Amy Sealock
Position: Speech Therapist
School: Coyote Creek Elementary School
School District: Douglas County School District
City, State: Littleton, CO
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Amy Sealock was nominated by her principal, Gigi Whalen.
Mrs. Sealock has gone above and beyond this year in her role as speech therapist for students with severe needs. She has spent countless hours planning, writing grants, and purchasing her own materials to meet the needs of this high needs group of kids. She knows good pedagogy and is supporting the lead teacher in so many ways that she has become an integral part of the team.
Mrs. Sealock is setting up a monthly excursion so her non-verbal students can use their talkers in a real setting to order food, communicate with a librarian, etc. It's always so great when teachers find ways to make learning authentic!
"Amy came to me and advocated for additional funds for this program so they could better meet the needs of this specific group," said Whalen. "She also brought all the parents in from this group to teach them how she is rolling out a new word each week, how they can re-enforce this at home, and to get them connected, as well. Amy is so dedicated. She works at school on the weekends, laminating things for Monday when kids are back. She is incredible and is making a big difference in the lives of these kids. She deserves recognition for this!"
Amy is one of the most talented, creative people I know. She has a way about her and knows how to interact with children. She uses methods that work for each child. She always has a positive attitude and loves what she does!
Erin Wegener
Lifechanger is such an appropriate name for this award, because Amy truly is changing lives. Her ability to give a voice to those children who do not have the ability to speak is nothing short of miraculous. She work tirelessly, both in school and out, to create learning and life experiences for children. She teaches both children and adults that live and learn with these special needs children, to realize the potential they can reach when the world of communication is opened to them. I consider it a privilege to work with such a dedicated professional.
It is heartwarming to see a speech language pathologist recognized for her hard work. Amy definitely is making a difference in the lives of her students – as so many other S LPs are also doing. It is wonderful that she has been nominated for this award. SLP’s are rarely recognized at this level for the work they do. I wish there were more principals like Amy’s who value their support staff as much as she does. Way to go Amy! You carry the torch for so many!!
I have had the privilege to work with Amy at Coyote Creek for many years. She is so deserving of this recognition. She is an amazing educator. She is dedicated, caring and beyond knowledgeable. The students are Coyote Creek are so lucky to have a teacher like Amy, she is dynamic and she is quick to adapt to each child's unique need. As a colleague, Amy is truly the best. She is always available to share her expertise and help us all with strategies and ideas to better meet the needs of our students. Amy truly deserves all this recognition. She is genuinely a life changer.
I have known Amy since grade school. She went above and beyond to help me navigate through an IEP for my daughter, helping me understand who I needed to speak to and how to get the help my daughter needed. I live in IL, so for her to take time, just shows what an exemplary teacher she is. She also had her students write thank you notes to my father. He is a veteran, and was chosen to go on Honor Flight. He has terminal brain cancer and getting those precious notes from children in CO brought him to tears. Amy is a selfless woman, that gives so much to others. I really hope she gets this award. There is no one more deserving!
I am a parent of one of Amy’s former students. Amy was with our son from K-6th grade and made his elementary school experience so positive, productive, and enriching! She truly loves her students and goes above and beyond for each of them. She worked tirelessly to learn new strategies and create helpful tools for each student and their parents. She brings special needs students together with their peers and creates a loving community at the school. I can’t say enough about how much she means to her school, her students and their families!
I met Amy a few years ago through family.
I needed help with my daughter who attends Cherry Creek schools. My daughter is in a IEP program through her middle school. When my daughter was first put into an IEP program it was a rushed process and all the information I needed was also rushed. I reached out to Amy knowing what her speciality was and with no hesitation she took me under her wing and guided me through the process. She also went as far as attending a meeting at my daughters school to be my advocate. It really made a difference going into that meeting with Amy and having a better understanding of the IEP. It made a BIG difference.
I am so grateful to Amy.
