Educators and staff honored for inspiring excellence

HAMLET— Teachers and staff were honored with the Inspiring Excellence Award at the school board meeting on Tuesday.

“First, I would like to recognize Mrs. Sandra McDonald. She’s the school counselor at Richmond Early College, and she has been chosen by her colleagues for the Inspiring Excellence Award in recognition of her unwavering dedication to student success. She’s in her 18th year with Richmond County Schools, and this is her eighth year as the counselor at REaCH. Mrs. McDonald is known for her compassion and caring nature, and she goes above and beyond to support students in both their academic and personal growth. She serves as the adviser for the Fellowship of Christian Students club and fosters a strong sense of community and leadership. Additionally, Mrs. McDonald plays a crucial role in guiding seniors through the college application and scholarship process, ensuring that every student has the resources and encouragement they need to achieve their goals. Richmond Early College is certainly a better place because Mrs. McDonald is on our team,” said Richmond Early College Principal Joy Harrelson.

Michelle Butler, a bookkeeper who plays various vital roles, was also selected by Richmond Early College as an Inspiring Excellence Award recipient.

“This is due to her exceptional dedication and service at Richmond Early College. With 19 years of experience in Richmond County Schools, including 17 years at REaCH, she is truly a jack of all trades. Although she is technically our bookkeeper and the data manager, her daily roles encompass technology support, student scheduling, the student nurse, attendance clerk, supply ordering, and so much more. All of these things make her an invaluable part of the school. Ms. Butler is also known for building strong, trusting relationships with both students and parents, and she takes the time to know every student by name. As the face of the front office, she is a constant source of support and positivity at REaCH, and we are so blessed to have her,” said Harrelson.

West Rockingham Elementary School selected Tammy Locklear and Rita Woodward to be recognized with the Inspiring Excellence Award.

Principal Joy Watson expressed her gratitude toward teacher assistant Rita Woodward, saying, “her exceptional contributions at West Rockingham through dedicated service, outstanding support to our students, staff, and community. She provides invaluable one-on-one attention to students requiring additional academic support, helping them build confidence and achieve their goals. She maintains detailed records of students’ behavior and has shown remarkable flexibility in adapting to different teaching styles and classroom needs across multiple settings, from pre-K to fifth grade. She creates and prepares educational materials to enhance lesson effectiveness and student understanding. Also, when we talk about our student support, she consistently offers patient, nurturing support to students facing academic and emotional challenges. Some mornings Miss Woodward comes in, and she’s a teacher assistant, then she covers the class, and then she’s our nurse by the afternoon, attending the front office. She helps in multiple ways and is always there in the evening for any volunteer events that we may have.”

Watson proceeded to speak about first grade teacher Tammy Locklear, who also plays a significant role at West Rockingham Elementary School.

“She has innovative teaching methods with unwavering dedication to our school. She’s created an inclusive classroom environment where every student feels valued and empowered to reach their full potential. She’s implemented creative learning strategies and blended traditional teaching methods with STEM, making learning both engaging and effective. She maintains outstanding communication with parents, creating a collaborative partnership that enhances student success overall. She initiates cross-curricular projects that bring learning to life and create meaningful connections across subjects,” said Watson.

School board member Ronald Tillman was also honored with the Badge of Excellence.

“Tonight we wanted to take a moment to honor one of our very own school board members. Mr. Ronald Tillman was recently awarded the Badge of Excellence by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. It’s one of the department’s highest honors, which is given to people who make outstanding contributions across the state and to their community,” said Executive Director of Communications at Richmond County Schools Cameron Whitley.

Tillman was selected for the category of public service and volunteerism.

Whitley shared the description of the title, saying, “honoring individuals who make significant contributions through their involvement in community and public service, projects driven purely by commitment to serve without expectation of reward or recognition.”

The winners from the Martin Luther King Jr. poster and essay contest, Bryan Huerta, an eighth grader from Hamlet Middle School, and Adryan Southall, a ninth grade student from Richmond Early College High School, were also honored at the meeting.

“The Richmond County Martin Luther King Junior Celebration Foundation sponsored its annual MLK Jr. essay and poster contest in collaboration with Richmond County Public Schools. This year, our students submitted essays and posters to reflect the following theme: Mission Possible, Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy. I can’t say enough positive words about the quality of the submissions this year,” said Assistant Superintendent Melvin Ingram.