An A+ for this Laconia teacher

LACONIA — Cathy Baylus has only been teaching for five years, but she didn’t waste any time making a name for herself. On Friday, during a school assembly, Laconia Middle School announced that she had been named the 2021 New Hampshire Social Studies Teacher of the Year.

“I’m very humbled because I know what a tough year it’s been for every teacher, how hard all teachers have worked, so being singled out is humbling,” Baylus said after the assembly, when she was surprised to be the gathering's grand finale.

The assembly was called to celebrate the students and staff for their work so far this school year, and to mark the end of the hybrid schedule, as full-time, in-school instruction will resume next week. The assembly included a basketball shooting contest, whipped cream pie-eating contest, and a spelling bee. Baylus, along with assistant principal Chrigus Boezeman, represented staff in the bee, and in the final round, Boezeman was asked to spell the last name of the NH Social Studies Teacher of the Year.

When Boezeman spelled “B-A-Y-L-U-S,” students and staff rose to their feet to cheer her honor.

Baylus was nominated for the distinction by the New Hampshire Council of Social Studies awards committee, and selected by the NHCSS executive board. She will be honored by the council at its annual conference in the fall.

“The NHCSS is excited to recognize Cathy Baylus this fall for her depth and breadth of work and achievement as an outstanding Social Studies teacher in the state of New Hampshire,” wrote Curtis Roddy, president of the NHCSS.

Baylus started teaching in Concord but has been at Laconia Middle School for the past four years. She represents her subject area on the Performance Assessment for Competency Education project, works with teachers across the state to improve instruction, participates in the New Hampshire Learning Initiative and is completing her Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies at Southern New Hampshire University.

A letter from the NHCSS, which was read at the assembly, noted her devotion to the Laconia Middle School community, her engagement with other education professionals across the state, and her motto, “Try to be the rainbow in someone’s cloud.”

“Evidence of positive student achievement is abundant,” the letter from NHCSS said about Baylus’ portfolio.

Alison Bryant, principal of LMS, said that Baylus has developed a reputation in the school for being “the first to jump in on school spirit activities, such as dress up days or assembly events.

“Also, especially when we were remote, she makes every effort to connect with her students. She has learned popular dances that the kids love, and when we were remote, she recorded herself and sent it out to students. She also has played a prominent role in our Memorial Day and Veteran's Day assemblies. In the classroom, we have seen her work with students to identify their learning needs and interests. She is passionate about reading and social studies, and she is always finding new ways to keep students hooked on learning.”

Immediately after the celebration, Baylus said there was a simple reason why she was so enthusiastic about her work: “It’s always been what I wanted to do. It’s always what I planned to do. I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said.