The Marion County School District honored the volunteer contributions of the parents of the year from each school Monday.
Winners included:
• East Marion Elementary: Yolanda Bourne
• East Marion High: Tibby Johnson
• West Marion Primary: Kimmie Miller
• West Marion Elementary: Kayla Crawford
• West Marion High: Sheena Miller
“Hopefully you can encourage more people to get involved in all of our communities,” School Board Member Larry Jenkins said.
Superintendent Wendy Bracey presented certificates to the five winners during the school board meeting, and the principal from their school spoke about them.
For Bourne at East Marion Elementary, Principal Chase Robbins said she previously worked for several years at West Marion and has played a vital role at East Marion as the PTO president, including putting together a Trunk or Treat for the first time in several years.
At East Marion High School, Principal Cindy Newsome said Johnson has three students there – a senior, ninth grader and seventh grader – but also has several other students who she takes care of from her community.
“Whenever we call and we need help with anything out here, I don’t care if it’s concerning athletics, academics, even if we need somebody to help with a bulletin board and ideas to put things up, she’s just one of those people you call and it doesn’t matter when,” Newsome said.
West Marion Primary Principal Vicki Boone said Miller has worked to make things happen as PTO president.
“We are working together to try to put an awning over our students and our teachers during car line and that’s a huge task, and she is taking it on and is going to make it happen,” Boone said.
At West Marion Elementary, Principal Sherrie Williams said one of her greatest pleasures is getting to see children she taught grow up and become parents and that Crawford is one of those.
“Kayla has come to our rescue when we need last-minute things for teachers. She’s there when our children need things. She’s there whenever we call her,” she said.
At West Marion High School, Miller is a familiar face at all sporting events. Principal Gigi Dunaway described her as “consistent.”
“She’s one of those behind the scenes (workers). She doesn’t have to be up front getting all the recognition,” Dunaway said.
That includes everything from cleaning up after basketball games to serving as a faithful substitute teacher to being part of a new parent advisory committee. And she even makes what Bracey described as “awesome chili” for West Marion games.
Also Monday,
• The board gave Bracey a rating of “excellent” in her annual superintendent’s evaluation.
• The board met in a closed session with Toxie Peak to discuss a personnel matter. Board President Keith Stuckey said when they came out that they didn’t take any action.
The board accepted the following resignations:
• Katherine Williams, James Williams and Bethany Fortenberry from West Marion High School
• Bob Martin from West Marion Primary
• Margo McNair at East Marion Elementary
• Ralph Chance and Maurice Thornton at East Marion High School
The board made the following hire:
• Steve Haddox as a janitor at West Marion Primary
Pictured Above: Sheena Miller, center, was honored Monday as West Marion High School’s parent of the year by Principal Gigi Dunaway and Superintendent Wendy Bracey. | Photo by Charlie Smith
