Penfield Teacher Receives National Award

This week the 9/11 Tribute Center honored teachers for their excellence in the classroom.

"Students get so much out of it because now at this point, they were just born so there are no memories of that date at all," said Lisa McGinn, Bay Trail Middle School Literacy Specialist.

"It just shows you anything can happen and sudden things can happen to people without even realizing it," said student Brandon Ventura.

It's an award that only eight teachers across the country received this year. One of them is Penfield's Lisa McGinn. She's a literacy specialist at Bay Trail Middle School.

She was honored in New York City for her lessons on the 9/11 attacks.

"I think it was the first time in my life I was ever speechless. Mr. Swartz came down and told me, and I don't think I said a word. I was just amazed. It's a good lesson, I just never in my wildest dreams thought it was award-winning," said McGinn.

The 9/11 Tribute Center celebrated Lisa's outstanding work. Each year, McGinn and her 8th grade class look at the events of that tragic day and the impact it still has on our country.

Whether it's finding a personal connection, reading or writing, the two day lesson sparks the attention of her class.

"I make them visualize a scene with a man named Stanley Praimnath who actually saw the plane coming into his window in the South Tower, and he was the only one to survive on that floor," said McGinn.

"We learned mostly what the people had to go through on that day and really the tragedy that the people faced and how they really are heroes of our country and we do need to honor them because they went through a lot on that day," said student Rae Hermans.

McGinn says winning the award still seems surreal. She never dreamed she would win a national award for what she loves to do.

Along with the award, Lisa received $500 for the school. She hopes to use that money to purchase 9/11 books for the school's library.