Educator Spotlight: Anderson and Winterstein

NICOLE ANDERSON

Her colleagues all agree that physical education teacher Nicole Anderson is always full of energy, positivity, and new ideas. After 28 years of teaching - 24 with Lakewood - Nicole says it’s the students that make all the difference.

“The students bring me new energy. Each school year is a new opportunity to make a difference,” says Nicole. She sees each student that sets foot in the gym as an opportunity to nurture in them a lifelong love of movement.

Nicole uses her excellent collaboration skills to bring depth to her PE classes. She routinely reaches out to classroom teachers to find out what they are teaching at the time so that she can find ways to incorporate the concepts into her lessons. For instance, if kindergarteners are working on counting, she will have them count their stretching time out loud using their numbers. Or perhaps she will have her third-graders count by four to reinforce multiplication tables.

Collaborating with her PE colleagues in the District is also important to Nicole. They share their teaching successes with each other and learn from each other new ways to teach a skill. Nicole’s natural growth mindset leads her to regularly engage in professional learning whether it is through Ranger EDU offerings or online professional communities. 

Despite being at Lincoln only half-time, Nicole is deeply engaged in the school community. She leads Jump Rope Club, facilitates the Kids Heart Challenge fundraiser (for over 10 years) and has rallied the Lincoln community to donate more than $100,000 to the American Heart Association. She also coaches the Purple and Gold 5th grade basketball team.

Whether she’s teaching foundational skills, building community through clubs and coaching, or modeling lifelong wellness, there’s no doubt—just as her nominator Sharon Gorris says—that Nicole is a true rock star.

MICHELE WINTERSTEIN

Michele Winterstein juggles a variety of tasks as Lincoln Elementary’s school secretary. No matter how many responsibilities pull at her, Michele’s focus remains clear: “I want everyone to feel happy and safe,” she says.

Michele believes the staff at Lincoln form a true family, and she prioritizes making parents and students feel the same.

“I make an effort to learn all the kids’ and parents' names. I want them to feel like they belong,” says Michele, who joined the District in 2008. She cares deeply for the students and treats them as she would her own two children. 

Michele uses her Vision of a Lakewood Educator competencies of growth mindset and empathy to help the students. For instance, she has researched a variety of calming strategies to help students who may come to the office feeling anxious and overwhelmed. 

Michele also likes to use her creativity to make everyone feel welcome at Lincoln. She is known for her penchant to dress up for any holiday or special occasion and particularly decks herself out head to toe in Amistad red for House days. She also loves to decorate the office throughout the year.

“I want (the office) to be welcoming and cheerful. I like to bring joy to the day,” says Michele.

Lincoln’s principal, Brenda Budzar, is thankful for all that Michele does for the Lincoln community and says: “Michele is always working toward making each day better than the last…”