Newark  Middle  School  8th  grade  science  teacher  Heather  Schlegel  was  “speechless,”  and  obviously  humbled  and  honored  June  14th  after  learning  the  2018  yearbook  had  been  dedicated  to  her.Later  in  the  day,  Schlegel  said  she  felt  “absolutely  honored  that  they  chose  me  to  dedicate  the  yearbook  to.  I  was  absolutely  astonished.”        After  inviting  Schlegel’s  husband,  Kevin,  and  mother-‐in-‐law  Carolyn  Schlegel  onto  the  stage  and  announcing  the  yearbook  had  been  dedicated  to  Heather  Schlegel,  Mary  Thoms,  a  7th  grade  ELA  teacher  and  yearbook  advisor,  read  the  dedication  that  was  written  by  7th  grade  NMS  science  teacher  Craig  Sutherland.  

2018 Newark Middle School YearbookDedicated To Heather Schlegel

“How  does  one  de*ine  excellence?  Does  perfection  exist  in  any  endeavor?  How  high  should  your  personal  bar  be  set  as  you  strive  to  achieve  your  life  goals?  These  are  just  a  few  of  the  questions  that  haunt  the  sleepless  mind  of  Heather  Schlegel.  In  all  areas  of  her  life,  Heather  is  single  minded  in  the  pursuit  of  her  personal  best.  If  you  ever  *ind  yourself  picking  sides  for  playground  games,  choose  Heather.  For  it  matters  not  what  the  *ield  of  play  is,  she  will  *ind  a  way  to  compete  at  the  very  highest  level.  When  she  took  up  skiing,  she  became  an  instructor.  When  she  plays  soccer  or  golf,  she  plays  with  the  men  .  .  .  and  wins.  When  she  competes  in  archery,  her  laser  focus  makes  her  dif*icult  to  beat  at  a  tournament.

“But  if  you  really  want  to  see  greatness,  step  into  Heather  Schlegel’s  classroom.  Heather  attacks  the  education  of  the  middle  school  mind  in  much  the  same  way  that  she  would  attack  a  corner  kick  in  soccer  or  the  moguls  on  a  Utah  mountain  ski  run.  She  holds  the  same  high  expectations  for  her  students  that  she  has  for  herself,  and  students  walk  out  of  her  room  daily  astounded  at  their  own  academic  achievement.  Her  deep  love  of  science  is  contagious,  and  a  Heather  Schlegel  lesson  is  almost  always  *illed  with  the  search  for  the  next  big  questions,  not  just  the  right  answers.  If  students  have  learned  to  think  critically  about  our  world,  question  the  status  quo,  and  be  a  responsible  steward  of  the  planet;  they  probably  had  Mrs.  Schlegel  as  their  science  teacher.

“As  Heather  continues  her  journey  through  life  with  her  husband  Kevin  and  two  dogs,  Apollo  and  Mocha,  she  extends  an  open  invitation  to  family  and  friends  to  join  her  in  her  next  adventure  as  she  continues  her  elusive  search  for  excellence  in  all  that  she  does.  We  take  comfort  in  knowing  that  her  future  includes  us,  this  school,  and  continued  waves  of  lucky  students  for  many  years  to  come.  Thank  you,  Heather  Schlegel,  for  keeping  the  bar  high!”

A  Cuba-‐Rushford  High  School  graduate,  Schlegel,  who  teaches  the  Regents  Living  Environment  and  Life  Sciences  classes  at  NMS  earned  a  bachelor’s  degree  in  animal  science  from  Cornell  University  and  her  master’s  degree  in  science  education  from  SUNY  Oswego.  

She  began  working  at  Newark  High  School  in  2002  and  the  following  year  began  teaching  at  NMS.  She’s  been  a  soccer  and  lacrosse  coach  during  much  of  her  career  in  the  NCSD.

Before  the  yearbook  was  dedicated,  Thoms  recognized  members  of  the  yearbook  staff  including  photographers:  Zach  Chambers,  Brianna  Welch,  Natalie  Bates,  Megan  Napoleon  and  Jadimar  Viera;    Jenna  Havert,  who  created  the  title  page  art  work;  Courtni  Tang  and  Devina  Bueg  who  did  other  art  work;  and  Taylor  Serrett,  who  served  as  treasurer.