Student of the Year: Annie Burnett
Annie is a sixth grade student at the LaSalle Intermediate Academy, with the South Bend Community School
Corporation. She is the daughter of Dory Lawrence and Jeff Burnett. Even at her young age, she has shown the
courage to face the challenges of her LD with a positive attitude and determination that has earned her the respect
and admiration of her peers, teachers and family. Annie was also identified as a gifted student and is in an
accelerated program at school, but with her hard work she has achieved her goal of being on the Honor Roll –
twice! Annie has researched and produced a class project about the Freemasons and their mission to help
students with dyslexia, and it is proudly displayed at the Learning Center in South Bend. Annie has also written
essay about her own struggles and insight into the abilities of persons with LD that was printed in the IN*Source
Newsletter and can be viewed by clicking here.
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Bob Reed Career Development Award: Joshua Davis
Joshua attends Ivy Tech Community College at the South Bend Campus. He is the son of Jeanne Feitz and George
Davis. Joshua has dyslexia and an attention deficit disorder but he believes that it should not stand in his pursuit of
a higher education. During high school he was involved with sports and was a peer mentor. With the help of his
mother, he graduated from high school and now attends college classes during the day and maintains a night job to
help pay for his car. He plans to use the monetary award to purchase a computer with the assistive technology that
will help him in his college courses.
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Parent of the Year: Sheila Johnson
Sheila lives with her family in Carmel. As the proud mom of three sons with learning disabilities, she has made sure
her community is fully aware of the educational needs of students with LD in her community, and has single handedly
raised thousands of dollars for programs she has either developed or encouraged others to develop in her children’s
school. Sheila volunteers as her school’s PTO President, as well as volunteers countless hours to helping out with
students, and always goes beyond what is expected in what ever she does and recruits other parents and makes
sure they have fun so that they want to help out again! Sheila is a positive support and role model to all families, and
a blessing to her school and community.
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Outstanding Service Award: Cathy Weinmann
Cathy is a speech pathologist and audiologist in Indianapolis. She has contributed countless hours as a volunteer in
identifying and advocating for students with learning disabilities, and by creating awareness about the needs of
students with LD in her community. Cathy has created an extensive program called S.T.A.R.S. (Students That Are
Ready for Success) that provides support and resource for LD students, as well as the teachers and parents in the
schools that she serves.
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Teacher of the Year: Gary Wittmann
Gary is a special education teacher at Forest Park High School with the Southeast Dubois County School
Corporation in city of Jasper. Over his teaching career, he has been admired by his colleagues, students and their
parents for his ability to create unique learning environments in and out of the classroom and for helping his students
learn and excel well beyond what was expect of them. Gary is a musician, an avid writer and a well-known storyteller
in his community. He has used these talents to develop a variety of educational programs that use these “arts” that
effectively address each student’s learning needs and strengths and help them achieve their goal of graduating from
high school with a diploma and prepare them for entry into adulthood. Gary’s dedication and passion for teaching
has reached outside of the standard classroom. He has worked with young adults in the correctional system and has
the ability to “connect” with them and help them see that they can make positive changes in their lives and pursue a
better life academically, behaviorally and socially. He has developed a website for poetry and storytelling and is
currently working on a children’s book he hopes to have published next year when he retires from teaching.
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Administrator of the Year: Janet George
In August of 2002, Janet founded and continues to head the Hutson School for students with learning disabilities in
the Indianapolis area. Janet can not only talk-the-talk, but has given the loving support and wisdom to her three
children with learning disabilities, that only a parent who has struggled with their own learning disability can. We
received so many nominations for Janet from her colleagues, students and parents, that we almost ran out of paper
and printer ink!
We would be hard-pressed to write as well as the letters we received, so we will include quotes from their letters:
“She (Janet) has fulfilled her life dream by creating this school. What began as a group of parents that needed help
with their own children, is now 50+ strong and growing.”
“Janet has a sincere appreciation and a genuine concern for every child. It begins with the smile and warm greeting
each student receives as they arrive to school. Throughout the day, she celebrates their successes and
encourages them through their failures with a contagious energy and a passionate enthusiasm. She instills in them
the belief that their struggles are not barriers; but small obstacles, that can be overcome with hard work and
perseverance.”
