Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A
BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2016
Teachers continued from 1A
ANNA HUMBLE
Bramlett Elementary
Anna Humble, the
Bramlett Elementary
School TOTY, “celebrates
every child.”
BRES principal Karen
Gresham-Dowis said she
makes each child “feel like
a rockstar
“She recognizes their
differences and she makes
them think every one of
them is a rockstar,” she
said.
Gresham-Dowis said
Humble is also helpful
with teachers and adminis
trators when teaching them
about technology. She said
she is always patient and
always has a smile.
JESSICA SMITH
County Line
Jessica Smith, the Coun
ty Line Elementary School
TOTY. was described as a
“bright light.”
She started her teaching
career at CLES as a stu
dent teacher.
“She has grown into a
model teacher,” said prin
cipal Shawanna Stevens.
Stevens said she makes
every child feel important
and “exudes enthusiasm
for classroom learning.”
She also serves as a Cog
nitively Guided Instruction
teacher-leader, where she
teaches educators through
out the district.
NIKI HYERS
Holsenbeck
Niki Hyers, the Holsen
beck Elementary School
TOTY, was described as
“one of the most dedicated
and compassionate people
serving in the teaching
profession.”
This is Hyers' second
career, after working as a
Department of Family and
Children Services worker
for several years.
“Her heart led her to
teaching.” said principal
Jackie Robinson.
Robinson said Hyers
worked as a paraprofes-
sional while getting her
teaching certificate.
“There was absolutely
no doubt that she had a
passion for children and
for teaching.” said Rob
inson.
She became a teacher
at HES in 2009, teaching
special education in Pre-K
through first grade.
One of her students said
he was thankful she helped
him learn to read.
Colleagues said they
were thankful for Hyers
and said she is inspiring.
They said she makes stu
dents believe they can
achieve anything they set
their mind to.
KRISTEN ELROD
KES
Kristen Elrod, the Ken
nedy Elementary School
TOTY, was described as
one of the most positive
teachers at KES.
Elrod had spoken with
principal Ryan Butch
er about how she could
impact the most needy stu
dents in their most needy
subjects.
When KES became a
Focus School. Butcher
gave her that opportunity.
Elrod now serves 237
students each day and says
she is making an impact.
“We hear things like,
‘Wow, I can read,’” said
Butcher.
Butcher says Elrod's stu
dents are seen with books-
in-hand and are excited
about reading.
“It's all because of what
Kristen does every day.”
said Butcher.
LEIGH STRICKLAND
Statham Elementary
Leigh Strickland,
the Statham Elementa
ry School TOTY, was
described as “dedicated
and caring.”
Principal Swade Huff
said she makes students,
parents and staff feel val
ued. He said her students
“blossom” from her nur
turing, no-nonsense style
and called her the “queen
of parent volunteers.”
He said Strickland is
well-respected by col
leagues and is also the
grade chair and is on the
leadership and school gov
ernance teams.
JESSICA KNIGHT
Yargo Elementary
Jessica Knight, the Yargo
Elementary School TOTY,
was described as innova
tive. driven and passionate.
Principal Diane Bresson
remembers doing Knight’s
hiring interview.
“After about two ques
tions. I knew she was
someone I had to have in
my school,” she said.
Knight started out as a
gifted teacher, but is now a
fifth grade teacher. She is
also the grade chair and a
digital coach.
Bresson said she’s
always taking on new
things and always offers a
helping hand.
“Those people don’t
come along a lot,” she said.
AMBER DILLARD
HMMS
Amber Dillard, the Hay-
mon-Morris Middle School
TOTY, was described as
“supportive and caring.”
Dillard is the family and
consumer sciences teacher
and is also a teacher-lead
er, grade level head and a
mentor.
Dillard also volunteers
to keep the clock during
basketball games and orga
nizes honors night.
Principal James Bowen
said her biggest asset is the
relationship she forms with
her students and said she
is an advocate for students
with special needs.
SARA KENDRICK
Westside
Sara Kendrick, the West-
side Middle School TOTY,
was recognized for her
commitment and positiv
ity.
Kendrick has been a
teacher at WMS for six
years. She is also on the
school governance team,
leadership team and is
grade level chair.
Principal Brad Bowling
said Kendrick’s students
always exceed the state
average on test scores, but
he noted that isn't what
defines her as a teacher.
Instead, Bowling said she
is defined by her commit
ment to get students to give
their best effort and have a
positive attitude.
He said she builds posi
tive relationships with stu
dents and sets an example
for her colleagues.
ALEX FJALLSTROM
Apalachee
Alex Fjallstrom, the
Apalachee High School
TOTY, was recognized
for giving students confi
dence.
Principal Jennifer Mar
tin said she is “honored” to
work alongside Fjallstrom
every day.
Fjallstrom is a high
school math teacher, and
teaches students at all lev
els (from those struggling
in math through Advanced
Placement).
Martin said Fjallstrom
helps students feel confi
dent in learning.
“Kids are confident,
they're asking questions,
they’re making eye con
tact,” she said. “She's
absolutely facilitating
learning every day.”
LAURIE ALLEN
WBHS
Laurie Allen, the Wind
er-Barrow High School
TOTY, was described as
“dynamic and innovative.”
Allen, an English teach
er at the school, has been
“leading the show” on
getting the English depart
ment to go “paperless.”
Principal A1 Darby said
she has been a leader in
the classroom and said
she loves the content she
teaches. Allen is also a sto
ryteller and a writer.
