EP Schools Announce Annual Teacher of the Year Recipients

2024 EP Teachers of the Year

Many of the 2024 East Providence Schools Teachers of the Year were honored at a recent City Council meeting

Posted Thursday, June 6, 2024 11:47 am

The East Providence School Department named its annual list of Teachers of the Year for 2024. A teacher for each school was named and one teacher was named as the district-wide recipient. Recipients were honored at meetings of the School Committee and City Council. The 2024 district-wide winner is Kathie Rietheimer of Orlo Avenue School.

Teacher of the Year Kathie Rietheimer
Kathie Rietheimer has been teaching in the district for 23 years, starting in middle school and then moving to Orlo Avenue School. Mrs. Rietheimer is passionate about math, science, educating the whole child, meeting the needs of our MLL learners and of course, the courtyard! She's a leader and role model for students and teachers. Mrs. Rietheimer has been instrumental in the School Garden Club, which has included the release of butterflies and the Symbolic Migration Journey. Along with her passion for the school garden, she has been a strong advocate for the revitalization of the courtyard, which will come to fruition in the summer of 2024. This space will be an interactive garden for students, a classroom space and sensory garden. One parent notes that her “commitment to the project's success is contagious” and states, “I don't even like gardening, but for her I will play in the dirt”. She has worked to secure a grant and organized volunteers to get the work done. Her commitment to our school community and her students goes far beyond her classroom and the courtyard project. She is an active member of the School Improvement Team, leads the school’s STREAM night, is a Robotics coach, and is a supporter of Conscious Discipline and educating the whole child. Parents recognize that she educates students beyond the curriculum, including taking the time to support students who have lost a family member, discussing events happening in society that impact our students or community, modeling positivity and kindness in her classroom and our school and genuinely caring for her students. Mrs. Rietheimer is someone colleagues respect and choose to collaborate with. She can often be found collaborating with her grade level partner or content colleagues. She is data driven and is constantly looking for ways to improve her instruction to better the learning of all. She is willing to think outside the box, looking for creative and innovative ways to ensure each student is getting what they need to be successful in her math class. Colleagues note that she brings a sense of curiosity to her classroom and is recognized by her colleagues as having positive energy. Mrs. Rietheimer is an asset to the Orlo Avenue School community and to the East Providence School department. It is with great pleasure that we honor Mrs. Rietheimer with the Teacher of the Year award for 2024.

School based recipients: