Top Students Honor Time Warner Star Teachers

Twenty Cleveland County Schools teachers were honored March 12 at the 2009 Star Teacher Awards banquet at Gardner-Webb University . This was the 19^th annual event recognizing teachers sponsored by the Greater Cleveland County Schools Educational Foundation through the support of Time Warner Cable.

The five top academic students in the senior classes at Burns, Crest, Kings Mountain and Shelby high schools selected their Star teachers and honored them at the event.

Star teachers and the senior scholars who nominated them were Sherry Young of Kings Mountain Middle School, selected by Lyndsey Batchler of Kings Mountain High; Gay Henderson of Kings Mountain High, selected by Matthew Gray of Kigns Mountain High; Cindy Dover of Kings Mountain High, selected by Chelsea Ingram of Kings Mountain High; Jewell Kendrick of Kings Mountain High, selected by Whitney McDonald of Kings Mountain High; and Mary Ann Lattimore of Kings Mountain High, selected by Davis Phanthalack of Kings Mountain High.

Also, Phillip Powers of Marion Intermediate School, selected by Morgan Koder of Shelby High; Brenda Goforth of Shelby High, selected by Jessica Lee of Shelby High; Emily Yelton of Shelby High, selected by Jay Morgan of Shelby High; Dianna Bridges of Shelby High, selected by Lillian Wilson of Shelby High; and Teresa LaCroix of Shelby High, selected by Natasha Zuniga of Shelby High.

Also, Drew Howell of Burns High, selected by Kelsey Alcide of Burns High; Gene Holland of Burns High, selected by Mary Kathryn Fletcher of Burns High; Amy Mittelman of Fallston Elementary, selected by Clint Pruett of Burns High; Jan Heavner of Burns High, selected by Garrett Smith of Burns High; and Rebecca Sisk of Burns High, selected by Elizabeth Brooke Turner of Burns High.

Also,Vanessa Robbins of Crest High, selected by Brooke Baldwin of Crest High; Sherry Crowder of Elizabeth Elementary, selected by Garrett Hastings of Crest High; Ronda Champion of Crest High, selected by Chase McCraw of Crest High; Zachary Wortman of Crest High, selected by Kevin Nanney of Crest High; and Jerry Ruppe, retired from Crest Middle School, selected by Mariah Street of Crest High.

The Star Teacher Awards are held annually to recognize the hard work and dedication of Cleveland County educators. These outstanding teachers are selected by those who benefit directly from that effort – their students. The celebration began 19 years ago by the Greater Cleveland County Schools’ Educational Foundation, and has been sponsored since then through a partnership with Time-Warner Cable. The partnership was so successful that Time-Warner incorporated the program throughout the Charlotte Division, and other Time Warner systems throughout the country have adopted it as well. The Cable Television Public Affairs Association recognized the program with the Beacon Award in 1997 – one of the highest honors given in the cable industry.