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The Winchester Foundation for Educational Excellence (WFEE) recently named Lorri Kane, Marybeth DiMare, and Christina Costas as the 2025 recipients of the Sarah Swiger Award.
The Sarah Swiger Award recognizes educators who embody the values that the late Sarah Swiger brought to the Winchester school community.
Swiger served as a School Committee member, community activist, and passionate education advocate. After her passing in 2014, WFEE has honored her each year with this award by recognizing one or more educators who reflect Swiger’s commitment to educating the whole child.
Lorri Kane
Kane has been teaching in Winchester for 30 years as the Green Frogs Kindergarten teacher at Ambrose Elementary. She has always loved working with kids and helping others, so teaching was a clear path for her.
Her teaching journey originally began in Belmont, where she started her career at the very school she attended as a child.
“I have always wanted to be a teacher,” Kane reflects. “Originally, I wanted to be a high school math teacher. After working with a wonderful elementary school educator, I switched my focus to younger students.”
At Ambrose, Kindergarten classes take on different animals from Eric Carle’s “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” Her former classroom in Belmont was the Blue Horses, but her class in Winchester is represented by the Green Frog, as she has fond memories of finding frogs with her dad and son.
“Plus,” she adds, “there are so many more green frog knick-knacks than blue horses!”
Kane’s commitment to her students and their families runs deep. When asked about the most challenging aspect of her role, she explains that it is meeting the diverse needs of her students and their families.
“I want to make sure everyone loves school and is thriving,” she explains.
Kane cherishes the connections she has with her students, their families, and her colleagues, even comparing it to an “extended family.” All of her students understand and feel this connection, understanding that once they are a Green Frog, they will always be one.
In her time as a Kindergarten teacher, Kane has witnessed many changes in education. When she first began teaching, the school day for Kindergarten was only three hours long, and students could start school at just 4 years old. The curriculum was about being happy, being a good friend, and learning what it means to be a student. Now, Kindergartners also start learning more concrete academic skills like reading, writing, and math, in addition to learning how to be a positive member of their class and school community.
Her reaction to receiving the Sarah Swiger Award was one of genuine surprise and humility.
“I was shocked! I am extremely humbled by the words Robyn Gentile, other colleagues, and parents submitted to the committee,” she says
To fellow educators, Kane offers this wisdom: “Keep laughing, have fun, and remember you are not alone.”
Christine Costas
Costas teaches in Winchester High School’s History Department, creating an environment where students are genuinely appreciated and excited about learning.
Costas’s path to teaching was influenced by her mother, who was also a teacher, but ultimately driven by her own discovery of her love for history.
“It wasn’t until college that I really seriously thought about being a teacher, particularly a history teacher,” she explains.
As someone who always loved school, she found joy in her required history courses in college. She took more classes, practically completing a history major, and then started pursuing teaching as her career path.
Now teaching over 100 students each year, Costas faces the unique challenge of finding the balance between being the best teacher she can be and maintaining her identity as a complete person outside of her career.
“Balancing grading, planning new courses, being prepared for my classes each day, while also making sure I am taking the time for myself to be the best version of myself can be tough,” she shares.
This balance has become more manageable as she accumulates more years as a teacher, though it remains an ongoing challenge.
Despite these challenges, Costas finds immense joy in her work at Winchester High School, especially with the students. Their engagement and curiosity about history make most days in class incredibly fun. She also recognizes her colleagues who provide support and make her job enjoyable.
As a veteran teacher, Costas has adapted to new advancements in education, with technology being the most significant change.
“Every year, trying to adapt to new apps and programs and resources has been the biggest change, but there are definitely lots of positives that come with those changes,” she observes.
Even throughout all of these technological changes, she highlights that what has truly remained constant is the students and their curiosity. While teaching methods evolve, students’ needs and enthusiasm stay at the heart of her teaching.
Like Kane, Costas was both surprised and honored by the recognition.
“It means a lot to be recognized for the hard work among so many wonderful educators!” she says.
Reflecting on Swiger’s legacy, she adds, “When learning about Sarah Swiger and her commitment to education and educating the whole child, I feel very honored to receive the award.”
Editor’s Note: Marybeth DiMare could not be reached for this story.
