2007 teacher of the year banquet - Franklin County Schools

JUNE 7, 20072007 TEACHER OF THE YEAR BANQUETPage 2Congratulations from Superintendent Dr. Bert L’HommeTeachers of the Year,It is with great pleasure that I congratulate each of you on this tremendous accomplishment. Wehave very fine teachers in this county, and you are the cream of the crop. You are making a positiveimpact, and our schools are growing because of your efforts. We are truly fortunate to havesuch wonderful people educating our students. Again, from the bottom of my heart, I congratulateeach of you.Dr. Bert L’Homme, FCS SuperintendentBrenda Solomon — Franklinton Elementary SchoolBrenda Solomon was raised in Nashville, Arkansas but is aNorth Carolinian by choice. Brenda relates well to the people ofFranklin County and believes they are much like the friendlypeople she grew up with in Arkansas. After graduating fromhigh school, Solomon went on to receive a BS in Educationfrom Northeastern State University in Oklahoma. She taughtfourth and sixth grade in Arkansas for 16 years and spent fiveyears in Germany teaching second grade for the Department ofDefense and has been in Franklin County since 2000.Dean Reed — Royal Elementary SchoolDean Reed found the transition to Franklin County from ruralPennsylvania rather easy. Read grew up in a town of 200 peoplein Pennsylvania and found the small-town atmosphere inFranklin County to be very appealing. He has been teaching inFranklin County for 10 years now and has taught both fifth andsixth grades at four different schools within the system. In additionto teaching, Dean has spent time coaching high schoolwrestling at Bunn High, as well as soccer at Cedar Creek. Herecently became a nationally certified teacher as well.

JUNE 7, 2007TEACHER OF THE YEAR BANQUETPage 3Jane Blevins — Louisburg High SchoolJane Blevins has been teaching for 34 years and is going asstrong as ever. Her energy is as high as ever and she says shecan’t imagine an August without starting a new school year.Jane is from Castlewood, Virginia and has followed in the stepsof her mother as a teacher. She graduated with a BS from EastTennessee and received her Masters in 1977 from UNCChapel Hill. Blevins was Teacher of the Year at Laurel Mill in1994, and this year marks the fourth time she has been namedTeacher of the Year at Louisburg High School. In 2000, shewas named FCS Teacher of the Year.Lisa Lawrence — Franklinton High SchoolLisa Lawrence took a different route to teaching, but FranklintonHigh School sure is glad to have found her. Lisa, who wasan engineer prior to becoming an English teacher, originallystarted out as a volunteer in the school system in hopes ofspending more time with her two daughters. That eventuallyled to her becoming a long-term substitute teacher at FranklintonHigh School in 1999 and a full-time teacher later in thesame year. Lisa grew up in Garner, NC, but is now a proud andactive member of the Franklinton community.Randy Whitley — Bunn High SchoolRandy Whitley, who teaches Career Management and DigitalCommunications at Bunn High, made a big impressionquickly once becoming a member of the Wildcat staff.Randy has taught for just two years at Bunn and has been ineducation for five years. He credits much of his success tothe help of several veteran teachers at BHS. Whitley spenttwo years in the Army after high school and later received adegree in Business Administration by the way of LouisburgCollege and Atlantic Christian College.Our Future, Our Commitment, Our Students

JUNE 7, 2007TEACHER OF THE YEAR BANQUETPage 4Marchetta Grantham — Bunn Middle SchoolMarchetta Grantham began her teaching career 20 years agowith FCS after Bennett College and continues to happily teachat Bunn Middle. Marchetta is from Johnston County andteaches language arts, social studies and math to studentswith disabilities. Her teaching philosophy is that teaching is ateam sport that must not only include other teachers but alsothe students. She is married to her high school sweetheart andhas three boys ages 16 to 25.Valerie Hawthorne — Cedar Creek Middle SchoolValerie Hawthorne grew up in Mississippi and moved to North Carolina in2005 with her husband to teach at Cedar Creek Middle. Valerie taught twoyears in Mississippi and has had the impact of a veteran teacher at CedarCreek. The social studies teacher is very big on having her students activelyengaged in daily classroom activities. She plays a major role in the PositiveBehavior Support program at Cedar Creek and is a member the program’ssupport team. She graduated from William Carey University with honors in2003.Marcie Adu-Poku — Terrell Lane Middle SchoolEducation was a way of life in Marcie Adu-Poku’s house as a child, so itonly seemed natural for her to become an educator. Marcie graduated fromStillman College in Alabama, her native state, in 1998 with a BA in Englishand began teaching English in Franklin County in 2003. Marcie was not astranger to teaching at that point; she spent many hours in college teachingin a variety of different places and circumstances while in college. After college,Marcie worked as a medical language specialist in Alabama and laterbegan graduate studies in Education at the University of West Alabama inLivingston before moving to this area to teach.

JUNE 7, 2007TEACHER OF THE YEAR BANQUETPage 5Michelle Harris — Bunn Elementary SchoolMichelle Harris, a Franklin County native, brings brightness and creativityto Bunn Elementary School each day as the school’s art teacher. Harrisgraduated from Louisburg High School in 1988 and from there went on toearn a BA in Art Education from Meredith College. She was very inspiredafter attending Meredith College and has spent the last five years atBunn Elementary School. She is very involved in the school’s PTA aswell as its initially licensed teachers’ program and offers a great deal ofpassion to her Whole-Faculty Study Group.Sharon Reams — Laurel Mill ElementarySharon Reams has spent the past 31 years of her life teaching Kindergartenand continues to capture the attention of her students and fellowteachers. Sharon is a Franklin County native, graduated from Bunn HighSchool and went on to receive a degree in Education from Atlantic ChristianCollege. She began her teaching career at Gold Sand Elementary in1976 and has spent the past 15 at Laurel Mill. She always knew shewanted to have a career that involved children; the classroom seem likethe most logical choice. Sharon also has two daughters who teach.Kristy Kane — Louisburg ElementaryKristy Kane was convinced by her father to be a teacher and after someearly experiences with her twin nieces, she hooked on education andhasn’t looked back. Kristy graduated from high school in Warren, Pennsylvaniaand went on to Edinboro University and graduated with honorswith a BA in Elementary Education in 2001. From there she found herselfteaching at Louisburg Elementary. This is her sixth year at the school andcontinues to share her passion for learning with her students and colleagues.She attends many conferences to help quench her neverendingthirst to become a better teacher.

JUNE 7, 2007TEACHER OF THE YEAR BANQUETPage 6Lauren Stroupe — Edward Best Elementary SchoolOne county’s loss was certainly a gain for Franklin County. Three yearsago, after previously teaching for two years, Edward Best Elementaryteacher Lauren Stroupe decided to apply for a job in Franklin County.School Principal Debbie Ayscue is still elated to have the fifth-gradeteacher on staff. Lauren followed the path her fifth-grade teacher saidshe would go on, a path that brought her through the teaching programat Meredith College. Teaching is a deep passion for Stroupe, and sheintends on following it for a long time to come.Tracey May — Youngsville Elementary SchoolTracey May grew up in the Edward Best area and graduated fromBunn High School. The Franklin County native went on to receivedegrees from both Louisburg College (Pre-Education) and MeredithCollege (BA Psychology) and has taught at Youngsville Elementarysince 1990. One of her favorite pastimes, in addition to educatingher students, is singing. If you ever attend an assembly at YES,don’t be too surprised if you have the pleasure of hearing Tracey’svoice for a song or two.Congratulations to All of the 2007Teachers of The Year!