November 13, 2023 – Dorris Intermediate School teacher Elizabeth Baumgartner was honored by the Collinsville CUSD 10 Board of Education during their November 2023 regular monthly meeting.
Baumgartner will be recognized by the St. Louis Jewish Light later this month as one of their 2023 Unsung Heroes:
Unsung Heroes, which began in 2010, shines a light on individuals of any background or faith who generously volunteer or go above and beyond to help the St. Louis Jewish community, and Jewish St. Louisans who volunteer, either within the local Jewish community and/or the community at large. This year, two of the 11 Unsung Heroes are not Jewish; both are teachers, one in Jefferson County, the other in Collinsville, and both are going above and beyond in their efforts to stop antisemitism in their classrooms and in their communities.
Last school year, Baumgartner, who teaches sixth-grade at Dorris Intermediate School, heard one of her students say “Hitler is cool” and instruct two other boys to give the Nazi salute. Baumgartner, who is Catholic, took determined action to use the event as a teachable moment for her class. She used lessons to combat antisemitism, showed a YouTube interview with a Holocaust survivor and took her class on a field trip to the Holocaust Museum in St. Louis.
At the school board meeting, Baumgartner was introduced and congratulated by DIS Principal Kevin Stirnaman. She received a certificate signed by BOE President Gary Peccola and Superintendent Dr. Mark B. Skertich.
Click HERE to read an article from St. Louis Jewish Light about Ms. Baumgartner being recognized by CUSD 10.