CFHS teacher honored with advocacy award

Jayne Durnin/Staff Writer

Two weeks ago Tammy Frahm, a CFHS resource teacher, won the Arc of the Cedar Valley’s Legend award.

The Arc of the Cedar Valley is a non-profit organization that serves people with intellectual disabilities as well as their families and caregivers.

“The mission of Arc is to advance the total well-being, dignity, individual potential and rights of persons with Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, intellectual and other related developmental disabilities and their families,” Arc board member and resource teacher Bridget Bakula said.

Each year the Arc awards members of the community who are advocates for individuals with disabilities with the Legend award.

“Members of the ARC board nominate who they feel should receive the award based on their efforts and actions related to helping those with mental disabilities,” Frahm said.
The award is presented to community members and teachers who demonstrate the ideals of the organization as stated in the mission statement.

“Mrs. Frahm displays many attributes that made her a nominee and recipient of the Legend award,” Bakula said, “She has high expectations for all students and helps each student learn to the best of their abilities. Mrs. Frahm extends those expectations beyond the classroom as well. She organizes a fun trip to the prom each year, helps students run a craft show and is a coordinator of H-Unit, a group that brings general education students together with students with disabilities.”

“I am honored to receive the Legend award,” Frahm said, “My goal each day is to advocate for those with mental disabilities, assist their families in anyway possible, teach students to become independent and educate the community on the issues related to people with disabilities. By receiving this award it has shown me that my efforts of assisting those with disabilities has been successful.”

For Frahm, the award is not for her, but for all the people she’s taught and worked with in her career.

“The benefit of receiving the Legend award is that it is a wonderful reminder of all the families and students with disabilities I have been able to work with throughout my teaching career, and the ones I have yet to meet. My students and families have taught me that the small things in life are important, and sometimes it just takes a smile and a listening ear to brighten someone’s day,” Frahm said.