I have known Amy Sealock for the last 25 years. I first met her in Denver Public Schools when she was beginning her craft as an SLP. I was the team lead and her direct mentor at the time. She was a person even then who went above and beyond. She worked with all levels of students with disabilites at her school, and worked endlessly to make sure she was able to get them to where they needed to go. She took advice, and took it to the next level. When I went back the next week, I saw suggestions implemented immediately. She collaborated well with both parents and teachers to make her students work go beyond the speech room. She is a deserving nominee for this award.
My daughter is in the SSN program at CCE and receives services from Ms. Sealock. She has gone so above and beyond her role at the school for my kiddo! She not only spends her school days with them, but also plans monthly outings for the kids, sends home detailed plans and info for the families, and is always communicating with the parents on new progress and ideas. Her ability to truly collaborate with the team and parents is so valuable! We have had many therapists throughout the years with our daughter and Amy stands out as one of the most caring and talented people we’ve worked with! My daughter just beams whenever she sees Ms. Sealock! She has taken a very overwhelming thing like AAC, and made the process so much less intimidating for our family. We are so very grateful to get to work with her! :)
I have had the pleasure of working with Amy Sealock for over ten years. She has worked with both our moderate needs student population and severe needs student population during her time at Coyote Creek. Regardless of the child's unique needs, Amy's commitment to supporting children has been exceptional. She easily collaborates with all school staff members and parents and is eager to support the transfer of skills children learn from their work with her to the classroom or home. She is gifted at both assessment and intervention. She has also been an amazing advocate for every child she encounters. We are so truly fortunate to have her as an expert in speech and language at Coyote Creek!
I have known Amy for several years as a teammate, fellow speech/language pathologist, and friend. Amy is amazing at what she does! She goes above and beyond to motivate and inspire communication with her students and their families. Amy makes learning to communicate fun....which is the best way to make it grow! As a teammate, she is very collaborative and open to sharing ideas and concerns with her team.
Shortly after moving into our home in Highlands Ranch, we had the Sealock’s move in near us. That started our journey together. Our children are the same ages and are great friends. Amy is the most amazing parent and is also always looking out for all the youth in our neighborhood.
I had the pleasure of volunteering at the elementary school with Amy several times and I am still laughing at the amusement and entertainment she brought to all of the events. She was always a hit with the children when she was the volunteer parent.
Parenting alongside Amy has been a gift. She and her husband have raised two amazing young people that we are proud of and pleased that our girls choose to spend time with.
Amy fills a room with her positive attitude and zest for life. She is all about children and helping whoever she can when she can.
I could think of no one more deserving of this recognition than Amy Sealock
I have had the great pleasure of working with Amy these past two years at Coyote Creek Elementary. Amy's love and dedication for our special needs students is inspirational! She exemplifies the idea of going above and beyond. Because of Amy, our neuro-typical students and special needs students have come together to understand one another and learn to communicate with each other. She is spreading this love and understanding out into the community with her monthly community events where special needs students go out into the community and communicate with others at local ice cream shops, restaurants, libraries, etc. She is not only making a difference in the lives of our special needs students, but is also making a difference our entire school community and beyond. She is truly deserving of the title of Lifechanger!
I had the pleasure of teaming with Amy in a Severe Needs Special Education Program in Douglas County School District. Her speech language expertise was invaluable to the team and to the students, seen by the growth that the students in the program made each year. She is a very enthusiastic person who puts the student's needs first. She prioritized collaboration with team members in order to make learning experiences for the students meaningful, fun, engaging and productive. She has a special talent in the area of augmentative communication, and works effectively with children to have them use their talking devices for authentic experiences. Amy works hard to make learning accessible to all children no matter what special needs they might have. She goes above and beyond to provide support to teachers, families, and students. Including helping families secure their child's talking devices by submitting paperwork on their behalf to indicate the critical speech and language needs of the child, so that the child could have a voice and a way to communicate. I loved working with Amy! She was a true asset to our special education team! I congratulate her on this honor!!
Amy is a phenomenal SLP who is extremely passionate and holds her students to their highest potential. She is always thinking of ways to engage her students and advance their language skills. Her caseload is very unique and complex this school year and she has been undaunted in supporting each student with their complex communication needs. She works tirelessly and purposefully on behalf of her students.
