GEORGETOWN — Students and teachers at Georgetown Elementary School jumped up to applaud teacher Sarah Zeinemann as she was presented the Special Needs Teacher of the Year Award at an assembly Monday.

The award was presented by Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome of Kentuckiana and honors a teacher in New Albany-Floyd County Schools.

Zeinemann said she was shocked but honored to receive the award.

“It’s something you do because you love it,” she said. “And it’s wonderful that people appreciate it and recognize how important it is to be working with these very special students.”  

Zeinemann’s husband and children were on-hand at the assembly, and Erik Zeinemann said his wife earned the award because of her commitment to her students.

“She’s dedicated and hard-working,” he said. “She’s always working.”

Georgetown Principal Rhonda Benz nominated Zeinemann for the award. In her nomination, Benz described Zeinemann as “our unsung hero” and wrote that she “is 100 percent kids her entire day.”

Benz said that both Zeinemann and her teaching partner, Sheila Galvin, look at their students as individuals and offer a personalized experience.

“She focuses so much on learning and inclusion with the kids and anything she can do to get them from where they are to where they need to be,” she said. “You can just see the kids blossoming and the progress that they make.”

Zeinemann said she enjoys working on a case-by-case basis with both her students and their families and seeing the children’s growth over time.

“They’re all such a joy, because they all have their own personalities,” she said. “And it’s working with each of those personalities to help them do their own best.”

She said that while being named D.A.D.S.’ special needs teacher of the year is exciting, it isn’t her greatest reward.

“Seeing their smiles everyday is the ultimate award,” she said.

D.A.D.S. is a group of fathers, brothers, uncles and friends who  promote positive awareness, celebrate children and support the fathers and families of people with Down syndrome. This is the second year they have presented the award.

D.A.D.S. President Scott Rife said teachers play an integral part in preparing children with Down syndrome for the rest of their lives.

“If you don’t have them, there wouldn’t be anything.” he said. “There have to be more special ed teachers and more recognition for them as well.”

D.A.D.S. founder Bart Adkins agreed.  

“It’s important for people to know about the positive awareness these teachers raise in the community,” he said.