“Janet was not only understanding, considerate, and extremely knowledgeable of my daughter’s educational
strengths and weaknesses, she demonstrated something I had never seen in the educational environment before: A
caring and loving person with a tender heart!”
“Janet is fully dedicated and committed to students with learning differences, and her dedication and compassion for
these students is electrifying and contagious!”
“Everyday I saw Janet with a smile and could feel her big warm heart permeate a room. She always has encouraging
words for students, guidance for teachers, and plenty of time to help parents understand how to assist and
understand their own individual children.”
“When I met Mrs. George I was at a point that I didn’t think my daughter would get the education that she deserved.
Mrs. George helped us understand when no one else would take the time. The road hasn’t been easy, but she has
been right there along the way.”
“After my first conversation with Mrs. George I knew I had found the answer. I no longer felt alone.”
“Never have I had the pleasure of working for someone like her before. She is always encouraging us, her staff, to
continue our learning process and to have have confidence in ourselves. She is passionate about what she does
and her students and faculty adore her.”
“Janet’s commitment to helping children stretches far beyond the doors of Hutson. She dedicates her life’s work to
making sure that the community in which we live in that children with learning disabilities are not disabled, they just
learn different. Janet holds regular “Parent Education” classes that are free to anyone that wants to attend. These
classes demonstrate with audience participation, just how children with learning disabilities not only learn – but how
they feel as a person when they learn. I have personally witnessed Janet spending hours to help a child and his/her
family find the right answers to questions and situations – even when said child is not a student of The Hutson School.
“As a teacher, she presented information in a way that inspired me…Mrs. George is an effective support system for
both her staff and students.” She makes me feel blessed to work for her.”
Janet George is an amazing advocate for students with learning differences. She tirelessly works to educate
parents, tutors, teachers and the public on the how best to educate and support students with learning differences
and how best to recognize their talents and how to build their self confidence. As Principal/Headmaster of the Hutson
School Janet continually exemplifies best practice applications in her mentoring of other teachers, modeling of
behavior, modeling of tutoring practices, teaching of tutoring practices, and modeling of leadership and citizenship
for students, parents and teachers.
“Janet's leadership is contagious. As a new parent last year, I was amazed at the level of volunteerism at Hutson and
the heart that everybody has for each other. Love and comfort have a home in our building. We want every dyslexic
child who needs Hutson but can't afford the tuition to have the same opportunity that our kids have. In 2006 we all
put on a fund raiser (The Hutson Hodown) and raised $60,000 dollars for scholarships, not bad for a school with
just 50 families. This is the kind of passion Janet inspires in us.”
“Mrs. George develops a personal relationship with each student in the school. As an experienced teacher and OG
fellow, she has the ability to assess student needs, both academic and behavioral. She has the unique ability to
identify a problem and communicate a solution in an understandable way. For instance, each Friday at Family
Meeting she demonstrates a necessary life skill or relates a valuable lesson. Last Friday she role-played "space
invaders" (keeping the appropriate amount of body space between people.) Her kindness and concern for students
sets the caring tone for our school.”
“Mrs. George has also been known to extend her tutoring skills to learning disabled students who do not attend our
school. One of these students happened to be deaf as well as LD”… “to the benefit of the child, Mrs. George ,
whose undergraduate degree is in deaf education, tutored her in sign language.
“I am a student at the Hutson School. Mrs. George is loving, fun, kind, and friendly.”
“Mrs. Geroge is a very fun and crazy person. She has an awesome personality. She is kind. She can be firm, but is
always fair. She is a spectacular Head of School! When I broke my knee cap and had to have surgery, she came to
visit me in the hospital and brought me candy. Mrs. George is awesome!”
“Mrs. George is a little silly, but she is a lot of fun!”
“Mrs. George is a kind person to me. She is a lively person in the mornings. She understands people with their
weaknesses. She can be firm but fair. She is a fun person to everyone.”
“Mrs. George is the best Principal I have ever had. She has been so loving to me since I came to the Hutson
School. This is my second year at the school, and I love it here. Mrs. George has put in a lot of hard work, and been
very dedicated to me. I want to thank her for that.”
“She helped me feel good about my learning disability. I'm glad she's here for us. What I really am trying to say is
thank you Mrs. George!”
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