Cindy Tracy wins 2016 USD 353 Excellence in Teaching award.

by Amber Schmitz, Sumner Newscow — Cynthia Tracy believes that every child has a gift, and that if you are patient and work with them, they will be successful.

Tracy was named the Wellington USD 353 2016 Excellence in Teaching Award recipient at a teacher assembly held Tuesday. There were 30 nominees. A committee of peers along with a member of the School Foundation board made the selection.

“I believe every child has a gift that they can offer the world,” Tracy said. “You have to be patient and work with the child, that’s where that gift comes out, they share it. It doesn’t matter if they’re gifted, a regular student or special education student. They have something to offer.”

Tracy said that if you watch and listen and help them realize they have this, even if they believe they don’t, this can make them successful.

“Everyone, no matter their abilities, has something to offer the world,” Tracy said. “Taking everyone’s abilities and using them, I design lessons so that everyone can be successful, no matter their IQ, because that doesn’t really matter.”

Tracy became a teacher in 1999, after obtaining her associates degree from Cowley County Community College and bachelors and masters degrees from Wichita State University. She has been employed with the district for 25 years, having started as a para-educator. After earning her teaching degree, she was employed at Lincoln Elementary as a fourth grade teacher, then a science teacher position opened at Wellington Middle School and she decided to try it. Six years later, she realizes that she made the right decision.

“One time a student who was graduating, came up to me and told me that she was the first to graduate in her family, including her grandparents and parents,” Tracy said. “The student was able to see that they could be successful, and she did it.”

Tracy was given $1,000 for winning the award.

“I’m still in shock,” Tracy said. “I’m very happy, it makes my heart happy.”

The nomination form submitted states that “She deserves $1,000 because she has given her money to be able to do experiments in science. She bought every student in 7th grade a candy gram to make everyone feel loved.”

The candy grams are a yearly Valentine’s Day fundraiser for the leadership team at the middle school. They attach lolly pops to cards and sell them during lunch period for $1 each, and students and teachers can send them to whomever they want.

“I want every child to get at least one candy gram in their middle school career,” Tracy said. “I don’t want a child to go through middle school and never have gotten one and never have felt loved.”

She said that the teachers in charge of the fundraiser know that she will supply them with a list of her students every year.

She is married to Bud Tracy, and they have two sons, Brian, of Wellington, and Tim, of Superior, Colo. They have six grandchildren, four of whom are Wellington High School graduates, and one grandchild in Colorado.

Tracy offers a lot of hands-on science experiments for her students, which she says is the best way to learn. She also offers inquiry based projects and experiments.

“For instance, they have to make a car out of recyclable materials, seat belt an egg into it, and run it on a track to see if it crashes,” Tracy said. “They also make boats to see if they will float. I bring in baby pools, and they have a chance to put marbles in it to see if they float, and they can re-work them if they don’t.”

Tracy said the fact that the students are willing to re-engineer their boats, makes it even better.

She also keeps several different types of animals in her classroom, such as chameleons, bearded dragons, snakes, rabbits, albino frogs, and turtles.

“It’s been proven that when you study outdoors, and in real surroundings, you retain information,” Tracy said. “So, I brought the outdoors inside.”

Eggs recently hatched in her classroom, and as soon as a student noticed, she said that everyone wanted to look at the hatching babies.

“I love the children, they bring joy to my heart everyday,” Tracy said. “If they’re having a bad day, we work together and make everyone’s day better. The thrill of seeing them learning is a joy in my heart.”

Tracy has been in the district for over 20 years, seven as a paraprofessional and the remainder as a classroom teacher. She has also been involved with the Sumner County Spelling Bee as a coordinator, MTSS Committee member, Curriculum Committee member, PDC Committee member and After School Director and Summer Program Director. During the summer she is also a swim team coach for the Wellington Sailfish.

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