WILMINGTON — Local educators were honored at the 22nd Annual Four County School Board Dinner and Meeting of the Southern Ohio Educational Service Center (SOESC).
Superintendents, school board members and other honorees attended the Tuesday evening event at Laurel Oaks Career Campus, sponsored by the SOESC Governing Board of the four-county area comprised of Clinton, Fayette, Highland and Adams counties.
Keynote speaker was longtime East Clinton Middle School teacher Nancy Reeves, the 2019 Teacher of the Year for State Board District 10.
She has also been honored as the American Legion 2018 Educator of the Year Post and District winner and two-time ECMS Outstanding Teacher of the Year.
Reeves spoke on the importance of school administrators encouraging and recognizing teachers, in their day-to-day work in the classrooms as well as working to help them achieve recognition by their works and deeds, including by nominating them for awards such as Teacher of the Year not only locally but statewide.
From Clinton County, educators and school districts recognized included:
• Master Teacher Renewal: Stephenie Eriksson, Blanchester High School English teacher; and Andrea Harpen, BHS science teacher.
• ODE Momentum Award (presented by State Board of Education recognizing districts and schools for exceeding expectations in student growth for the year. Schools must earn straight A’s on all Value-Added measures on the report card): Clinton-Massie Elementary — Jennifer Updike, Principal
• Overall A Award (presented by State Board of Education recognizing schools that earned an overall A on their report card): Clinton-Massie Elementary — Jennifer Updike, Principal
• Purple Star School Honoree (recognizing schools that show a major commitment to students and families connected to our nation’s military): Laurel Oaks CDS — Kevin Abt, Dean of Instruction
Step Up to Star Quality Ratings (a rating and improvement system administered by the Ohio Department of Education and Ohio Department of Jobs & Family Services that recognizes and promotes learning and development programs that meet quality program standards that exceed licensing and safety regulations):
• Four-Star Rating: Blanchester’s Putman Elementary
• Five-Star Rating: Clinton-Massie Elementary; Wilmington’s East End Elementary; and East Clinton’s New Vienna Elementary and Sabina Elementary
Two Clinton Countians — Wilmington News Journal Sports Editor Mark Huber and Editor Tom Barr — were each presented Friend Of Education Awards by the four school district superintendents of the county: Dean Lynch of Blanchester, Mindy McCarty-Stewart of Wilmington, Matt Baker of Clinton-Massie and Eric Magee of East Clinton.
Presenters and speakers for the evening included SOESC Superintendent Beth Justice, Great Oaks Career Campuses President/CEO Harry Snyder, SOESC Governing Board President Martha Gausman, and SOESC Governing Board Vice President Jim Luck.
Colors were posted by Wilmington’s American Legion Post 49 Color Guard.
Entertainment during dinner was provided by members of the Wilmington High School Choir and Instrumental Program, directed by David Beck and Matthew Spradlin, respectively.
Vocalists were Melissa Stroebel, Julia Tolliver, Aubree Trusty and Emily Walls. Instrumentalists were Abby Bowman, Hannah Colley, Rebecca Durflinger, Haley Fouch, Nicole Gallion, Damian Garlo, Anna Garnai, Elizabeth Grimes, Aaliyah Huff, Makenna Kinsey, Olivia Massie, Avery Parrish, Emily Quallen, Regan Sparks, Destiny Tackett, Maria Totten, Sydney Totten, Jada Walker, Paiton Walker, Gabe Weston, Nathan Wood and Ella Zeigler.