Amy is one of the most inspiring educators I have ever worked with. I watched Amy work with a student at Outdoor Ed, and her patience and dedication were something that I had never witnessed before. She spent three days and two nights at the camp. She was away from her own family, but she didn't even hesitate at the chance to ensure that her student got every chance to participate in every activity available at the camp. Amy was positive every step of the way, and her enthusiasm was so genuine while she created the opportunity of a lifetime for that student.
I am thrilled to support Amy for the Life Changer of the Year Award. I was fortunate to work with Amy at Eagle Ridge Elementary when she was hired to provide services for the growing caseload of students with speech and language disorders. From day one, Amy was an asset to both the special education team and the students and the parents that she worked with. Amy was always willing to contribute ideas and to support team members when needed. As a fellow speech pathologist, she was always a helpful resource to collaborate with about treatments and strategies for students with a variety of language disabilities. Amy strived to provide practice and carry-over activities to both parents and teachers to ensure her students success. She was consistently seeking to find the optimal program and/or communication device to help students communicate in a variety of settings. She continues to demonstrate the desire and enthusiasm to help all students express themselves despite their disability. I think that Amy’s positive attitude and optimism are traits that will continue to impact students for years to come!
Amy has an infectious positive attitude! She lights up when she is working with the students and they can feel her genuine love for them and her desire for them to learn and grow.
Her initiative to get the families with special needs students together outside of school is so selfless. She is helping to create a community as they connect to each other.
Congratulations Amy--
Amy is fully committed to our kids in SSN! She’s always full of energy and that translates to how she teaches. Amy is consistently working to find new ways to teach, not just during school, but out of school as well. Each month Amy organizes outings for our students to attend in various fun environments to continue their education as well as the education to the public. I love the positive energy Amy brings to our school & it’s a joy to work with her!
Amy has done an incredible job working with our students at CCE! Her lessons are always fun and exciting! She motivates the students to stay engaged and further their communication skills. Amy has also created opportunities for the families of students to connect outside of school. These events are so fun and allow the students to practice their communication skills in the community!
I am an aide in an SSN Classroom and I have the pleasure of working with Amy every week. Amy is a great resource to have, if more ideas are needed to help a student progress to the next level she will provide support for that next step or help research what direction to move in. She can always be counted on to step in with support when we are in need of an extra pair of hands. Amy also brings a great attitude to the day and helps ensure that we have the tools we need to help our day run more smoothly. Thanks Amy for being a life changer!
Amy has done an incredible job working with our students at CCE! Her lessons are always fun and exciting! She motivates the students to stay engaged and further their communication skills. Amy has also created opportunities for the families of students to connect outside of school. These events are so fun and allow the students to practice their communication skills in the community!
I have been fortunate to work with Amy since 2005. Amy Sealock has been consistently passionate, knowledgeable, and giving: both professionally and personally. I have seen her be a cheerleader for our students, their families, and our staff. Amy gives 110% in everything she pursues all while maintaining an upbeat attitude and drive to do what is best for kids. Working alongside Amy has been fun and I look forward to every year I get to be her teammate.
I am a speech language pathology assistant and had the privilege of working with Amy for four years. I learned so much while under her supervision. It is very apparent that Amy loves what she does, and is particularly passionate about working with children with special needs. Her enthusiasm is infectious! She is dedicated to constantly finding new and creative resources to implement into her curriculum. Amy's connection with her students is thoughtful, caring and loving. The children she works with benefit from the countless hours she puts in to assure they are able to continuously grow and learn in an encouraging environment.
She is also an engaged and dependable teammate that brings a great energy to the workplace. While we are not longer colleagues, I am honored to call Amy my close friend, and I believe she is very deserving of this award.
Simply....Amy is amazing!! I have had the pleasure of working with Amy since she arrived at CCE. As a staff, we are fortunate to have her. Her ability to brighten a room and share her wealth of knowledge makes working with her a delight. As for her students, she does whatever is necessary to make sure they gain life-skills to participate in the real world. She works countless hours planning outside activities and collecting materials to ensure success and meet EVERY student's need, whether they are in Kindergarten or 6th grade! Her students love her and look forward to their time with her! Amy is an inspiration and is truly deserving of this award!
