
October 2022

We recently had the opportunity to surprise Amanda Szeghi, 5th grade teacher at Lebanon Christian, in front of the whole school and announce her as her selection as the Diehl & Hubbell Teacher of the Month for October 2022 and her reaction was priceless! Making students who are not interested in school into engaged learners and turning “C” students into “A” and “B” students is the mark of a great teacher!  The nomination letters we received told us Amanda does just that! Well done, Mrs. Szeghi!  The Law Firm of Diehl & Hubbell was pleased to present her with a plaque and a nice check!  

If you have an outstanding teacher who you think deserves some special recognition, please go to our website, Diehlhubbell.com, and click on the Teacher Appreciation tab and tell us who you are nominating and why he/she deserves some special recognition! 

Pictured are: Lebanon Christian Elementary Principal Kimberly Cope(L) and Teacher of the Month Amanda Szeghi(R) 

South Lebanon Elementary
Heather Clements
September 2022 

Congratulations to South Lebanon Elementary's 4th Grade teacher, Heather Clements on recently being selected as the Diehl & Hubbell Teacher of the Month for September 2022! 

We received numerous nominations for this month, but what really stood out to us about Heather was that a past student's parent told us that this teacher “received praise and thanks in their family dinner prayers” and what a critical part she played in making a very scary and difficult transition to a new school the success that it was and that they are forever thankful for Mrs. Clements! 

In recognition of Heather's selection as our September 2022 Teacher of the Month, Diehl & Hubbell surprised her in front of her class with a plaque and some extra cash!  Congratulations, again, Heather Clements!  Well deserved! 

Springboro High School
Brandon Yost
May 2022 

Congratulations to Mr. Brandon Yost, Intervention Specialist at Springboro High School, who was the Diehl & Hubbell final Teacher of the Month for the 2021-22 school year! Mr. Yost jumped into this challenging position midyear and made the transition seamless. The nomination letter from parents Jeff and Jenn Arneson could not have been more compelling! It was clear to them that Mr. Yost took a great amount of his personal time outside the classroom to really learn about the kids, their interests and to prepare for this new endeavor! Mr. Yost believed in Brecken and his classmates and their abilities more than they themselves did, pushed them to do more than they thought they were capable of, and as a result they have learned and grown beyond their wildest dreams! Congratulations, Mr. Yost, and THANK YOU for being “an outstanding teacher who is truly making a difference.” In appreciation, we surprised Brandon with a plaque and a check for $500! Pictured below are Teacher Brandon Yost and student Breck Arneson. 

Waynesville Junior High
Stephanie Krumholtz
April 2022

Congratulations to Stephanie Krumholtz of Waynesville Junior High for being the Diehl & Hubbell Teacher of the Month for April 2022! We all have had those teachers who really stood out to us and who we remember and appreciate years after having been in their classroom. When we received a nomination for Stephanie from a student who had been in her classroom years earlier, we knew what an impact she had made! She is the kind of teacher who has done whatever it takes to try to make sure all of her students understood what she was teaching--whether that meant staying after school, coming in early, or meeting at lunch, Stephanie has been and still is there! She is retiring at the end of this year and after 35 years of serving Waynesville Local Schools, we are sure she has put a LOT of her own paycheck back into the classroom with yearly school supplies! We hope she uses this check on herself! Congratulations, Stephanie Krumholtz!

And if you know of an amazing teacher who really goes above and beyond and deserves special recognition, please visit https://diehl.builder.legalfit.com/ and click on the teacher appreciation form to nominate him or her!

Waynesville Elementary 
Scott Stiles 
March 2022

CONGRATULATIONS to Scott Stiles of Waynesville Elementary!! Diehl & Hubbell Attorneys at Law was so proud to honor Scott  as the  March 2022 Teacher of the Month and present him with a $500 check! Scott has been teaching for over 25 years, and he has not lost one bit of the passion for it! He is still the patient and caring teacher he has always been, and he has a way of driving his students to be their best. Scott “sees the potential in all students and differentiates his educational tactics to meet the needs of all.” Scott has also devoted hundreds and hundreds of hours to coaching almost every sport out there and with his background as a U.S. Army Captain, I am quite sure he knows how to lead. Thank you, Scott, for all your service as a teacher, a coach, and a military service member. Congratulations on some well-deserved recognition!

