1000 x 90

This Week’s Recognitions at Watauga School Board

Feb. 13, 2015. Recognitions at this week’s Watauga County Board of Education meeting:

Darcy@podium
Darcy Carson is the newly appointed student rep on the school board.

 

Darcy Carson presented the Board of Education with an update on activities at Watauga High School as the newly appointed student representative on the Board. Carson, a junior at the high school, was selected for her role last month. The other student representative to the Board is Joelle Page.

 

Patricia
Patricia Sperry (right) was named Program Coordinator of the Year for 2014-15.

Patricia Sperry was named the Program Coordinator of the Year for 2014-15 for the Watauga County Schools afterschool program. This is the second time she has won this award and she is the only person to have ever won this honor twice. With her in the photo is Afterschool Director Pam Shirley.  Sperry has been the coordinator of the Mabel afterschool program since 2003 and the program achieved a five star childcare license under her leadership. With the generous support of former NC attorney general and secretary of state Rufus Edmisten, she has been able to provide thousands of dollars in scholarship assistance to help Mabel families pay afterschool fees and to benefit from the tutoring, recreation, and enrichment activities offered in the program.

Terry GB awd
Terry Gunnell-Beck receives the Servant’s Heart award from WCS Supt. Scott Elliott

Terry Gunnell-Beck received the WCS Servant’s Heart Award for January. Remarks from Superintendent Dr. Scott Elliott as he presented the award:

“Each month we take time to recognize a colleague or small group of colleagues who go above and beyond the call of duty to serve our schools and students with a servant’s heart. We call this our Servant’s Heart award because the recipients reflect what we all value about the many leaders and selfless servants in our school system: dedication to a job well done, a big heart that cares for others, a positive attitude that inspires others to work hard, and a healthy perspective on the importance of our mission that rises above the day to day tasks of work.

Terry Gunnell-Beck is full time teacher assistant in kindergarten and a bus driver for Hardin Park School. He has been a dedicated member of the Watauga County Schools staff since 2008. While speaking about Terry, Transportation Director Jeff Lyons said, “The safety of the students that Terry is transporting is always his first priority.Terry has a positive attitude and this surely carries over to the students that he serves.”

Terry is well respected among the students and staff of the school system. I was able to witness this first had one morning when Terry allowed me to ride along on his route. Like all of our drivers, he knows every child and every family. He knows which roads are likely to be dangerous in bad weather, and he knows where families will meet him if he is unable to reach their homes. He knows who has been sick, who just received a special award, and which child might be in need of a special pick me up before walking through the school house doors.”

Quote from his principal Mary Smalling:

“Terry is a person that goes throughout his day with an easygoing and positive attitude. The students love having “Mr. Terry” around. He comes up with new ideas to highlight what is going on in the school building all the time.”