Fuquay-Varina Teacher is 2007 Wake County Teacher of the Year
May 17, 2007 – Fuquay-Varina High School teacher Paige Elliott is the 2007 Wake County Teacher of the Year.Superintendent Del Burns presented Elliott the Wake County Teacher of the Year Award sponsored by Wachovia Bank at tonight's banquet. Burns praised Elliott for returning to teach at the school from which she graduated and for earning the school system's highest honor. Hundreds of community and education leaders attending the event congratulated her with applause.
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Elliott teaches English at Fuquay-Varina High School.
Elliott has taught her entire career of 9.5 years at Fuquay-Varina High. She teaches Honors English IV, Paideia 9 and a class on Shakespeare. Elliott is a member of the WCPSS Institute for Teacher Leaders. She earned certification from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards in 2004.
“With each lesson each day, I strive to make our experiences significant to students’ lives,” said Elliott. “They often feel overwhelmed or desensitized by the material and their efforts. So often a student doesn’t comprehend how the decisions and actions they make today affect tomorrow. Analogies and discussion are how I make the results and consequences apparent to them.”
Elliott supervises and mentors student teaching experiences and supervises her school’s program for supporting novice teachers. She is a professional learning communities book study facilitator. She works with the school’s business alliance.
“I love teaching. It is a natural part of who I am,” said Elliott. “Volunteering is another way to secretly educate others about the most important lessons of all – relationships, human compassion and character.”
She organizes blood drives in the community in the spring and fall. She has worked with colleagues to develop a young writers camp to be offered this year.
Fuquay-Varina principal Edward McFarland says Elliott presents lessons that are both fun and educational. “”From day to day, I never know what I may see happening in her classroom,” said McFarland. “One day I may walk in and the students will be dressed in Shakespearian character to perform one-act plays or the students may be engaged in fierce debate during a Paideia seminar. She certainly has a strong understanding of the English curriculum and is able to teach effectively because of her thorough knowledge.”
Teacher of the Year gifts
As the Wake County Teacher of the Year, Elliott will represent Wake County in the North Carolina Teacher of the Year competition. She succeeds Gladys Madauss, a Forest Pines Elementary School teacher and the 2006 Wake County Teacher of the Year.
Wake County's Teacher of the Year receives:
- One-year use of a 2007 Saturn automobile, compliments of Bill Shotwell of Saturn of Raleigh/Cary;
- A laptop computer and printer, compliments of Mark Thompson, Lee Yerby and Abder Allan of Office Depot;
- A tote bag of office supplies, compliments of Karen Whitfield of Office Depot,
- A travel cart filled with office supplies compliments of Karen Whitfield, Lee Yerby, Mark Thompson, Kevin Leary and Abder Allan of Office Depot;
- A check for $1000 compliments of our corporate sponsors; and
- $2,000 toward participation in the Center for International Understanding's global study program, compliments of The Center for International Understanding, a Dan Royster memorial.
The Dan Royster Teacher award was established as a tribute and memorial to Dan Royster, a Wake County science teacher and enthusiastic international exchange participant. The award is funded through contributions from his family and friends.
Candidates for Teacher of the Year are nominated and elected by their peers. The teacher candidates develop portfolios that describe their teaching careers and philosophy of teaching. Ten selection committees review the portfolios and narrow the field to 20 semifinalists. The selection committees observe the semifinalists in their classrooms and each committee chooses one teacher to be among the 10 finalists. The finalists are interviewed by the Teacher of the Year Interview Committee. Based upon the quality of the portfolio and the interview, the Interview Committee then chooses the Teacher of the Year by secret ballot.
Finalists
The nine finalists are Stephen Elrod, Wake Forest Elementary; Katie Ewing, Sanderson High; Peggy DeBruhl, Garner High; Tracy Donohue, Powell Elementary; Kimberly Harrison, Knightdale High; Jaime Mousty, Poe Montessori Magnet School; Maria Olds, Apex Elementary; Sonia Solomon, Forestville Road Elementary; and Kathy Snapp, Green Hope High.
The nine finalists received a $250 cash prize compliments of corporate sponsors; a tote bag of office supplies compliments of Karen Whitfield of Office Depot; a free latte compliments of Java Devine Coffee Bar; and an acrylic award.
Nominees received a tote bag of office supplies compliments of Karen Whitfield of Office Depot; a free latte compliments of Java Devine Coffee Bar; a $50 gift certificate to the Angus Barn Restaurant; and an acrylic award.
This is the fourth year that Wachovia Bank has sponsored the Wake County Teacher of the Year Award and banquet.
More information is available at 2007 Wake County Teacher of the Year Finalists at http://www.wcpss.net/news/2007_toy/index.html
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