KENTLAND â At halftime of the South Newton boysâ basketball game against Seeger, Brienne Hooker, the executive director of the Jasper-Newton Foundation, named the Amazing Teacher of Newton County award winner for the 2021-2022 school year.
The Jasper-Newton Foundation, in conjunction with Indiana Super Achievers, asked Newton County superintendents to work with each schoolâs principal to nominate teachers from the 2020-2021 school year for this award. A committee of local retired teachers met to review applications and chose the winner.
Together with South Newton Middle School principal Tansey Mulligan, Hooker awarded Brittany Diedam with a $500 classroom grant from the Jasper-Newton Foundation, as well as a Kate Spade laptop bag.
Diedam, a South Newton graduate herself, was acknowledged for her hands-on work with her students, especially in STEM. She is credited for transforming the STEM program at the middle school and creating an afterschool STEM Club that has a focus on building and programming robots. Fearful that the pandemic would disrupt sharing of robots for 6th and 7th graders, she wrote and received a grant to purchase enough robots for every student.
In addition to teaching, she makes time to coach basketball and softball. Professionally, she serves as the 6th grade team leader and as the middle schoolâs mentor teacher. She has also facilitated South Newton School Corporationâs New Teacher Induction Program for several years.
As the Amazing Teacher of Newton County, Diedam will be interviewed for a PBS special that features educators from all 92 counties in Indiana.
