Members of the Waskom ISD school board recently honored staff members of the district who had received new certifications and recognized the Teachers of the Year for elementary, middle school and high school campuses.
The awards were presented to each of the recipients in an envelope to applause from friends and family in attendance before they had their picture taken to showcase to the community.
“We appreciate all the hard work in getting a degree, working full time and taking care of your families,” said Superintendent Rae Ann Patty. “I know that’s very hard, and we just want to thank you for going the extra mile to do that.”
The presentation began by recognizing staff who had earned new degrees and certifications. The CTE health science teacher Robyn Wilson recently earned her EMT certification to go alongside their current dietician degree. Jana Fowler, the current dyslexia teacher, received her master’s degree in educational leadership. Andra Baggett, the current instructional specialist, also received a master’s degree in educational leadership. Lastly, Michelle Thompson, an elementary school teacher, received her master’s degree in elementary education.
The next groups honored at the school board meeting included both the Paraprofessional of the Year and the Teacher of the Year across the elementary, middle and high school campuses. For the elementary school, fourth grade math teacher Meagan Burkhead won Teacher of the Year and Salena Hernandez won Paraprofessional of the Year. For the middle school campus, eighth grade science teacher Wendy Okabe won Teacher of the Year and Alicia Smith won Paraprofessional of the Year. Lastly, for the high school campus, teacher Jean Kellough won Teacher of the Year and Janene Garrison won Paraprofessional of the Year.
The Teachers of the Year and Paraprofessionals of the Year awards are selected in coordination with other staff of the Waskom ISD district through a vote to recognize the recipients hard work and dedication to the school and their students.
“For the teachers and paraprofessionals, you do stand out on your campuses or people would not vote for you,” said Patty. “They recognize all the extra that you do, all the hard work that you do, and we just want to thank you so much.”
