WHEREAS, in light of the attention given to our public education system, it is always a pleasure and privilege of the House of Representatives to recognize those exceptional individuals who have taken on the great responsibility of educating our youth and have been successful at doing so; and

WHEREAS, the Teacher of the Year Program was conceived to recognize exceptionally skillful and dedicated classroom teachers who have the respect and admiration of students, parents, and their fellow teachers, and play active and useful roles in their communities as well as in their schools; and

WHEREAS, WINONA OATO, who began teaching math at Kailua High School in 1966 and has since spent the rest of her 39-year career teaching general to advanced placement math, is considered by many to be a "natural teacher," one who believes that teaching occurs not only in the classroom, but in the halls, in the cafeteria, and during yard duty, and has been named the 2005 Hawaii State Teacher of the Year; and

WHEREAS, CYNTHIA BENNETT of Henry Perrine Baldwin High School, who was inspired by her former teachers to become a positive, energetic teacher, has been teaching for the past 24 years with the philosophy of using hands-on activities to make learning real to her students, and has been named the 2005 Maui District Teacher of the Year; and

WHEREAS, GAIL ANNE POTTENGER, who was encouraged by her mother to follow her heart and pursue a career in education, teaches seventh grade reading at Washington Middle School with the mindset of interpreting and respecting her students' ideas and feelings, and has been named the 2005 Honolulu District Teacher of the Year; and

WHEREAS, Kapaa Middle School's RENE RELACION, who teaches seventh grade language arts, has taught for over 12 years with the belief that an effective teacher is a lifelong learner, has been recognized for his exceptional teaching ability and selfless dedication to his students, and has been named the 2005 Kauai District Teacher of the Year; and

WHEREAS, JUNE SHEFFIELD, a distinguished teacher committed to teaching secondary math at Pahoa High and Intermediate School, has demonstrated for the past 11 years that next to motherhood, teaching is the most important job in the world, and has been named the 2005 Hawaii District Teacher of the Year; and

WHEREAS, Kapolei Middle School's TRACY TAYLOR has been teaching for the past 20 years with the philosophy of teaching to every child's highest level of achievement, and continues to encourage his students to reach their highest potential in his social and popular dance classes, and has been named the 2005 Leeward District Teacher of the Year; and

WHEREAS, for over 28 years, DON TSUHA of Moanalua Middle School has taught music through the performance of a musical instrument with the belief that this is the ideal way to stimulate and develop a child's sense of complete being, and has been named the 2005 Central District Teacher of the Year; and

WHEREAS, through their dedication and commitment to serve Hawaii's children, WINONA OATO, CYNTHIA BENNETT, GAIL ANNE POTTENGER, RENE RELACION, JUNE SHEFFIELD, TRACY TAYLOR, and DON TSUHA have proven themselves worthy of being honored as teachers and role models for our public school community; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, that this body hereby honor WINONA OATO as the 2005 Hawaii State Teacher of the Year, and CYNTHIA BENNETT, GAIL ANNE POTTENGER, RENE RELACION, JUNE SHEFFIELD, TRACY TAYLOR, and DON TSUHA as the 2005 District Teachers of the Year, commends them for their outstanding accomplishments and contributions to public education in Hawaii, and extends to them its sincere mahalo for a job well-done.