Iberville teachers of the year honored at event

The Iberville Parish School System awarded 2010 District Teacher of the Year honors Ashley Boyd, Sondia Funchess and Emily Weathers in ceremonies last week at the Optional Education Center.

Boyd, a fifth grade English and science teacher at Dorseyville Elementary School, is Elementary School Teacher of Year; Funchess, a sixth and seventh grade math and science teacher at Math, Science and Arts Academy-East, is Middle School Teacher of Year; and Weathers, a tenth grade English teacher at the Math, Science and Arts academy-West is High School Teacher of the Year.

All three will advance to an eight parish regional Teacher of the Year competition. If selected there, they will advance to the state competition finals.

Boyd, Funchess and Weathers were winners from their individual schools. Other school level Teachers of the Year honored at the ceremony were Teachers honored at the evening ceremony were Heidi Guillory of Crescent Elementary, Mary Kember of East Iberville Elementary, Natasha Basil of Iberville Elementary and Karen Brooks of North Iberville Elementary in the elementary division

Amy Beatty of Crescent, Sherri Pierce of Plaquemine High and Miyoshi Jones-Joseph of White Castle High in the middle school division.

Douglas Schultz of East Iberville High School and Sharonda Joseph  – White Castle High School in the high school division.

The Louisiana Teacher of the Year Program, co-sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Education and the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, is an annual event designed to recognize outstanding teachers. The program provides opportunity to recognize teachers from each local school system and to showcase the positive aspects of classroom teaching.

The statewide competition is part of a national awards program in which a National Teacher of the Year is selected.

"Tonight I heard great things about each of these teachers from students themselves, and we indeed recognize the unique abilities of these classroom teachers—our most important resource,” Superintendent P. Edward Cancienne Jr. said at the ceremony. “Tonight, I heard the words 'bright,' 'light,' 'inspire' as students described their own teachers’ impact. It is obvious that these teachers go above and beyond in the classroom,” he added. “We congratulate all of these outstanding teachers and recognize their abilities and talent," Dr. Cancienne said.

Janet Marionneaux, executive director of personnel, curriculum and instruction was emcee for the event, which was coordinated by Supervisor John Bueche.

Cancienne also praised the students wrote and delivered their own comments -- Sydnee Wilcoxin, Kilrain Popleon, Marvell Asberry, Dionickka Calloway, Sheldon Ballom, Tyler Wesley, Kenny Dotson, Jakira Robertson, Rubea Handy, Arian Williams, Aliel Williams, Myiesha Bell, Jamecia Jones and Mendrek Solite.

More than 100 family, friends and school associates attended the event and reception. Assisting with the event were volunteers Terry Gallagher, Cathy Olivier, William Bujol, Cryister Overton, and White Castle High students who produced the for program.

The MSA West orchestra performed three classical selections and the National Anthem.