MARIEMONT, OH (FOX19) - Jeff Timmers, varsity cross country and track coach for Mariemont City Schools and physical education instructor at Mariemont Elementary, was nominated by the track and cross country coaches of District 14 to receive the Distinguished Service Award. This award is presented annually to recognize outstanding contributions to Ohio track and/or cross country by individuals in a non-coaching capacity.

“Jeff Timmers works hard to promote his sport and his athletes across the city and the state,” said Tom Nerl, athletic director of Mariemont City Schools. “It is quite an honor for him to be recognized by his peers for the great work he does.”

SYCAMORE TOWNSHIP, OH (FOX19) - A Sycamore Junior high school teacher was recently named Outstanding in Math by the 2012 Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in integrated math education and another in mathematics and statistics from Miami University, Abbas earned her master’s degree from Miami in math education.  Since 2008, she’s been teaching seventh- and eighth-grade math at Sycamore Junior High School.

“Kelly is, in one word, dynamic,” said Karen Naber, Sycamore’s director of academic affairs.  “She is truly a teacher who builds relationships with kids the moment they walk into the classroom.  Those relationships give Kelly the ability to help kids determine what they need to know and how far they can go. She really pushes her students to reach their potential.”

SJHS Principal Brian Wallace agreed; “If you’re in her classroom, her kids are engaged. She brings out the best in math learners.”

SYMMES TOWNSHIP, OH (FOX19) - Symmes Township Elementary students are tracking a turtle that was released to the Nature Trail.

The Bruner family, including Mom and Dad Stephanie and Joe and son third-grader Pierce, his brother Grant, a sixth-grader at Edwin H. Greene Intermediate, and sister Alexandra, a first-grader at Symmes, rescued a turtle on the side of the highway a few years ago.

When the turtle was rescued, the family marked him with red nail polish for tracking purposes and released him on the Symmes Nature Trail, behind Symmes Elementary.