Susan Herrmann
Donovan Elementary
February 2022

Congratulations to Susan Herrmann of Donovan Elementary in Lebanon for being selected as the Diehl & Hubbell Teacher of the Month for February 2022! In every industry, there are those people who really stand out from the crowd, who go the extra mile, are the cream of the crop! Susan Herrmann is clearly one of those! We received no less than five separate nominations with people describing Susan as: “A rockstar!” “Nothing short of amazing!” “A hero!” From really connecting with students, talking about their interests, to telling really good jokes, she sounds like one of those very special teachers that students remember for life! And parents will remember the quarterly phone calls, the way she helped their students overcome fears, making people smile and feel comfortable in her classroom, and teaching students that they “can do anything they set their mind to.”  To quote one parent: “The ability to teach the mind of a child is hard work but to be able to teach a mind while doing everything you can to protect their emotional and mental well-being takes a hero and that is what she is.” Again, congratulations to Susan Herrmann!

Tiffany Page
Five Points Elementary
January 2022

Congratulations to Five Points Elementary's Tiffany Page! Mrs. Page was selected as the Diehl & Hubbell Teacher of the Month for January 2022!  We know teachers spend a lot of their own money to buy school supplies.  And according to multiple sources, those expenditures have really risen over the past several years.  Depending on which survey or study you read, non-reimbursed costs to teachers range from $500 to $750 on average with some spending over $1000 annually.  So we decided to increase the award check to $500 in 2022!   Tiffany Page could not have been any more stunned or humbled by this recognition.  A special thanks to Scott Marshall for sharing the contest information with the Springboro community, Principal Alisha Jung for her support, and to Swapnil Kulkarni for a very strong and heartfelt nomination letter! Mr. Kulkarni wrote that "Mrs. Page is unarguably the best teacher amongst all the other good teachers in the district."   Mr. Kulkarni could not be more pleased with the experience his daughter has had and he as a parent has had this year.  He cited Tiffany's unbelievable organization, communication, clarity of information and her nurturing nature among others as reasons Tiffany absolutely deserved this recognition.  Again, congratulations to Tiffany Page and thank you!

Andrea Conover
Berry Intermediate School
December 2021

Andrea Conover of Lebanon's Berry Intermediate was named the Diehl & Hubbell December Teacher of the Month. One of the reasons we started this was because we know teachers spend a lot of their personal time and money for the benefit of their students. Of course, the first thing Mrs. Conover said when she received her $250 check, was "Well, class, it looks like I will be doing some book shopping!" And that love, generosity and dedication is exactly what others have witnessed in Mrs. Conover. The person who nominated her wrote about how Andrea "works tirelessly planning creative lessons and projects to keep her students passionate about learning." Mrs. Conover mentors new staff, sharing her ideas and creations, setting aside time each week to guide her colleagues through ideas while still being open to new ways to grow her own classroom as well. Mrs. Conover goes far beyond expectations and is an indispensable asset to the Berry staff. We think they have a true gem in her! Congratulations, Andrea Conover!

Kristy Reuber
Donovan Elementary School
October 2021

Congratulations to Kristy Reuber of Donovan Elementary! DIehl & Hubbell had the privilege of honoring Ms. Reuber as the Teacher of the Month for October! She received a $250 check as well as a plaque commemorating this recognition. Congratulations, Kristy!

Terri Harris
Lebanon High School
September 2021

We would like to congratulate Terri Harris for being chosen as the Diehl & Hubbell "Teacher of the Month" for September 2021.  Terri exemplifies dedication, leadership, and kindness.  The care that she shows for her students, not just as students, but as people is more impactful than even she probably realizes.  Students told us how she "goes out of her way to help us" and that Ms. Harris is one of those teachers that you are so lucky to have had the privilege of having as a teacher.  In fact, student said that they want to do well on her tests, of course, because they want a good grade in AP U.S. History to AP Government, but more so because they want to make Ms. Harris happy.  She is interesting, leads great discussions and is passionate about her works.  To sum it up, we were told "Ms. Harris is genuine and real and truly deserves to be recognized for her hard work."  We agree !! Congratulations, Terri!  Well done and thank you for all you do!

Rosie Demos
Primary Village South, Centerville 
August 2021

Kind. Organized. Caring. These are a few of the wonderful words we heard about Rosie Demos, First Grade teacher in Centerville School's Primary Village South! "She brings a class together even when they are apart.""Mrs. Demos puts students first."

She is truly a special person and teacher. Words from a parent(who also happens to be a teacher): "The first couple of weeks were really tough for him. He struggled with remote learning and I watched a first grader begin to get anxiety and a dislike for school. As a teacher myself, this was heartbreaking. Then came our fresh start! My son was transferred into Mrs. Demos' class. My son immediately loved her kind nature and organized teaching style. It is hard to make students feel cared about through a screen, and yet, that is exactly what she did. My son felt loved and appreciated and quickly found his zeal for school again."

