Sonya Basseri Chosen as Local Grinspoon-Steinhardt Awardee

We would like to congratulate Sonya Basseri for being chosen as the winner of the 2010 Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. This award is given out locally across the country to educators who have made a commitment to the field of Jewish education.

The award honors outstanding classroom-based teachers in formal Jewish educational settings (early childhood through grade 12). JEC's Grinspoon-Steinhardt award selection committee was made up of members of greater Seattle Jewish education community. This year the JEC received four outstanding nominations from area day and supplementary schools. It was a tough decision, as all of the nominees were excellent candidates and had strong recommendations from their heads of schools and other community members. Finally, the committee decided to award Sonya Basseri, from the Seattle Hebrew Academy, the 2010 Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award for the Greater Seattle Jewish community. As part of the award, Sonya will receive a $2,000 stipend to be used towards professional development.

Sonya teaches kindergarten at the Seattle Hebrew Academy. Her lessons are described as "deeply thought out, with every element of her classroom planned with deliberation, student dignity, with child appropriateness and student learning at its heart". She has also been described as a wonderful mentor for her fellow educators and as an exceptional teacher with a wonderful classroom presence. According to her SHA community and parents of her students, Sonya's carefully crafted lessons allow the students to grow and develop as independent thinkers in both Judaic and secular studies. Her sunny disposition and love of the students permeate every aspect of her teaching. We are so pleased to have Sonya Basseri as part of our Seattle Jewish education community and wish her the best of luck for the future.