Employees of 

the Week

Anne Street

Pearla Hodo
for the many extra hours coaching and working with our teachers.  She assists with lesson plans, developing action plans to address student learning and last but not least always supporting the mission, vision and belief system of Anne Street.

Atkinson

Mable McClain

for a great job decorating the school for events 

Beaverbrook

Mary Anne Lusk
She works very hard and is dedicated to keeping Beaverbrook clean for our students

Cowan Road

Christy Barnhart
School Clerk
- Tactfully communicates enrollment procedures to parents while being sensitive to family needs.
- Demonstrates friendliness through smiles and genuine caring.
- Always assisting with extracurricular school activities.

Crescent

Kathy Pearl
Sp. Ed. parapro
for being a great support in all that we do at Crescent.  She is also one of our math experts and can do anything she is asked to do!  She is on time each day and rarely misses a day of school. 

Futral Road

Becky Woodruff
Assistant principal
for her tireless work in organizing and managing the RtI process. She has made the RtI process at Futral Road effective and efficient.

Jackson Road

Tiana Fowler
3rd Grade Teacher
For being a positive information seeker and always seeking grant opportunities while diligently implementing our current Title IID grant. Kudos to you!

Jordan Hill

Karen Cook
3rd grade teacher
As sponsor of K Kids, she does a great job planning and carrying out service projects for the school and community.

Moore

Lennette Morrison
A fantastic person and an effective creative teacher who always hsa a positive attitude and enthusiasm for any job she's asked oversee.  She brings love,  humor, and a spirit of excellence to all tasks given her. In addition, she fluently speaks Spanish and when we hear it coming from her room or when she responds to our questions in Spanish,  we know to quietly move on and let the storm pass! Even in these moments she is teaching and we are learning!  We love her because she works collaboratively with everyone.

Moreland Road

Heather Vaughn Rustin
PreK Teacher
Simply an outstanding teacher

Orrs

Karen Grobbelaar
For teaching kindergarten students personal responsibility, setting high expectations, and for supporting the school and system initiatives

Carver Road Middle

Bart Pinckney
Math teacher
for quality math instruction and going above and beyond by providing quality coaching and leadership.  He is the true definition of an all-around do-it-all team player because he does what ever we need him to do

Cowan Road Middle

David Asberry
Chorale Director
for being passionate about music education and recognizing the difference it can make in a child's life.

Kennedy Road Middle

Robyn Davis
for her creative and innovative lessons in the science classroom as well as her overall commitment to the total school program

Rehoboth Road Middle

Deborah Finley-James
Math Coach
Her willingness to go the extra mile and do whatever is best for children.

Griffin High School

Shelman Burton
Instructional Coach
Doing an excellent job of providing support to our teachers with professional learning.

Spalding High School

Grace Mercer-Lindsey
for her dedication and thoughtfulness in mentoring new teachers in the language arts department.  She is a wealth of knowledge and gives of her resources freely.

Enrichment Center

Cara Cook
Elementary Gifted Lead Teacher
for tirelessly working to organize and support elementary gifted screenings and testing processes. Also for providing schools with support for DI for high ability learners.  Her willingness to support schools and to mentor gifted endorsement candidates is commendable

Mainstay Academy

Donnie Washington
Paraprofessional
For his flexibility & dedication to Mainstay Academy.

Transportation

Ron Prince
Acting Head Mechanic
Ron has accepted the responsibility of acting Head Mechanic and proven to make good decisions in a stressful environment.  He is a valuable asset to the school system.

Nutrition

Belinda Conley
Jordan Hill - Manager
Not only does she manage a very organized kitchen, she is a true team player. The nutrition department wanted to honor Ms. Delaney with a beautiful reception this week. With little notice,  Ms. Conley prepared delicious mini brownies for the reception. This is a prime example of  how she is willing to go beyond the scope of her job description to fulfill the goals of our program.

by Superintendent Dr. Curtis Jones 
 
This week while visiting court, I saw some former students and parents. When I saw them, I had a dreadful feeling that these former students were not being successful.
 
I saw many people waiting with anticipation. I'm sure they were there for different reasons, but they were there nonetheless. Then, I heard a load voice announce, "Remove that hat." I heard someone say, "But, I'm a girl. Why?" The voice replied, "Doesn't matter, it's the rule."
 
That reminded me of school, but it wasn't. This was court. People were there because they had, in one way or another, violated the law.
 
I was really struck by the number of former students and their parents and I felt a real lack of success. This was a field trip really worth taking to see what happens when students leave us - either through dropping out or graduating.
 
I believe that when we don't have high expectations for our students and graduates, they will falter. Would these graduates be in court if family, friends, and people they knew had high expectations of them?
 
A glimmer of hope
I was contemplating what I had seen as I left the building. After a few minutes, I became hopeful. Why? These former students were being respectful of authority. They knew they had done wrong to end up where they were that day. Many were accepting of the changes they were going to have to make.
 
We know students don't learn at the same pace or in the same way. But those of us in education do have the same responsibility - and it's an awesome one. We are shaping the future for all students.
 
We must truly educate and have high expectations for our students so that they may become productive citizens once they leave us.
 
So many people don't understand that awesome responsibility. It's a weight we carry everyday. But, I understand it. I understand what you feel. 
 
So many people don't understand that awesome responsibility. It's a weight we carry everyday. But, I understand it and so do you.

--Curtis

Board Briefs

During the called Board of Education meeting on Thursday, December 9: