Local School Teachers Honored by Rotary Club “It takes a special person to teach a child in a class”, begins a lyric titled Teacher. And we have an abundance of those special teachers at our schools in the Smith Mountain Lake area. The Rotary Club of Smith Mountain Lake has held its Excellence in Education Banquet honoring ten very special Teachers at the Westlake Golf & Country Club. Each teacher has been chosen by their peers to be the Teacher of the Year at their respective school. The annual event brings together the Principals and teachers with their spouses in a social setting and gives the teachers well deserved recognition for their work. Each teacher is introduced by their Principal with some complimentary and occasionally humorous comments. The teachers tell expressive stories about themselves, a special person in their life that inspired them to teach and about many of the learning activities in their rooms. Listening to the stories you certainly realize how much satisfaction these teachers have when they achieve that special “Ah-Ha” moment as the light goes on in a child’s mind. The teachers honored are: – Erin Wolfe at Goodview Elementary School – Rita Thompson at Huddleston Elementary School – Layne Altice at Burnt Chimney Elementary School – Ellen Fagan at Moneta Elementary School – Robbie Jones at Windy Gap Elementary School – Shelia Cowen at Glade hill Elementary School – Eric Martin at Stewartsville Elementary School – Kimberly Bollinger at Body Camp Elementary School – Joanne Gill at Dudley Elementary School – Audrey Bowyer at Staunton River Middle School And as the lyric concludes it speaks to each of these teachers, “You are a special person, You always give your best; And for every child who has your class, Their live is truly blessed.” For information about the Rotary Club of Smith Mountain Lake or about its educational partnership with Dudley Elementary School, contact Steve Miller at 72-0336.
