Mount Markham Elementary teacher Barrett Hawes was recognized as the 2024 NYS AHPERD Central North Zone Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year.

The Mount Markham Central School District is proud of Barrett Hawes’s achievement. Barrett Hawes was nominated for this award by Lindsay Kidder, whom he first met when he filled in for her as a long-term substitute when Kidder was on maternity leave. “I was nominated by a teacher I filled in for when she was on maternity leave,” Hawes said. “I’m blessed to know Lindsay Kidder and many other physical education teachers.”

Barrett Hawes has been with the Mount Markham Central School District for 10 years, and - over that time - has facilitated or participated in numerous school events, coached sports and served as a role model for students and staff alike. Many of Hawes’s colleagues were supportive of and excited for his achievement. “Barrett goes above and beyond to make sure his students are getting what they need and that they are learning as well as having fun in the gymnasium,” Mount Markham Middle School physical education teacher Amy Coleman said. “He dresses up and participates in anything the school is doing to keep the kids interested in coming to school and learning! He speaks from his heart to the kids and his colleagues and genuinely cares about what they are going through.”

Terry McKane, another physical education teacher at Mount Markham Elementary, was also proud of Hawes’s achievement. “Barrett is a lifelong learner,” McKane said. “Each year, he attends state and local conferences. He constantly incorporates new lesson ideas to stimulate student learning. Barrett has been a wonderful colleague over the past 10 years. He is thoughtful, considerate, and has a team-first mentality. He is a model for any current and future physical education teacher.”

Barrett Hawes expressed his gratitude for receiving the award and the value he places on his job. “I’m honored and speechless, it’s just a wonderful opportunity,” Hawes said. “I have the best job. I teach about a lot of things, how to cope when you lose, when you win, just life skills.”

Hawes also conveyed his appreciation for the different people in his life that he feels assisted him in achieving this honor. “We have a great staff at Mount Markham - great physical education teachers and great teachers in general - who are willing to help all the time,” Hawes said. “It starts with a strong foundation with my parents, with my family, just those strong foundations throughout my life.”