April Pursuit of Excellence Winners

Congratulations to the following employees who are the April 2023 recipients of the Pursuit of Excellence Award for the Baldwin County School District.

Laura Burch

Teacher at Baldwin High School

Ms. Burch is in her second year of working for the Baldwin County School District. Ms. Burch currently works as a teacher at Baldwin High School. She was nominated by her colleague, Barry Reese. Mr. Reese had the following to say: “Ms. Burch always goes above and beyond. She's a leader in the ELA department and is the secretary in the HHHS Academy. She voluntarily keeps up with the Academy calendar and sends invites for all meetings, as well as coordinating schedules. This is all in addition to the excellent teaching she provides to our students! Mrs. Burch is one of those teachers that arrives early and stays late, day-in and day-out. She is also a fantastic teacher that forges close bonds with her students while instilling in them a passion for literature. I'm proud to be her coworker!

Ms. Burch, thank you for modeling excellence!

Quierra Grissom

PEC Paraprofessional at Lakeview Primary

Ms. Grissom is in her 5th year of working for the Baldwin County School District. Ms. Grissom currently works as a Special Education Paraprofessional at Lakeview Primary. She was nominated by her colleague, Amber Hightower. Ms. Hightower had the following to say: “Quierra Grissom goes above and beyond to support the students and teacher in the classroom. She shows a willingness to dive in without being asked. She sees a need and attends to it. She has a great relationship with the students and is a huge part of their success this year. She has great feedback that encourages the students and the classroom teacher. She has a positive, calm, and quiet demeanor that is a vital part of being a role model. She has been encouraging to me as a first year SPED teacher and has much wisdom to share. I really appreciate and enjoy working with her.

Ms. Grissom, thank you for being a model of excellence!

Jen Smith

1st Grade Teacher at Midway Hills Primary

Ms. Smith is in her 3rd year of working for the Baldwin County School District. She currently works as a 1st Grade Teacher at Midway Hills Primary. Ms. Smith was nominated by her colleague, Mandy Hopkins. Ms. Hopkins had the following to say: “Mrs. Smith is such a positive role model to students as well as our staff. You will NEVER see her without a big smile on her face and a kind word from her lips! She has taken on the role of team leader this year and has done an exceptional job. She is thorough and works tirelessly to get our team the information we need to plan and analyze our data. She has recently planned a field trip to the GCSU and the Governor's Mansion and left no detail unturned. Her communication skills are superb, and she makes sure our team is always informed. We are always amazed at the time and energy she gives to not only teaching her students but to leading our first grade team. Mrs. Smith is the kind of person who does not like to be in the spotlight, but she certainly deserves this recognition because of her hard work and dedication to her job and her roles as a teacher, mentor, and leader in our school. She truly inspires us all to work hard and do it with a SMILE!

Ms. Smith, thank you for being the epitome of excellence!

Elizabeth Yorker

Music/Chorus Teacher at Lakeview Academy

Ms. Yorker is working in her 7th year for the Baldwin County School District. Ms. Yorker currently works as a Music/Chorus Teacher at Lakeview Academy. She was nominated by her colleagues Caroline Lacksen and Christie Edwards. Caroline Lacksen had the following to say: “Ms. Yorker consistently goes above and beyond for our students at LVA. She is one of the first faces they see as they start their day, and she is always smiling and welcoming towards anyone. She works so hard to make music education engaging for our learners. She has also led the initiative to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at our school. We are so thankful for Ms. Yorker's hard work and think she should be recognized!

Christie Edwards had the following to say: “Ms. Yorker is an amazing teacher, she adds so much to the Fine Arts department, not only at LVA, but for Fine Arts education for the entire county. She put so much heart into helping students be successful, whether they are singing in chorus, or performing a play. She is encouraging and patient in teaching all of the students she comes in contact with during the day. She always has a kind word for her coworkers and a smile on her face. As a parent who also has a student involved in chorus and drama, I have seen my child come out of his shell by participating in chorus and drama and he just loves being in both!

Ms. Yorker, thank you for being a shining example of excellence!