Zac Posen Tote Contest
Past Winners
Tote for Teachers – February 2008
- Winner Details
Winner Name: Kate Vaughn Grade Level: Shore Acres Elementary School, St. Petersburg, Florida - Contest Question
- "What do you love about teaching?"
- Contest Answer
- “
The bell rings. I am met by twenty eager, smiling faces. They are here to learn. I am here to teach. I motivate. I stimulate. I question. I answer. I support. I sustain. I discover. I assess. Johnny did his homework…by himself. Janie volunteers to read aloud…finally. Joey can’t wait to tell me his dad is home… from jail. They motivate. They stimulate. They question. They answer. They support. They sustain. They discover. They assess. They do this for each other. I reap the reward. Tomorrow is a new day. I can’t wait. THEY are why I love teaching.”
Kate Vaughn
Tote for Teachers – Three Wishes Contest – December 2007
- Winner Details
Winner Name: Anna M. Dickan Subject Taught: Religious Studies Grade Level: High School Winner Facts: Ms. Dickan has been teaching junior high and high school for a total of 23 years. She is currently the Department Chair of Religious Studies and an instructor of ninth and twelfth grade religious studies at St. Paul High School in Santa Fe Springs, California. Over the years, she has also taught courses in junior high English, math, science, and literature; and high school courses in algebra, psychology, sociology, US government, and economics. - Contest Question
- "What three things you would like to give your students this holiday season and why?"
- Contest Answer
- “This holiday season, I will give first to my students a sense of their own self-worth. I will identify their unique personal strengths, and praise them sincerely.
Secondly, I will offer listening ears. I will not only hear their excuses and complaints, but be sensitive to the underlying needs expressed.
Lastly, I will present the gift of a clean slate. In the New Year, I wish each of them the opportunity to learn from mistakes, and begin anew.
May January 2008 offer opportunity, renewed optimism, confidence, and a zest for learning, acknowledging that today is the best PRESENT.”
Anna M. Dickan
Zac Posen Tote Contest - November 2007
- Winner Details
Winner Name: Ms. Anne Guzik Subject Taught: Language Arts Grade Level: 6th Grade Winner Facts: Ms. Guzik has been teaching for 30 years. Recently, she completed a Masters Degree in Teaching and Learning. - Contest Question
- "What five things would you put in your Zac Posen Tote for Teachers bag on a typical school day and why?"
- Contest Answer
- “There is not enough room in any tote bag for the
things teachers bring to school. They bring their
hearts for their love of teaching. They bring
compassion to listen to the heartbreaks children
bring with them to school. They bring excitement,
for they have to keep a student’s attention amid the
media they are exposed to. And finally, they bring
themselves - ever growing and changing with the
demands of society - to prepare their students for
life. Daily we pack these things and take them home
to meet the needs of our families and repack them
for the next day.”
Anne Guzik



