By Mary DeMilia, demiliaresearch.com
In November 2016, Bunn Middle School student, Ryan DeMilia, decided to nominate the head coach of the Science Olympiad Team, Mr. Jeffrey Hagman, for the Carolina Hurricanes Jeff Skinner’s 53’s Difference Makers Program.
This initiative program honors local educators. Below are some of the activities that Mr. Hagman is involved with, that motivated Ryan to nominate him.
- Mr. Hagman is part of the tutoring program for students to help learn and to study.
- Mr. Hagman started and is the head Quiz Bowl coach. Quiz bowl is a game in which two teams compete head-to-head to answer questions from all areas of knowledge including history, literature, science, fine arts, current events, sports, and popular culture.
- He participates in various student staff basketball and volleyball games.
- Mr. Hagman is also the head coach of the Science Olympiad team. The Science Olympiad is a team competition that requires knowledge of science topics and engineering skills. It captures the kind of interest, enthusiasm, and commitment for science that is typical of athletic programs. The program is designed to increase student interest and test scores in science, while strengthening problem solving and teamwork skills. For the first time in this school’s history, we sent a team to the Science Olympiad event. Not only did we sent a team but 2 team members placed. One placed 6th in Air Trajectory while the second student placed 5th in Crave the Wave. This year, we plan to attend 2 tournaments.
- Gets students and parents involved by participating in various curriculum nights and provide 2 way communication with parents via canvas pages and providing them with opportunities to join in our hands on activities in class.
- Fundraises for materials needed for STEM projects. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. We now have Raspberry PI kits, lasers, and a rocket launcher.
Because of Mr. Hagman’s activities, Ryan decided to nominate him for the Jeff Skinner’s Award; and, because of Ryan’s actions, Mr. Hagman was awarded by the 53’s Difference Makers Program.
Jeff Skinner, left wing for the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, launched the “53’s Difference Makers” initiative to honor local educators. 53’s Difference Makers recognizes teachers at 15 Hurricanes home games throughout the 2016-17 season, beginning with the team’s home opener October 28, 2016. Mr. Skinner said,
“Education has always been something that is important to my family and to me,” said Skinner. “I know from my own personal experiences the type of impact that a great teacher can have on a person, and I wanted to give back to some of this area’s true difference makers.”
Through his initiative, Skinner provides each teacher with:
- Four tickets to a Hurricanes home game
- A $1,000 donation to the teacher’s school
- A post-game meet-and-greet
- A Jeff Skinner jersey
- A $100 gift certificate to Stone’s Education & Toys
Skinner, 24, is in his seventh NHL season with the Hurricanes, and has totaled 145 goals and 128 assists (273 points) in 423 career games. The Markham, Ont., native won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year in 2010-11 and played in the 2011 NHL All-Star Game. He currently serves has one of the Hurricanes’ alternate captains.
Stone’s Education & Toys is a local, independent retailer of educational toys, games, books and teacher supplies. As passionate advocates for the shop local movement, Stone’s staff takes great pride in helping families find outstanding educational toys and gifts. Stone’s is located at 210 Hampton Woods Lane in Raleigh NC.
The Bunn Middle School Science Olympiad Team was founded in the fall of 2015 as part of the North Carolina Science Olympiad. North Carolina Science Olympiad (NCSO) is a nonprofit organization with the mission to attract and retain the pool of K-12 students entering science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees and careers in North Carolina. Every year NCSO hosts tournaments on university, community college, and public school campuses across the state. These tournaments are rigorous academic interscholastic competitions that consist of a series of different hands-on, interactive, challenging and inquiry-based events that are well balanced between the various disciplines of biology, earth science, environmental science, chemistry, physics, engineering and technology.
Bunn Middle School is in Bunn, North Carolina, in Franklin County. Bunn Middle School strives to educate students and to assist them in realizing their full potential as responsible, productive, contributing members of society by providing an educational environment in which students are challenged, excellence is expected and differences are valued. Their motto is Being Prepared, Unified Spirit, Nurturing Behavior, and Neat & Orderly School.
This is Jeffrey Hagman’s seventh year teaching. He graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. He became the 8th grade Science Teacher at Bunn Middle last year. He loves teaching and the kids that he teaches. He believes that creating and maintaining positive relationships with students help them learn and succeed.
Ryan Demilia is in the 7th grade at Bunn Middle School. This is his second year as part of the Science Olympiad Team . He loves hockey and plays water polo and swims competitively.
