Meet Cyndi Loewen: Westonka's Latest 'Feature Teacher'

By Lorrie Ham

Cyndi Loewen has been named the Lord Fletcher’s Feature Teacher for March. Loewen is a special education teacher at Hilltop Primary School. She graduated from Martin Luther College in New Ulm with a major in elementary education and a math minor, and subsequently earned her Masters in differentiated instruction from Concordia College.

Loewen has spent the past eight years in Special Ed at Hilltop teaching math and reading. Prior to that, Lowen taught in Laveen, South Phoenix for three years, teaching Special Education Middle School to grades four, five and six; East Fork Lutheran, Apache Reservation, grades one and two for two years and several Lutheran Schools in the Midwest at multi-grade level classrooms.

She also started a preschool in Delano at Mount Olive Lutheran and ran it for several years—it is still going to today.

Loewen is currently the Special Ed department lead for Hilltop, is on the joint parent advisory committee for the second year in a row, on the district math committee the past two years and Reading Corp of America internal coach for Hilltop.

“I love teaching in Westonka," Lowen said. "I have taught in many schools and am truly amazed by how we interview and how we get such great teachers—it is such a plus. The camaraderie and the support are amazing."

Loewen loves to hear stories of former students. She has a former first-grader who still carries her school picture in his wallet, and he’s a college student now. 

“You sometimes don’t realize the impact you have on former students," she said. "I enjoy seeing middle school students from Westonka come back to visit Hilltop. It is fun to watch them grow up and hear how well they are doing in school.”

Loewen said this is her first award in her 22 years of teaching.

"It’s always nice to know when you are appreciated as an educator,” said Loewen. “I have the best job in the world—teaching children who are very special to me. I am truly thankful for a job that I look forward to doing every day. I am not even close to being ready to retire!”

Each Feature Teacher winner receives a certificate for a brunch for two at Lord Fletcher’s.