The Foundation for Belmont Education (FBE) held its annual “Outstanding Teacher Award” ceremony May 14 at the Chenery Upper Elementary School.
The auditorium was filled with cheering educators, administrators, students, and families as this year’s recipients were honored one by one. The seven teachers awarded were chosen from hundreds of nominations made by students and community members, according to event chair Rachel Hinchliffe.
The ceremony featured remarks from Superintendent Jill Geiser, administrators from each of Belmont’s schools, and the winning educators.
“You create classrooms where students don’t just simply explain information, they critically question and boldly engage their curiosity. You build the relationships with colleagues, and you extend your impact far beyond what the classroom calls on,” Geiser said.
S. Warren Farrell Award for Educational Excellence
The FBE also awarded Wayne Franey, a physical education teacher at Winn Brook Elementary, the S. Warren Farrell Award for Educational Excellence. Created in 2017, the award recognizes one Belmont educator for their “longstanding dedication and leadership, both in the classroom and in the larger community,” according to Hinchliffe.
Adam Niles, a seventh grade English teacher, was a 2026 “Outstanding Teacher” award recipient. (Shealagh Sullivan/Belmont Voice) 
Alane Janulewicz, a sixth grade history teacher, smiles with students after the 2026 “Outstanding Teacher” award ceremony. (Shealagh Sullivan/Belmont Voice) 
Alyssa Hubbert, a first grade teacher at Wellington Elementary, was cheered on by her husband, Austin Hubbert, at the 2026 “Outstanding Teacher” award ceremony. (Shealagh Sullivan/Belmont Voice) 
Alyssa Hubbert, a first grade teacher at Wellington Elementary, poses for a photo with a student. (Shealagh Sullivan/Belmont Voice) 
Wayne Franey was supported by his two sons, Brad, left, and Cole, right, at the 2026 “Outstanding Teacher” award ceremony. (Shealagh Sullivan/Belmont Voice) 
Jennifer Gilpin, a second-grade teacher at Butler Elementary, smiles with students before she’s honored as a 2026 “Outstanding Teacher” award recipient. (Shealagh Sullivan/Belmont Voice) 
Melissa Chalmers, a kindergarten teacher at Burbank Elementary, stands with other Burbank educators at the 2026 “Outstanding Teacher” award ceremony. (Shealagh Sullivan/Belmont Voice) 
Physical education teacher Wayne Franey thanks Foundation for Belmont Education member Rachel Hinchliffe. (Shealagh Sullivan/Belmont Voice) 
Will Pennington, a third grade teacher at Winn Brook Elementary, was surprised with a homemade poster by a group of students. (Shealagh Sullivan/Belmont Voice)
“There could not be a more deserving person for this award,” said Winn Brook Principal Jennifer LaMontagne.
Franey has been teaching at Winn Brook for 32 years and also teaches physical education at Burbank Elementary School.
“Wayne is the kind of leader every school should have. He leads not through recognition or attention, but through quiet consistency, wisdom, humility, and heart,” LaMontagne said.
Franey, who attended the event with his wife and three children, coached Belmont High School baseball and softball in the 1990s and has run before- and after-school programs throughout his career. LaMontagne added that his warmth, humor, and enthusiasm have made him a pillar of the Winn Brook community.
Stepping onto the stage to a standing ovation, Franey thanked his past mentors and colleagues, his family, and his students for helping shape his career.
“Teaching is not something we do alone. We learn from one another just as much as we guide our students,” Franey said.
“Getting hired in Belmont is one of the best things that have happened to me,” he added.
Outstanding Teacher Awards
This year’s “Outstanding Teacher” recipients included Melissa Chalmers (Burbank Elementary, Kindergarten), Jennifer Gilpin (Butler Elementary, grade two), Will Pennington (Winn Brook, grade three), Alyssa Hubbert (Wellington Elementary, grade one), Alane Janulewicz (Chenery, grade six), Adam Niles (Middle School, grade seven), and Meghan Newcombe (high school, English).
In their remarks, award recipients praised Belmont students and the broader community for supporting a vibrant and creative place for education.
“The families of the Belmont community lift us all up and support us in growing together. It is with their partnership that we are all able to be outstanding,” Hubbert said.
Some also called on school leaders to support not only teachers but also professional aides and other education support staff.
“A special thank you to the professional aides that I work with, they’re vital to our education system, and especially to our most vulnerable students, in particular, and they don’t receive nearly enough recognition or compensation for the work they do,” Gilpin said.
With an audience full of students from every grade level and educators across the district there to support the award recipients, teachers emphasized the importance of community both in and out of the classroom.
“To the administration in the audience, please listen and support the educators of this district,” Pennington said. “To the parents in the audience, please continue to support teachers and partner with teachers to make your students’ experience the best that it can be. To the students in the audience, continue to bring your curiosity, your enthusiasm, and your kindness to school each day. To the teachers in the audience, keep doing what you’re doing. Teaching is really hard, but even on our worst day, we’re doing a really good job.”