Congratulations, Mrs. Demos, and thank you for all you do!

Lora Jenks
Mark Twain Elementary
May 2021

Congratulations Lora Jenks of Mark Twain Elementary on being selected as the Diehl & Hubbell “Teacher of the Month” for May 2021! We were told, “Lora is the most selfless and caring person I know. She certainly deserves this recognition!” And we couldn't agree more! Lora Jenks is a 2nd grade teacher who taught in & out of the classroom since the pandemic began. This past year she personally purchased: a laptop, a tripod selfie stick for making videos, organizational crates and tubs for individual supplies and materials, transparent masks for teaching phonics, and toys for indoor recess. She hand-delivered materials to her students' homes. Lora worked with parents to help them access district resources like technology, food, and helped problem-solve issues with their students' technology. Lora taught students with Individualized Education Plans (IEP) and students who received extra reading intervention. Given the nature of the school year, she has spent extra time focusing on social emotional learning, helping students manage stress, dealing with changes, unexpected events, and working to build stronger relationships. Sometimes, students joined her “Google Meet” session while they completed their online work, just to feel connected and to talk. Her “Google Meet” link remained open the entire day. Lora truly goes above and beyond! (Pictured from left to right: Christine Kinderdine, who nominated her; Lora Jenks)

Janis Rydalch
Lebanon City Schools
April 2021

Congratulations to Lebanon City Schools Teacher Janis Rydalch who was selected as the Diehl & Hubbell Teacher of the Month for April 2021! Janis managed to teach orchestra to 7 different grade levels (Grades 6-12) in 3 different school buildings as well as multiple sections of 5th & 6th grade music classes each and every day. This meant that Janis juggled being in three different buildings, three different classrooms, and adhering to three different sets of pandemic protocols in each building. Her car is her traveling office of supplies and files since Janis is never in one building for an entire day. Janis personally supplied her own materials and spent her time at home to handmake matching masks so that her orchestra students would look uniform for concerts. Janis taught in-person 5 days per week every single week since August 17, 2020 and had perfect attendance throughout the pandemic! For these reasons and more, we felt Janis exemplifies what it means to “go above and beyond” and is more than deserving of recognition! Congratulations, Janis! Well done and thank you for all you do!

Gregory Kline
Springboro Intermediate
March 2021

Out of the 100+ nominations we received, Mr. Kline's really stood out to us because of all the examples of how he truly embodies the “go above and beyond” for his students.  Mr. Kline supports his students not only in the classroom but also outside of class time.  Some examples include: holding a Zoom meeting on a Sunday afternoon to help a struggling student prepare for an upcoming math test, personally delivering a forgotten calculator to a student’s front porch when that student was quarantined and unable to come retrieve it from school, and providing a get-well basket for a quarantined student’s family!  Mr. Kline also is there to cheer his students on at their sporting events!  Thank you, Mr. Kline, for all you do! 

Jerome Noe(pictured with Principal Cliff Franz) 
Donovan Elementary 
February 2021

We heard from so many parents, students and co-workers about how much Mr. Noe has positively impacted his students. One story that really moved us was when he personally drove out of his way to a student’s house to hand-deliver work when a family was quarantined. We heard about Mr. Noe's passion for teaching, how he truly cares about his student’s well-being and how much FUN he brings to learning! One parent mentioned to us how Mr. Noe has transformed their student from one who struggled to get up in the morning and never wanted to talk about his day, into a boy who now enjoys and looks forward to school and is excited to tell them about what he has learned, all thanks to Mr. Noe! While we were there, one student told us how he used to hate math and now he actually enjoys and looks forward to school and is excited to tell them about what he has learned, all thanks to Mr. Noe! While we were there, one student told us how he used to hate math and now he actually enjoys it! Congratulation and well done, Mr. Noe! 

Debbie Boylan 
Berry Intermediate 
January 2021

Debbie is a special teacher who clearly does go "above and beyond" for her students. We heard about how in an in a year that has posed many challenges, Mrs. Boylan has been a beacon of light to her students. She created a “Bookmobile,” a mobile library utilizing her own vehicle and supplying books she has bought with her own money and resources so students have access to books. Mrs. Boylan also created other programs like: “Geo Buddy” a program where students send and receive postcards from all over the globe teaching students about culture and diversity; we were told about how Mrs. Boylan volunteers her time by mentoring struggling students and has lunch with them 1-on-1 to provide a safe space to speak about life; Debbie supports other teachers by participating in the “Cincinnati Buddy Walk” for children with Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy. Debbie Boylan is truly a wonderful teacher with a big heart!