Colorado Connections Academy Awards and Announcements Staff and Teacher Awards Justin Siddall awarded Outstanding Online Teacher Recognition (formerly the Online Teacher of the Year Award) from the Colorado Department of Education, 2012 Peggy Barnholt named Online Teacher of the Year by Colorado State Department of Education, 2010 Chaille Hymes, Colorado Connections Academy's current principal, was honored with the first-ever award for Online Elementary Teacher of the Year by the Colorado Department of Education, 2008