He said she has a love
for kids that “truly makes
a difference.”
TODD BLACK
Alternative Program
Todd Black, the Alter
native Education Program
TOTY, was recognized as
a “fantastic” teacher and
leader.
This is Black’s second
career and since becoming
a teacher, he has received
his master’s degree. He’s
also been the mentor coor
dinator, testing coordina
tor and he leads the PBIS
teams.
Black also started teach
ing four nights a week at
Foothills Charter High
School.
Alternative Ed principal
Chuck Torbett said he has
become the “go-to guy”
as the head of the math
department.
Torbett said his gen
tle-guided teaching style
helps students who have
previously struggled with
math.
YSHEENA LYLES
Bear Creek
Ysheena Lyles, the Bear
Creek Middle School
TOTY and system final
ist, was recognized for
her innovative lessons and
positive attitude.
Principal Jennifer Wood
said that this is Lyles sec
ond career and said she
thinks “teaching found
her.”
Wood described her as
“a little unsure, but confi
dent” when she first came
to BCMS.
Now, she said she’s
“blossomed to a true teach
er leader.”
Some of her colleagues
say she is a “teacher's
teacher” and said she digs
deep to create innovative
lessons.
Wood said she also sac
rifices her time to volun
teer within the school and
recently participated in a
teaching program in part
nership with a school in
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She said they were “just
as enamored” in Costa
Rica with Lyles’ teaching
style.
Woods said she creates
engaging heartfelt lessons
and is a coach to children
“on and off the court.”
“You inspire me every
day,” said Wood.
GRETCHEN
HOLLINGSWORTH
Russell Middle
Gretchen Hollingsworth,
the Russell Middle School
TOTY and system final
ist, was recognized for her
“tireless commitment and
work ethic.”
Principal Paul DeFoor
said she is supportive and
challenges students, which
makes them successful.
Students say she is
“kind, sweet and caring”
and listens to their opin
ions and points of view.
DeFoor said she collab
orates with her peers and
always does what is nec
essary to ensure success
at RMS.
She has been the PBIS
coordinator, the chair of
the media committee, the
seventh grade writing
coordinator and a part of
the book club.
LANI PACETTI
Sims Academy
Lani Pacetti, the Sims
Academy of Innovation
of Technology TOTY and
system finalist, was recog
nized for getting students
involved in the lessons.
Douglas Blackwell, the
new principal of Sims, said
that while he’s only known
Pacetti for 90 days, he has
seen her work.
Blackwell walked the
halls during one of Pacet-
ti's classes, and no students
were in the hallways.
He sat in on one of her
classes and noticed stu
dents were actively partici
pating, raising their hands.
Blackwell said it wasn't
long before his hand was
raised, too.
TIARA MENSINGER
Bethlehem ES
Tiara Mensinger, the
Bethlehem Elementary
School and district-wide
TOTY, was recognized for
her passion for teaching.
Principal Mindy Reid
said she is constantly brag
ging about her students'
accomplishments and said
her “passion and dedica
tion are contagious.”
She said she always has
positive energy and enthu
siasm and leaves students
with a long-lasting love of
learning.
“She represents all that
is good in education,” said
Reid.
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Dowdle talks Dogs
at Chamber luncheon
By Scott Thompson
News-Journal Reporter
In his role as radio sideline reporter for the University
of Georgia football team, Chuck Dowdle ventures out to
midfield each game for the coin toss.
Perhaps it’s from years of practice, but Dowdle says he
can usually get a feel for how the game will go based off
the flip.
So when then-Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray stum
bled through the toss at South Carolina in 2012. Dowdle
had an uneasy feeling.
“We won the toss, and
Aaron blurted out, ‘We will
defer and we’ll kick it that
way!’” Dowdle, the former
long-time WSB sports direc
tor, said Tuesday during the
Barrow County Chamber of
Commerce’s monthly mem
bership meeting.
He noted that when Mur
ray realized his error — that
it was South Carolina’s
choice as to which end of
the field it would receive
from — he turned red in
the face.
And it only went downhill
from there as the Bulldogs
suffered a 35-7 thrashing at
the hand of the Gamecocks.
Fast-forward to Saturday’s game against Nicholls State,
where the head official botched the toss in similar fashion
by ignoring Georgia’s captains.
"I knew that game was going to have a rough edge,”
Dowdle said.
That’s one way of putting it.
After a fast start culminated in a touchdown on their
opening possession, the Bulldogs (2-0) slogged their way
through the rest of the game and had to fend off a furious
challenge from the Colonels, an FCS program that won
only three games last season, and avoid a catastrophe.
The 26-24 victory which, to many in Georgia circles felt
more like a loss, went down to the wire and came against
a team that had been outscored 264-13 against its previous
five FBS opponents.
"In this day and age of college football, you’ve got to
show up and be ready to play or you're going to get beat,”
Dowdle said of the near disaster.
The feelings after the game stood in stark contrast to
those following Georgia's come-from-behind 33-24 win
over North Carolina in the season opener Sept. 3.
That victory rocketed the Bulldogs up nine spots in the
Associated Press top-25 poll to No. 9.
They plummeted eight spots after a mostly feeble outing
Saturday.
But Dowdle, ever the optimist, said first-year coach
Kirby Smart’s team has put it behind them and is aiming
for a much-improved effort this weekend, when it opens
its conference schedule at Missouri.
See Chamber on Page 5A
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