CHARLOTTE — St. Gabriel School fifth-grade teacher Meghan Hader received the “Fr. Frank O’Rourke Award for Excellence in Teaching” June 5 for her dedication to Catholic education.
This award, in its fourth year, is presented to one outstanding full-time St. Gabriel School teacher at the end of each school year. Nominated by school families, staff and fifth-grade students, Hader was recognized for being passionate about her students, going the extra mile to make learning fun and to build their confidence, and for the qualities of our Catholic faith that she exhibits in her work.
She is a graduate of the University of Dayton and has a master’s degree in elementary education from Wingate University.
St. Gabriel parishioners Herb and Tess Verbesey established this $10,000 award in honor of former pastor Father Frank O’Rourke, who retired in 2019.
The late Tess Verbesey had been a guidance counselor at Charlotte Catholic High School for many years. The Verbeseys have been longtime supporters of Catholic education and created a similar award at the high school in 2007.
To be eligible for the award, a teacher must teach full-time and have taught at St. Gabriel School for at least five years. Nominees must demonstrate a positive impact on students; exceptional dedication to Catholic education; commitment to the school’s overall mission and success; faith and mercy in their interactions with students, families and faculty; and best teaching practices.
One nomination for Hader noted, “She is passionate about her students, goes the extra mile for making learning fun and supporting her students.”
Another said, “She seems to have a way of building students’ confidence.”
— Catholic News Herald