Congratulations to Sean Szakal for earning the Hilbish Teacher of the Month Award for April!In the statement below, Kannapolis City Schools explains the impact Mr. Szakal had on one child in particular last school year:
Sean Szakal teaches 8th grade social studies at Kannapolis Middle School and coaches the boys’ soccer team. He is also a very positive influence on young people.
The parent who nominated Mr. Szakal explained how her son had not always made the best choices. However, she said Mr. Szakal changed her son’s life. She said she was moved at the caring way Mr. Szakal spoke with her son last school year about his concerns for him and his future. Mr. Szakal emphasized how important it was for her son to be on time and how her son’s absences not only affected him but also others. Since that conference, her son has made an incredible turn-around. The mom said that after her son finished 8th grade last June, he got a summer job with a landscaping company. Before he started his job, he mentioned how the advice from Coach Szakal was correct, and he didn’t want to make a bad impression. Her son was on time every day and saw how other workers’ absences impacted him and everyone else in the company. He saw first-hand how Mr. Szakal’s words had been true.
This school year at A.L. Brown, her son has been to school nearly every day, and mom says she never has to argue with her son for him to be at school on time. He has made the A/B honor roll every quarter and earned a 94 in science! She even got calls from one of his teachers saying her son had requested extra work in order to keep up his grades. The mom says it all goes back to Mr. Szakal and the incredible impact he had on her son.
This is the kind of extraordinary influence that makes teaching special and makes teachers such treasures. We’re proud that Coach Szakal is part of our KCS family, and we’re delighted that Hilbish Ford is honoring his excellence with the Hilbish Ford Teacher of the Month Award. Congratulations!
Click here to see how you can nominate an outstanding teacher at KCS!
