Eva Brunken and Mary Butts
Monterey Elementary School
Grove City, Ohio

Eva Brunken and Mary Butts believe that learning must take place with the whole child in mind.  The team�s purpose is to captivate and involve students by providing many diverse opportunities for them to respond and express themselves. Both teach based on the philosophy that just as there are multiple intelligences, there are multiple ways to learn.

�We believe that children have to be actively involved in learning.  They have to feel, hear, speak, touch, and experience to learn�Having a stimulating environment is vital in grabbing students� interest and imagination.�

       --Eva Brunken and Mary Butts

Highlights:

• Produce �Showcases� with students every nine weeks.  These evening programs are created to wrap up a unit of study.  Programs have included Mexico (where children sing in Spanish) and Washington, D.C. 
•  Plan a classroom sleep-over called �Spend the Night in the Rainforest� to encourage children�s enthusiasm to protect the environment and to build their sense of community.
• Adopt acres of rainforest each year for several years with her students through the Nature Conservancy.
• Publish a classroom newspaper with students writings called Wilderness News.
• Teach using a thematic method of organizing instruction, integrating curriculum content areas.
• Southwestern City Schools Teacher of the Year, 1990-1991 (Brunken).
• Awarded School Bell Award (Butts).