Amy Sealock is my mom. I call her my “fun little mom”. She is the person who I look up to the most. My mom is an amazing person who accomplishes challenges, solves problems, and fixes tough situations. She is the best person I know and she loves helping and teaching children. My mom; Amy Sealock!
My mom always helps me with my homework and helps me study. Her favorite things to do are activities with and for her family. She is always planning ahead for things to do with other people too. She is a great friend. My mom helps her friends in many ways and is always there for them or doing things for them. She loves to host fun parties and entertain people. I love her parties.
My mom also plans for activities to do with her students in and out of school. She likes to plan fun things to do for her students so they can communicate outside of school. She takes them to all sorts of places such as restaurants, libraries, and parks. I am super glad to come and hang out with her students every month. I love to see my mom with her students. She loves them and they love her. I enjoy having fun with them because of my mom. She is the best!
I have been a classroom teacher for over 30 years, and once in a while you encounter an educator who motivates you to consistently want to be better than you were the day before. Working with Amy Sealock inspires me, and she is truly worthy of Life Changer of the Year. I have had the privilege of collaborating with Amy in my classroom, primarily last year to work with my students on utilizing talking devices to communicate with a severe special needs classmate. The students loved learning the device and quickly began to realize that it was not as easy as it seemed. As the fourth graders became more comfortable, Amy invited several students at a time to join her speech class, and communicate with their classmate. The results were amazing! The students learned a deep sense of empathy, friendship, and understanding for children dealing with challenges in a real life context. This type of learning is some of the most powerful. It was a joy watching Amy interact with the kids. Her priority is all our CCE children, whether directly receiving speech services or not. I am fortunate to work with her!
I have had the great pleasure to work with Amy this year at CCE. She instantly made an impression on me as being a person who is not only dedicated to her students but dedicated to the staff she works with. Amy always comes in with a positive attitude and makes my special needs kids feel special. They love going with her and can't wait to tell me about all that they did and learned while they are with her in small group. She also is always willing to help a staff member out with resources that will help make make their lives easier inside and outside of the classroom. I have used many of the resources she has shared with staff. I can not think of a person who is more deserving of this recognition.
Amy is an amazing, skilled, creative, passionate speech language pathologist that always puts the students’ needs first. Amy is able to create learning environments that make impossible goals possible in a light and joyful way. Working in collaboration with Amy helps other educators elevate the quality of their teaching. Amy’s enthusiasm is contagious!! She is definitely deserving of this award!
It is such a pleasure to call Amy a colleague and friend. Amy works tirelessly with her students, families and as well as the peers of her students to integrate technology and building community. My own daughter has frequently commented how she loves using the talking devices to communicate with her nonverbal peers. As a parent, this warms my heart beyond measure. I'm happy for Amy and her deserving nomination for this award.
I have only worked with Amy for a short time but right away I could see and hear her commitment to her students. She is so passionate about all she does, not just teaching her students but caring for the whole child! When she isn't working directly with students, she is looking for ways to improve her craft and build resources for students and their families. She's a joy to work with!
It's rare to meet someone who has so much passion for their work that they just exude joy when they talk about it. That is Amy! The love and care and concern she has for her students is evident not only at work but also outside of work. They are a part of her. She works so hard to make a difference in her students lives. From her efforts within the classroom, to discussing her profession outside of the classroom she makes an impact. I would love to see her honored for her commitment and dedication!
Amy is an amazing person and teacher! She is so passionate about kids! While she has never taught my children, she has known them since birth and loves them so! She is always making up fun ways to engage the kids while on our camping trips or at her own house! Amy is incredibly knowledgeable in her field but also loves what she does! She deserves this honor very much!
Amy is one of the most supportive educators I know. She always has the best interest of her students as a top priority, and even offers assistance to struggling students everywhere. Amy wants to see all kids succeed in the realm of their world. Listening and witnessing her passion for her job is truly inspiring. She pushes me as a parent to do better for my kids. We are better people for having met Amy.
