Special Needs Instructor Shares Boston Marathon Experience With School Board
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David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
Barb Martz, special needs instructor at Warsaw Community High School, tried to keep it low-key that she was going to run the Boston Marathon April 21. She declined being interviewed for a news story before or after the race, but through word of mouth and Twitter, her story got out. And then Monday night, Principal Troy Akers recognized Martz’s achievement at the public meeting of the Warsaw School Board. “I’m privileged to brag about some of Warsaw’s finest,” Akers said. In early fall he said Martz came to him and asked if she could get a couple personal days back-to-back in the spring. She followed that up with telling him that she qualified for the Boston Marathon this year, one year after the bombing of the race by two brothers. “I’m so proud of her accomplishments,” he stated. Martz said it’s been a dream of hers to meet Dick and Rick Hoyt. Dick, 73, and Rick, 52, have run in 32 Boston Marathons together. Rick has cerebral palsy and Dick has to push him in his wheelchair. This year’s marathon was their last race together because of their ages. The marathon in 2013 was supposed to be the last but the bombing prevented them from finishing, so they decided to honor the bombing victims by racing one last time this year. When Martz discovered the 2014 marathon would be the Hoyts’ last, she knew she had to meet them. “They are amazing. (Dick’s) done six Iron Mans with his son. Just to see him and how he shows his love to his son through the races with him is an inspiration,” Martz said. The race started on a Monday. She tried meeting the Hoyts first at the expo before the marathon. On Saturday, they weren’t there. On Sunday at noon, Dick was there but Rick was delayed. Finally at 2 p.m., Martz met them both in person. She got her picture with them. While the Hoyts started the race at 9 a.m. with the wheelchair group, Martz started at 11 a.m. She kept pushing herself, trying to catch up with the Hoyts. After 13 miles of running, Martz started seeing Team Hoyt signs. She was told they were five miles ahead. Martz sped up. “It got to the point where it wasn’t about my time, but catching up with them and running with them,” she told the board. She finally caught up to them. She started taking photos of everything and had people around her take photos of her running with the Hoyts. “They were super kind,” she said. Photos and messages of Martz in the race went across Twitter instantaneously. She had fulfilled one of her dreams and shared that with her friends and followers. Assistant Superintendent David Hoffert and Professional Learning Communities Coach Lorinda Kline discussed ways in which WCS teachers and administrators have begun using Twitter for professional learning, communication and positive public relations. The best part about Twitter, Hoffert stated, was that you have to be “brief and magnificent” with it because you only have 140 characters. If you can’t get within the character limit, Hoffert said your Tweet will be ignored. Approximately 200 to 250 of WCS teaching staff are on Twitter, he estimated. Kline said, “Twitter really is a place where educators can collaborate 24/7. There are Twitter chats for teachers, principals.” She said people can connect to others around the world through shared passions. “So this is really a fruitful place to connect and learn,” she said. With Twitter, Hoffert said people know what’s going on as it’s happening. It can be used for great public relations on WCS’s behalf, he said. Kline said a person can post a question on Twitter and get an answer. “It’s a great photojournal also of everything going on at WCS,” Hoffert said. With the sixth-grade going to 1:1 during the 2014-15 school year, Hoffert said they are going to encourage the sixth-grade teachers to get involved with Twitter. In 1:1, every student has a computer device. Hintz said late one afternoon earlier this school year, it was decided school would be canceled the next day. He tweeted school was canceled, and the retweets kept rolling in. “It’s like instantaneously hundreds and hundreds know,” Hintz said. He said it’s been a wonderful way to express positive communications about the school corporation. Dan Metzger, board member, said that like any social media tool, it could have its negative effects. “We want to use this as a positive tool, not a negative tool,” Hoffert remarked. In other business, the board: • Heard a presentation by the Eisenhower Fiddling Club, started this year by first-year fourth-grade teacher Zoe Rozsa. A free video of the presentation is available on the Times-Union website at www.timesuniononline.com • Recognized teacher Abbi Richcreek for receiving an Emerging Leader award from the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association. The award recognizes technology, innovation, design and engineering educators who have demonstrated a high level of competence and professional activity in the field of technology and engineering education. • Recognized Dr. Shu-Chun Tseng as the awardee of the 2014 ICLASS Rising Star Chinese teacher. She will receive the award and be recognized at the Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association conference in November in Indianapolis. Tseng told the board, “Only with the support of the whole community would I be able to get this award.” • Heard from Hintz that the May 2014 enrollment was 7,268 students. That’s an increase of 186 students from the May 2013 enrollment of 7,082 students. The enrollment does include the Claypool and Leesburg Early Learning Classes of 61 students, and the Good Beginnings Preschool for students with special needs at Jefferson Elementary. • Heard from Hintz that Hoffert successfully defended his dissertation at Indiana State University May 16 and is now Dr. David Hoffert. • Heard from board member Jay Baumgartner that the last student day is June 5. Graduation is at 7 p.m. June 6 in the Tiger Den.
