WESTFIELD — Jefferson Elementary School second-grade teacher Dawn Donahue is the 2025 recipient of the Rotary Club of Westfield’s Philhower Fellowship Award in recognition of outstanding teaching at the elementaryschool level. At the same time, McKinley Elementary School head secretary Joan Penczak has been chosen to receive the 2025 Weyman Steengrafe Award, introduced in 2023 by the Rotary Club to recognize non-certificated staff for their dedication and commitment.
Mrs. Donahue and Mrs. Penczak received the news on May 5 as Superintendent Raymond González, Ed.D., paid surprise visits to their schools.
“On behalf of the board of education and the entire school district, I congratulate Mrs. Donahue and Mrs. Penczak on this welldeserved honor from the Rotary Club,” said Dr. González. “Their dedication to our students and passion for education inspire us all.”
Mrs. Donahue is in her 10th year of teaching at Jefferson, including eight years in second grade.
“Jefferson is my happy place. I am lucky that I get to spend each day surrounded by my beautiful students. I love creating a positive social- emotional community of learners where everyone belongs, feels important and safe enough to work toward their academic hopes and dreams,” said Mrs. Donahue. “As a teacher, I have the opportunity to self-reflect and learn from mentors and coworkers who help me to foster my professional development. Teaching truly is a work of heart, and thanks to the Jefferson community, my heart is full.”
Letters of nomination for Mrs. Donahue from parents laud her as an “enthusiastic, committed, and hardworking” educator who “prepares her students for the real world, builds confidence in the learner’s abilities, and encourages them to succeed.”
“With her classroom adorned with student work, her upbeat attitude, and her rich understanding of literate habits, she is the Mary Poppins of the classroom setting,” wrote one parent nominator.
Another parent nominator noted that, “in Mrs. Donahue’s class, the students were treated as family and each student had a voice.”
“Mrs. Donahue taught, cared for, and respected each student by listening to their ideas, providing support or solutions when necessary, and taking the time to make each student feel valued,” added this parent.
For more than a decade, Mrs. Penczak has worked as the head secretary at McKinley.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to have spent the past 14 years at McKinley School,” she said. “It’s been a true privilege to work alongside such a dedicated and deeply caring staff, a supportive PTO, and the wonderful families who make the McKinley community so special.”
Colleagues who nominated Mrs. Penczak for the Steengrafe Award described her as, “100 percent committed to the staff and students,” “the heart and soul of McKinley” and “the heartbeat of our school.”
“Joan has a natural ability to connect with people on a personal level,” wrote one nominator. “Her compassionate approach makes her someone everyone can rely on. She truly embodies what it means to be a dedicated, kind, and supportive member of the school community.”
“I’ve seen Joan help solve every possible problem with the same positive energy,” wrote another colleague. “Whether it’s a copier that seems to malfunction a hundred times a day or when I’ve forgotten to order science supplies until the last minute, Joan is always there to lend a hand,” wrote another colleague, who added that Mrs. Penczak’s “ability to listen, offer help, and keep everything running smoothly creates such a welcoming environment for students and staff alike.”
Mrs. Donahue and Mrs. Penczak will be recognized at a Westfield Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, May 20. They will receive the Philhower and Steengrafe Awards on Tuesday, June 3, as guests of honor during a Rotary Club luncheon.
Three Rotarians and two elementary- school principals served on the nominating committee.
The Philhower Fellowship was established in 1993 by the Rotary Club to honor former Westfield Rotarian Charles Philhower and to recognize the importance of teaching in the elementary grades. An educator for more than 50 years, Charles Philhower, who died in 1962, was supervising principal (superintendent) of Westfield schools for three decades as well as cofounder and past president of the Rotary Club of Westfield.
Now honoring its third recipient, the Steengrafe Fellowship was established in memory of Weyman O. Steengrafe, who began teaching social studies in the Westfield Public Schools in 1942 before serving as principal at Franklin, Tamaques and Wilson Elementary Schools. Mr. Weyman was a lifelong Rotarian, from 1966 to 2010, serving as club president in 1971-1972 and District Governor in 1985-1986.
