Dr. Katie Leach of the Weatherly Area School District was named the State Outstanding Teacher of American History by the Pennsylvania Society Daughters of the American Revolution at the annual conference.

Leach was nominated for this award by the Wyoming Valley Chapter NSDAR. She was presented with a certificate and medal during the opening night of the 128th State Conference in Pittsburgh.

The Outstanding Teacher of American History Contest honors notable full-time teachers of history (and related fields such as social studies, government, and citizenship education) in public, private, and parochial schools, grades 5-12.

These teachers have demonstrated excellence in: readily sharing an incisive knowledge of American History, being committed to their students, fostering a spirit of patriotism and loyal support of our country, relating history to modern life and events and requiring high academic standards at all times from their students Leach began teaching 1979 and has been at Weatherly Area since 2001 where she currently teaches American History and Civics to seventh and eighth graders and is also the Gifted Support teacher since 2002.

Additionally, she serves as an adjunct professor at Wilkes University in the education department.

The DAR said Leach doesn’t just teach about events in American History but also fosters a spirit of patriotism and challenges her students to contribute to their community and society through participation in patriotic contests, National History Day competition, supporting local charities and inviting local community leaders into her classroom.

“Walking into my room it is obvious to see what I love! There is a lot of red, white, and blue, an American flag, a Pennsylvania flag, a world map, and the Preamble to the Constitution on my wall! Each student is required to memorize the Preamble and take the Naturalization Test for citizenship,” Leach said.

“I love to get my students involved in patriotic contests so they learn about the topic of the contest and they can be proud of our country. Every year all my 7th grade students walk to the nearest polling place, escorted by the local police. While there, students see the process of voting and each volunteer at the polling place explains what they do in the voting process. Some years we set up a voting booth at school so our students can vote, just as they would at a polling place.”

In addition to the Outstanding Teacher of American History Award, the Pennsylvania State Society DAR, presented the Weatherly Area School District with a $1,000 gift in honor of Dr. Leach.

Founded in 1890 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., DAR is dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America’s future through better education for children.

Any woman 18 years or older-regardless of race, religion, or ethnic background-who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution, is eligible for membership.