THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING WITH THE TEACHER OF THE YEAR 2025 PROGRAM.
Please read the important information below on this year's program. Click the BEGIN button at the bottom of this page to start your teacher nomination.
Please read the important information below on this year's program. Click the BEGIN button at the bottom of this page to start your teacher nomination.
Welcome! Let's get started....
We invite you to nominate a deserving teacher for the 2025 Norwood Teacher of the Year award. Organized by the Norwood Masons, this annual award program recognizes teaching excellence in primary and secondary education.
We invite you to nominate a deserving teacher for the 2025 Norwood Teacher of the Year award. Organized by the Norwood Masons, this annual award program recognizes teaching excellence in primary and secondary education.
Would you like to submit a nomination video?
We encourage you to include a short video telling us why your nominee should be named Norwood Teacher of the Year. Your video may be shared on our social channels as part of our program promotion. Video submissions are used as part of the first-round judging process. Click the button below for video creation guidelines and a form where you can send us your video file.
We encourage you to include a short video telling us why your nominee should be named Norwood Teacher of the Year. Your video may be shared on our social channels as part of our program promotion. Video submissions are used as part of the first-round judging process. Click the button below for video creation guidelines and a form where you can send us your video file.
2019 winner Rachel Siegel.
Teachers must work at a school in Norwood, MA.
Past Teacher of the Year winners are not eligible:
The nominations are judged on these elements of the submission:
Nominations that cover all three of these topics do well with our Judges.
How Winners are Selected
Program organizers do two rounds of judging. Any teacher who has multiple nominations are combined into single entry, for example 1A and 1B.
The First Round Judge's panel is comprised of members of Orient Lodge who use a three part rubric:
Past Teacher of the Year winners are not eligible:
- 2024 Stephanie Andrews
- 2023 Jennifer Orlinksi
- 2022 Nora Galvin
- 2021 Patricia Kelliher
- 2020 Teresa Drummey
- 2019 Rachel Siegel
- 2018 Joy Hughey
- 2017 Cynthia Derrane
- 2016 Laura Tolman
- 2015 Lindsay Bell
- 2014 Dr. Michael Crowley
- 2013 Michael Finnerty
- 2012 Nora Glynn
- 2011 Scott Maffei
- 2010 Laurel Cawley
- 2009 Debbie Shook
- 2008 Kathryn Benson
- 2007 Sean Richardson
The nominations are judged on these elements of the submission:
- Shows Innovation
- Inspires Love of Learning
- Work on Special Projects
Nominations that cover all three of these topics do well with our Judges.
How Winners are Selected
Program organizers do two rounds of judging. Any teacher who has multiple nominations are combined into single entry, for example 1A and 1B.
The First Round Judge's panel is comprised of members of Orient Lodge who use a three part rubric:
- First Round Judges have access to the teacher’s name
- Name of school and video submissions
- Each Judge will submit their top 5 nominations
The scoring rubric used during judging.
The top 5 submissions will be sent to the Finalist Judges.
Our Finalist Judges are community members, who are not Masons, who are not currently employed by any nominated schools, but could be retired or work in other town agencies.
Finalist Judges use the same three-part rubric and nomination packets are masked, as to not have access to the teacher's name, school or any videos that have been submitted.
Finalists and winners will be announced on Orient Lodge's social media channels and other media outlets.
Nominations should be submitted on behalf of an individual teacher; group teacher submissions will not be included among finalists. Nominations are due no later than March 25, 2025.
Please contact the Teacher of the Year Coordinator with any questions.
Our Finalist Judges are community members, who are not Masons, who are not currently employed by any nominated schools, but could be retired or work in other town agencies.
Finalist Judges use the same three-part rubric and nomination packets are masked, as to not have access to the teacher's name, school or any videos that have been submitted.
Finalists and winners will be announced on Orient Lodge's social media channels and other media outlets.
Nominations should be submitted on behalf of an individual teacher; group teacher submissions will not be included among finalists. Nominations are due no later than March 25, 2025.
Please contact the Teacher of the Year Coordinator with any questions.
2023 Winner Jennifer Orlinski with Wor. Richard Goldin and R.W. John Ferrante of the Sixth Masonic District of Massachusetts.