Amy is such a passionate, energetic and caring teacher. She is continually looking for ways to help her kids learn and thrive. As the mother of a special needs child, I am especially appreciative and grateful for teachers like Amy who go above and beyond to involve parents, teachers and peers to create the best all around learning environment and experiences. Amy absolutely deserves this award and I am so glad she is being recognized for her incredibly hard work and devotion.
Amy is a dedicated teacher, loving mom and amazing friend. She is passionate about her work and goes above and beyond to ensure the kids are continually thriving in a supportive and safe environment. Her creativity and energy can bring a room to life and offers her students the space to feel inspired and encouraged. Amy has had such a positive impact and is very deserving of this award.
Amy Sealock is so deserving of this award! She is such a go-getter and puts her heart and soul into everything she does, especially in her role as a speech therapist. She is passionate about her students and loves her job and it shows! I am so proud of her and her dedication. Amy is a bright light and she shines wherever she goes! I am grateful to call her my friend. ??
Amy is such a passionate, creative, dedicated SLP. She is extremely knowledgeable but also fun and funny which is so important in good speech therapy.
I worked with Amy Sealock as a Speech/Language Therapist on our Special Education team. It is indeed a pleasure for me to write of Amy’s outstanding attributes that make her an excellent candidate for the Life Changer of the Year.
Each and everyday Amy focuses on her students’ individual needs and how to meet those needs through individualized instruction. She recognizes students’ needs are unique, and she strives to continually develop and implement a variety of strategies. Amy demonstrates that she believes all students can learn and motivates her students to reach their highest potential.
Amy consistently goes above and beyond the classroom to support her students. She has written grants to fund special equipment for nonverbal students. Then Amy taught staff and parents to use the equipment so that the students receive the highest level of benefit. In addition, Amy often explores new strategies and training to supplement her instruction.
Amy’s personal attributes certainly complement her highly professional abilities. In all instances in which I have observed her, she has exhibited a high level of dependability, courtesy, and respect for others, a pleasant and relaxed manner, and a strong desire to excel in her chosen field. Amy is respected and well-liked by faculty, staff, parents, and especially her students.
In conclusion, I feel Amy possesses the professional skills, experience, and personal characteristics to be considered the Life Changer of the Year.
Amy Sealock is absolutely a life changer for her students! I have known Amy for many years as a fellow parent, and she has a true heart for children and her students. She is always giving 110% for them and going above and beyond. Helping children and making a positive impact on their lives is what drives Amy every day. She even volunteered her free time at her son's elementary school helping with charity events like our annual Turkey Trot. When I worried about my youngest son's speech, she came over and evaluated him, and helped him out with very minor issues. My kids loving spending time with her and her contagious enthusiasm and energy! She is encouraging for her students and all kids, always cheering them on. She deserves to be recognized for her unending passion and love for her work, and the difference she is making is children's lives everyday.
I had the privilege to work with Amy for 3 years as my SLP in my severe needs classroom. I walked into my first year of teaching nervous and unsure of what to expect. Amy was beside me the whole way and taught me everything to make my classroom successful. Amy and I co-taught a group every week where she brought amazing games, curriculum, and expertise. She brings so much knowledge to a team. Some of my favorite things about working with Amy is her enthusiasm she brought to her team and especially her students. Kids loved seeing her and loved working directly with her! She also has a drive to make a difference in each child’s life she works with. She wants to make a difference and I believe she has and still continues to strive at this! I am incredibly grateful to learn and grow from Amy!
I have known Amy as a colleague first and then fortunately, also as a friend. She demonstrates an unbridled passion for her students and their families which is clearly evident in the activities she creates, the strategies she facilitates with staff and in the way she strives tirelessly to improve each students learning environment and experiences. She is extremely knowledgeable in her profession but also exhibits a huge desire to learn new ways of doing things. I have personally become a better therapist by collaborating and facilitating groups with her. She has helped me to look more out of the box and to fight for what is right for each student and not necessarily what is always easy.I continue to be amazed by Amy's ingenuity, passion and energy in all she does and I look forward to her future endeavors.
