On Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, Jeremy Dunnihoo received the VFW Elementary Teacher of the Year award. The VFW, or the Veterans of Foreign Wars, is a nationwide nonprofit organization that honors veterans while serving and supporting the community. They provide recognition to all groups nationwide through their awards and scholarships, including the Teacher of the Year award.
Dunnihoo has been teaching third grade at Sandhill Elementary School since 2014, and prior to that taught second grade. He teaches all core subjects, including Math, Literacy, Phonics, Science, and Social Studies. He also teaches intervention groups for students who require extra instruction or one-on-one assistance to be able to keep up with their peers.
“The VFW Award is given to teachers who display a commitment to their communities and classrooms , as well as educating students about our nation’s Veterans. The award is given to one teacher at each level (elementary, middle, and high school) each year in the state of Wisconsin,” Dunnihoo wrote in an email. After the State winners of this award are announced, they are considered for the National award across all 50 states.
The process of receiving the award is extensive. It can take months to go through the nomination and scoring required to bestow the award on a singular teacher.
“To first be considered for the award, you have to be nominated and selected as your district’s representative,” Dunnihoo wrote. “Once you have been selected as your district’s representative you have to complete an essay showing how you meet the criteria in four categories: Citizenship, Innovation, Resources, and Passion. From there, a VFW committee will review all the nominees and score them 1-25 in each category for a max score of 100. The teacher with the highest score at each level receives the award.”
Dunnihoo thinks that his highest score was in the citizenship category, which he believes allowed him to win. Outside of teaching, he is active in the community, his biggest association being a baseball coach to all ages in the Stoughton Baseball program.
“I also know that our 3rd-grade team at Sandhill has a ton of pride in our Veterans Day Assembly that has also been greatly attended,” Dunnihoo added.
Dunnihoo was honored on February 3rd in Wisconsin Rapids during the 2024 VFW State Convention. Here, he was honored alongside the Middle and High School Teacher recipients. They all received plaques for their services and were allowed to address and thank the VFW members in attendance.
Dunnihoo was celebrated across the Stoughton Area School District for his work to better the Stoughton community and for his award. He was acknowledged in the School Newsletter, the District Website, and the District Instagram page. The community has celebrated this huge accomplishment for Dunnihoo, and he feels beyond proud to have received this honor.
