Rachel Carson Middle School teacher John Wenk was selected as the 2005 Virginia Business Education Association Middle School Teacher of the Year.
His dedication to teaching, the amount of personal interest that he invests in his students, curriculum work and academic background are cited as reasons why he is one of Fairfax County's most recognized middle school business teachers.
Wenk has contributed to Rachel Carson and Fairfax County Public Schools through the development of a county curriculum guide for his program and by working with a colleague to develop a new Advanced Technology Tools course. He has also become a leader in the school through the Technology Vanguard Committee and added his support to school staff whenever it is needed.
Each year Wenk offers a presentation to Rachel Carson parents during the orientation sessions. The purpose of these are to help parents make wise choices for the courses their children take in the upcoming school year.
He teaches with creativity and humor, making his "Yes to Keyboarding" — or "Y2K" — class one of the most popular electives each semester.
The VBEA Middle School Teacher of the Year award was established in 1998 to recognize the unique contributions of middle school teachers of business education who are members of the VBEA. The award is intended to recognize teachers who have demonstrated exemplary classroom performance and contributions to their school or school system.