Trenton Special School District honors Teachers of the Year
By Crystal Burns
The Trenton Special School District honored its Teachers of the Year during the Nov. 7 school board meeting.
Angelica Voigt was chosen by her peers as the Peabody High School Teacher of the Year, Kristy Shelton as the Trenton Rosenwald Middle School Teacher of the Year, and Sheronda Rivers as the Trenton Elementary School Teacher of the Year. Rivers was also recognized as the district Teacher of the Year.
Michele Elliott, TSSD supervisor of Teaching & Learning, made the announcement. This year, Elliott reached out to the women’s colleagues for comments to share with the school board.
Of Voigt, who teaches Spanish, sponsors Future Teachers of America, and heads the prom committee, the peer said, “She holds her students to a very high standard and often stays after school in an effort to help them reach the level of proficiency that she expects of them. Ms. Voigt is known for the many hands-on projects she assigns to her students in an effort to help them make connections to the language they are learning.”
Shelton teaches eighth grade English/Language Arts. Her colleague said, “She was selected due to her thorough planning and delivery of lessons. She was also selected because she truly cares about all of her students. She always strives to understand them and gives up her lunch period every day to eat and talk with students.”
Rivers teaches third grade math and science. Her peer said, “Sheronda is one of the hardest working educators that I have ever met. She goes above and beyond her daily responsibilities to provide a unique learning experience for her students. She understands how to meet her students’ needs academically and emotionally.”
The Gazette asked each principal for their thoughts on their school’s Teacher of the Year.
“Ms. Voigt is a teacher who’s dedication to her curriculum is unmatched,” said Peabody principal Rickey Hooker. “She sets high expectations and always has clear, written objectives. She’s prepared and organized. Ms. Voigt engages students and has them look at issues in a variety of ways. She is willing to form a strong relationship with students to show that she cares about them and communicates frequently with parents.”
“Kristy Shelton is an excellent representative of TRMS,” said principal Paul Pillow. “She serves as the team leader for our eighth grade team, which suits her perfectly because she is the ultimate team player. She works tirelessly with her planning and provides both rigorous and engaging lessons for her students. She also gives of her time on the state level, serving on item review teams critiquing questions that might appear on the state test.”
“Sheronda Rivers is a special person,” TES principal Courtnee Wilkes said. “Not only do her students love and respect her, her peers do as well. She is a very engaging teacher, and she works very hard to provide her students with a positive school experience.”
As the district Teacher of the Year, Rivers was nominated as Educator of the Year and received recognition at the Greater Gibson County Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual appreciation banquet held Nov. 5.
