Local spanish teacher takes home award

A fiesta will be thrown Friday at Chapel Hill High School to honor faculty member Ken Stewart, who was named the 2004 Teacher of the Year by the Foreign Language Association of North Carolina.

Mervin Jenkins, assistant principal at Chapel Hill High, said the school is buzzing with excitement.

"It is always nice when the school receives recognition, and we greatly appreciate Stewart and his teaching," said Jenkins. "It's a big step for the foreign language department."

In a state that has the fastest growing Hispanic population in the country, many school officials have placed a strong focus on making students learn a foreign language.

But Stewart said the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School system sets itself apart from other schools in the state because of its commitment to offering foreign language classes in elementary schools.

"You don't have to travel far, only to Carrboro, to see that Spanish is a second language here," he said, adding that he believes the schools' foreign language program should be a model for all schools in the state.

"I am proud of the progress that we have made."

The dual language program in city schools, which offers students immersion in either Spanish or Chinese, expanded this year to grades K-2 in both McDougle and Glenwood elementary schools.

Stewart said his work is only a small part in the overall effort of teaching foreign languages.

"It is very humbling to receive this recognition because there are so many talented teachers in foreign language departments throughout the state. I feel special," said Stewart, who is a UNC alumnus.

Students and teachers say Stewart's connection with his students and passion for the Spanish language are contagious.

"If you ask a student, they would probably say that I am demanding, but also personable," said Stewart. "I like to build a repertoire with the kids that lets them know that I care about them. I would not be getting this award without them."

Emmy Wilde, a former student of Stewart's who is now a freshman at UNC, said that although Stewart really pushed his students to learn the language, he also knew how to incorporate fun into lesson plans. She recalled as an example a time in which students played the Newlywed Game in Spanish.

"He was really able to relate to his students, and people actually wanted to work for 'Se