I couldn't think of a person more deserving of this award than Mrs. Sealock. Amy has been working with my son who has apraxia of speech and autism spectrum disorder. She has gone above and beyond to help our son with his communication and language needs and thrive to the best of his ability. She is very creative in making progress with him while keeping speech work enjoyable. Our son talks about Mrs. Sealock often and shares how much fun his time is with her and looks forward to working on speech, because of her! The time she takes to provide feedback to us as parents has be very appreciated. It keeps me well informed on where my son is with speech and offers me realistic opportunities to help him at home. We are extremely grateful for Amy!
When Amy was getting her speech pathology degree, she worked as part of a team, with our autistic daughter in our home. She really became a member of our family! Our daughter at the time was so severe we had to home school her and Amy was supportive and eager to help our daughter .IWe could never have imagined that all the hard work would pay off, little by little, and she is now living in a group home with three roommates .Today, Amy has a family of her own, pouring the same qualities of persistence, caring, and dedication into her job as she did with your daughter and she is an outstanding candidate for your award !
Anne Petkus, 'Chicago, Ill.
Amy is an amazing Speech Pathologist and friend. She truly cares about each and everyone of her students and goes above and beyond to make sure their needs are being met. She involves families and the community and takes kids on fun field trips. She is positive, hardworking and dedicated professional.
Amy is an amazing teacher, friend, and woman. I live in IL and was struggling on how to get my daughter the help she needed, Amy was critical in helping me find the resources to help my daughter succeed in school, and she did this from out of state! My father is a veteran and has terminal brain cancer. He was chosen to go on honor flight this past Sept. The second Amy read that we needed cards or notes for my dad, thanking him for his service, she jumped into action. She had all her students write thank you notes for my father! He was so very happy to receive such nice notes from students all the way out in CO! It truly made his day! There is no other teacher that I know that is more deserving than Amy Sealock, to get this award!
Amy is a loving friend, mom, and teacher. She is hard working, dedicated and willing to put in the extra time to make sure her students have everything they need. It is a honor to have her as a dear friend.
Amy is a fun, dedicated and caring mom, friend and teacher. She goes above and beyond to ensure those around her are taken care of and have what they need to be successful. Amy has a wonderful ability to be playful with children in a way that is fun and nurturing, while teaching life lessons at the same time. Amy has a positive and uplifting impact on everyone she comes in contact with!
Mrs. Sealock is the most amazing teacher we have known. My daughter is now a freshman in high school, and has known Amy since elementary school. Mrs. Sealock is fully invested in the lives of her students, and my daughter blossomed under her care and talent. Amy's humor, kindness, thoughtfulness, expertise and passion maker her a fantastic teacher. Not only is she passionate during school hours, she is excited to be a part of her students' lives outside of school. She has attended my daughter's theater productions, social events, ski competitions and birthday parties. Amy loves her students, and our family is fortunate to now call her a friend.
Mrs. Sealock is selfless. She is the unique person who rallies around others to provide the support they need. She is thoughtful, giving, loving, and fun! I am honored to know her on a personal level (we went to high school together), and the level of caring and support she shows others is incredibly special. She has an amazing heart and truly wants nothing less than to see others around her succeed. The kids at her schools are fortunate to receive this kind of support. Simply stated, her loving guidance should be recognized as it's a rare quality to find others that are all in. She's a true gem. Having worked w individuals requiring extra attention myself, I'm grateful these kids have the opportunity to be contributed by her. -Jennifer Feather, Chiropractor and Surgical Neurophysiologist.
This is such exciting news. The passion Amy has for her students and her job clearly comes across in conversation. She is a devoted educator and life long learner. I am also a teacher in Illinois. She was seeking out another way to build communication for her students. She paired with myself, my classroom and our students become penpals. Amy talks with such enthusiasm when it comes to her students. She is always willing to share news ideas and give advice on any situation.
Megan Weis
ED Self-Contained
West Aurora School District
