The Sachem Central School District’s Chairperson for Secondary Health Education, Lori Hewlett has been named the Secondary Health Teacher of the Year by the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.    

A distinguished educator in the district for 34 years, Hewlett received numerous nominations from fellow colleagues before she completed a rigorous application process and was selected for this great honor. Among her plethora of professional accomplishments, Hewlett has been the vice president of the Suffolk Zone for the NYS AHPERD for six years, is a national spokesperson for the American Heart Association and has educated thousands of students in lifesaving skills utilizing her vast number of first-aid instructor certifications. 

“What an honor it is to be selected as the NYS AHPERD Secondary Health Teacher of the Year,” Hewlett said. “It has been my professional aspiration for 34 years to create a high-quality, skills-based, authentic health education program and culture that empowers students to achieve optimal health. When I first started teaching, my administrator shared with me his educational philosophy, ‘If you make every decision with students in mind, you will never make a bad decision.’ Those words have driven me to represent our students and Sachem in creating a model health education program that other districts seek to emulate.”

Hewlett will be honored at the NYS AHPERD 81st Annual Conference at Turning Stone Convention Center in Verona, New York, on Nov. 14.