And the Winner is....

Katharine Sandknop, a 6th grade teacher at Hollenbeck Middle School in the Francis Howell School District, won the $100 Teacher Appreciation gift certificate to Fantastic Finds. She was nominated by her aunt, Lisa Ovaitt, who is a retired teacher and also a member of Assistance League of St. Louis, which provided the gift certificate.

Katharine is in her 10th year of teaching English at Hollenbeck. Her main teaching goal is to instill a love of reading in her students. She’ll take her class to the library and each student selects a book that interests them.

“If a student loves sports, he might find a book about baseball, for example,” she said. The students will later have a discussion and share their books with each other. They will discuss all the books with general questions, such as setting, characters, and their reaction to the story.

One of Katharine’s favorite lesson plans is argumentative writing, “where the students write about issues that they’re passionate about,” as if they’re arguing in court, she explained. They have to find research and deliver a presentation that is often memorable for everyone.

“I love the kids. They’re never boring,” she said. She is happy to see former students when they return to school for a visit. Some recently came back as seniors, and are now going off to college.

She and her husband live in St. Charles with their two daughters, ages 1 and almost 3, near Hollenbeck Middle School.