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County schools choose two for educator honors
  
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Laura Thompson
Staff Reporter
A seasoned Surry County Schools educator and a teacher in her first year with the school system were honored Wednesday for the leadership and passion they bring to their respective schools.
A prize patrol of school board members and central office administrators caravaned across the county for surprise visits to the home schools of the Surry County Schools teacher of the year and principal of the year for the 2008-2009 school year.
The first stop was Franklin Elementary School, where the group of school leaders carrying flowers and wrapped gifts attracted a lot of attention from students and teachers as they wound through the hallways to Tanya Key's classroom.
Key was chosen from 17 school-level teachers of the year to represent Surry County Schools in a regional - and possibly a statewide - teacher of the year program.
“I'm truly overwhelmed,” the exceptional children's teacher said after the presentation. “I feel fortunate to be a part of Surry County Schools and Franklin Elementary.”
Key has worked in public education for 14 years, but this is her first at Franklin. Between congratulations from the colleagues who left their classrooms to see her when they heard the news, Key praised the learning environment in which she works.
“I do believe teachers grow students one at a time,” she said.
One of the students Key works with, Andrew Goins, offered his thoughts on his teacher's award.
“I want Ms. Goins to be teacher of the decade,” he said.
Franklin Principal Terry Marcum said she met Key about two years ago when she applied for another teaching position, and since then Key has been “relentless in wanting to come to Franklin.”
“I was afraid that somebody else was going to snatch her up,” Marcum said.
The school system decided last year that Key would be a good fit for an open EC position at Franklin. Key embraced the role, although she said teaching exceptional children was “way stepping out of my box.”
“I work with kids who face challenges,” she said. “I've always had rewards from teaching. But working with these kids, the rewards are greater.”
Marcum said Key has “breathed new life” into her nine-student class of first- through fourth-grade students, which she shares with teaching assistants Renee Weddle and Michelle Lyons.
“It is her passion,” she said. “It just comes through in everything she does.”
From Franklin Elementary, the prize crew of Superintendent Ashley Hinson, assistant superintendents Chuck Graham, Terri Mosley and Pat Widdowson, central office staff Jill Reinhardt, Wanda Mitchell, Emily Summey and Sonia Dickerson, and school board members Earlie Coe and Michele Hunter set off again.
Twenty minutes later, they filed into the front office of Shoals Elementary School and found principal of the year Eric Riggs.
When Hinson broadcast Riggs' award over the school's intercom system, teachers appeared at their classroom doors to see the prize ceremony and a group of students gathered in the media center across the hall stood up and cheered.
Riggs said he was honored to be recognized from among the county's 17 principals, including two who gave him his first positions as a science teacher.
“Everybody's so qualified and good in this county,” he said.
Riggs joined Surry County Schools 12 years ago as a teacher at Gentry Middle School, where he worked under current Gentry Principal Tom Hemmings. During his seven years as a teacher, he also worked with Principal Vickie Cameron at Central Middle School.
“We have a tight group,” Riggs said of the school leaders. “We're a tight family, we really are.”
Riggs realized he wanted to become a teacher after volunteering as a mentor for an inner-city student while he was an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“I thought I'd never want to be an administrator,” he said. But five years ago, he became an assistant principal and has been a principal for three.
“I feel like my scope can be broader as an administrator because I can touch every classroom,” he said. “I can have a hand in each of the classrooms if I want to, and I want to.”
Riggs and Key will compete for regional principal and teacher of the year titles in October. They already submitted materials and underwent interviews for their system-wide selection process, and they will face similar tasks at the regional level.
The top regional teacher and principal will compete for the title at the state level.
Until October, Riggs and Key have time to enjoy the rewards from their most recent recognition.
Both were given new laptop computers, an engraved sterling-silver paperweight, a bookmark, a Surry County Schools thermos and a $1,000 check from the school system. They also will deliver speeches at the county schools' convocation later in the summer.
Staff Reporter
A seasoned Surry County Schools educator and a teacher in her first year with the school system were honored Wednesday for the leadership and passion they bring to their respective schools.
A prize patrol of school board members and central office administrators caravaned across the county for surprise visits to the home schools of the Surry County Schools teacher of the year and principal of the year for the 2008-2009 school year.
The first stop was Franklin Elementary School, where the group of school leaders carrying flowers and wrapped gifts attracted a lot of attention from students and teachers as they wound through the hallways to Tanya Key's classroom.
Key was chosen from 17 school-level teachers of the year to represent Surry County Schools in a regional - and possibly a statewide - teacher of the year program.
“I'm truly overwhelmed,” the exceptional children's teacher said after the presentation. “I feel fortunate to be a part of Surry County Schools and Franklin Elementary.”
Key has worked in public education for 14 years, but this is her first at Franklin. Between congratulations from the colleagues who left their classrooms to see her when they heard the news, Key praised the learning environment in which she works.
“I do believe teachers grow students one at a time,” she said.
One of the students Key works with, Andrew Goins, offered his thoughts on his teacher's award.
“I want Ms. Goins to be teacher of the decade,” he said.
Franklin Principal Terry Marcum said she met Key about two years ago when she applied for another teaching position, and since then Key has been “relentless in wanting to come to Franklin.”
“I was afraid that somebody else was going to snatch her up,” Marcum said.
The school system decided last year that Key would be a good fit for an open EC position at Franklin. Key embraced the role, although she said teaching exceptional children was “way stepping out of my box.”
“I work with kids who face challenges,” she said. “I've always had rewards from teaching. But working with these kids, the rewards are greater.”
Marcum said Key has “breathed new life” into her nine-student class of first- through fourth-grade students, which she shares with teaching assistants Renee Weddle and Michelle Lyons.
“It is her passion,” she said. “It just comes through in everything she does.”
From Franklin Elementary, the prize crew of Superintendent Ashley Hinson, assistant superintendents Chuck Graham, Terri Mosley and Pat Widdowson, central office staff Jill Reinhardt, Wanda Mitchell, Emily Summey and Sonia Dickerson, and school board members Earlie Coe and Michele Hunter set off again.
Twenty minutes later, they filed into the front office of Shoals Elementary School and found principal of the year Eric Riggs.
When Hinson broadcast Riggs' award over the school's intercom system, teachers appeared at their classroom doors to see the prize ceremony and a group of students gathered in the media center across the hall stood up and cheered.
Riggs said he was honored to be recognized from among the county's 17 principals, including two who gave him his first positions as a science teacher.
“Everybody's so qualified and good in this county,” he said.
Riggs joined Surry County Schools 12 years ago as a teacher at Gentry Middle School, where he worked under current Gentry Principal Tom Hemmings. During his seven years as a teacher, he also worked with Principal Vickie Cameron at Central Middle School.
“We have a tight group,” Riggs said of the school leaders. “We're a tight family, we really are.”
Riggs realized he wanted to become a teacher after volunteering as a mentor for an inner-city student while he was an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“I thought I'd never want to be an administrator,” he said. But five years ago, he became an assistant principal and has been a principal for three.
“I feel like my scope can be broader as an administrator because I can touch every classroom,” he said. “I can have a hand in each of the classrooms if I want to, and I want to.”
Riggs and Key will compete for regional principal and teacher of the year titles in October. They already submitted materials and underwent interviews for their system-wide selection process, and they will face similar tasks at the regional level.
The top regional teacher and principal will compete for the title at the state level.
Until October, Riggs and Key have time to enjoy the rewards from their most recent recognition.
Both were given new laptop computers, an engraved sterling-silver paperweight, a bookmark, a Surry County Schools thermos and a $1,000 check from the school system. They also will deliver speeches at the county schools' convocation later in the summer.
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