To honor the area's top teachers, Lufkin's business and civic leaders gathered at the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce's First Friday luncheon at Crown Colony Country Club to recognize the "Teacher of the Year" from each local school district. One by one, the event's speakers rose to congratulate the hard work of Angelina County's best teachers.
"Our teachers and administrators are the unsung heroes of our lives," said Jim Brody, of Temple-Inland. "And Angelina County is well-positioned to benefit from their continued efforts."
Joel Andrews/The Lufkin Daily News |
Jim Brody presents a Teacher of the Year award to Rhonda Tripp of Zavalla ISD at the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce's First Friday luncheon at Crown Colony Country Club.
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Joel Andrews/The Lufkin Daily News |
Jim Brody presents a Teacher of the Year award to Tanya Alford of Lufkin ISD at the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce's First Friday luncheon at Crown Colony Country Club.
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Joel Andrews/The Lufkin Daily News |
Jim Brody presents a Teacher of the Year award to Amber Wagnon of Huntington ISD at the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce's First Friday luncheon at Crown Colony Country Club.
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Joel Andrews/The Lufkin Daily News |
Jim Brody presents a Teacher of the Year award to Bobbie Thomas of Hudson ISD at the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce's First Friday luncheon at Crown Colony Country Club.
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Joel Andrews/The Lufkin Daily News |
Jim Brody presents a Teacher of the Year award to Lisa Warren of Diboll ISD at the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce's First Friday luncheon at Crown Colony Country Club.
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Joel Andrews/The Lufkin Daily News |
Jim Brody presents a Teacher of the Year award to Leigh Oliver of Central ISD at the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce's First Friday luncheon at Crown Colony Country Club.
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A teacher from each school district was chosen for going "above and beyond" their duty for the sake of their students.
"Teachers, your efforts have made the city, county and state a great place to be," said Sallye Darmstadter, director of the Stubblefield Learning Center. "We want to encourage you to do what you do best, nurture the students of Angelina County."
Each winner was given a large golden apple award, a symbol of their success in the classroom.
The six educators chosen for "Teacher of the Year" included:
* Lee Oliver, of Central Junior High. Oliver is a former Central graduate and teaches seventh grade writing.
* Lisa Warren, of Diboll Junior High. A former basketball coach, Warren now teaches sixth grade reading.
* Bobbie Thomas, of Hudson's Peavy Primary School. Thomas is a kindergarten teacher at the school
* Amber Wagnon, of Huntington High School. Wagnon teaches 11th grade English, as well as theater arts for all four grades at the high school.
* Rhonda Tripp, of Zavalla Elementary. Tripp teaches fifth grade reading, language arts and social studies.
* Tanya Alford, of Lufkin Middle School. Alford teaches eighth grade math and algebra.
"These teachers have been chosen by their campuses because they represent the kind of teacher that they would like to showcase," said Leon Manning. "These are the teachers that have continually shown excellence in their field."
Lufkin ISD superintendent Roy Knight was also on hand to congratulate the teachers for their awards, concluding his speech by saying, "The most valuable thing in a classroom is the magic of when a caring teacher speaks up."
