Clover names 11 school-level teachers of the year

The Clover school district announced 11 school-level teachers of the year Friday. They will be recognized at a May 4 banquet at The Palisades Country Club.

The 2015-16 honorees are:

▪  Bethany Elementary: Lauren Baker, a speech and language teacher who works with all grade levels.

▪  Bethel Elementary: Sarah Cichy, who teaches math, English and language arts, science and social studies to third- and fourth-graders in the special education program.

▪  Crowders Creek Elementary: Bethany Vogt, who teaches pre-kindergarten through second grade, and Jennifer Camp, who teaches technology. Camp will represent the new Oakridge Elementary when it opens in the fall.

▪  Griggs Road Elementary: Shannon Simmons, a resource teacher who handles written expression, reading, math and behavior management.

▪  Kinard Elementary: Lauren Demarest, a first-grade teacher.

▪  Larne Elementary: Rebekah Strawn, a third-grade teacher who focuses on math and science, while also teaching a gifted and talented section.

▪  Clover Middle: Brittany Simmons, who teaches seventh-grade math.

▪  Oakridge Middle: Jennifer Dundr, who teaches seventh-grade English.

▪  Clover High: Leann Mellon, who teaches government and U.S. history and is a yearbook staff adviser.

▪  Blue Eagle Academy: Atavious Johnson. a middle school transition specialist.

The teachers become part of the Clover school district teacher forum, which develops teacher leaders through community service, guest speaking and other activities. The forum is led by the previous year’s district teacher of the year.

Each school teacher of the year enters into an evaluation process in which a team of judges, including community representatives, will select the 2015-2016 district teacher of the year. The district honoree will be named during convocation in August.

This story was originally published April 22, 2016 at 5:40 PM with the headline "Clover names 11 school-level teachers of the year."