Twice as nice: Given no 2020 ceremony, Sumter School District honors current, new Teachers of the Year at Celebration of Excellence

Posted

It has been a year like no other in education and one that will certainly go down in the history books.

As Superintendent Penelope Martin-Knox described it Wednesday at the district's annual Celebration of Excellence, the last year has involved lots of new learning vocabulary - such as "asynchronous," "synchronous" and "virtual" - but everybody was "face to face" for the "in-person" event and happy for it.

Without an official teacher-recognition ceremony in May 2020 with the initial spread of the coronavirus, Sumter School District marked its 2021 Celebration of Excellence on Wednesday night by honoring and installing both its current teachers of the year and also the 2021-22 campus teachers of the year.

The night's speakers, which included Martin-Knox and 2021 South Carolina Teacher of the Year Sarah Gams, among others, sung the praises of the district's honorees.

"Inspirational," "essential," "leaders," "adaptable," "passionate" and "graceful" were repeated throughout the evening.

This school year also found teachers "figuring out the future of education" with new technology, Gams added.

As is the case with each Celebration of Excellence, the district expressed gratitude to its senior Teachers of the Year from 2019-20 who are now departing the district's Sumter Teacher Forum and welcomed the rising junior teachers of the year, who will represent their school campuses next year. The forum is a two-year leadership and professional development program for the honorees.

Also, like at each Celebration of Excellence, the district named its finalists for the district Teacher of the Year award.

They are Wilder Elementary School STEAM coach and lab instructor Meghan Walters, Chestnut Oaks Middle School chorus teacher Thomas Slater and Sumter High School art teacher Deana Rennick.

Like the others, Walters said she appreciated the district's support, especially in a difficult year with COVID-19.

"Many times, as educators, we do not feel supported by the greater world," she said. "But to have a district like ours is special. To have your district say, 'Wow, we see you, we're here for you, and let's try to get the best out of you' is very nice."

District administration will announce the district Teacher of the Year in August at its annual opening meeting.

Teacher forum scholarship winners

The Sumter Teacher Forum named Crestwood High School senior Zoe McDonald as the winner of the annual Hailey Bordeaux Memorial Scholarship for Future Educators. McDonald will receive $3,000.

Other scholarships for seniors pursuing careers in education were awarded to Bobbi Ann Elmore of Sumter High ($1,500), Victoria Vance of Crestwood ($1,000), Tyler Riley of Crestwood ($1,000), Lauren Smallwood of Crestwood ($500) and Molasia Singleton of Crestwood ($500).