Congratulations to the March Pursuit of Excellence Recipients!
Hannah Cole, 4th Grade Teacher at Midway Hills Academy; Jerry Williams, Paraprofessional at Lakeview Academy; Tammy Parker, School Food Service Manager; and Susan Curtis
Gifted Teacher at Oak Hill Middle School.


Hannah Cole
4th Grade Teacher at Midway Hills Academy
Ms. Cole is relatively new to the Baldwin County School district, working in her first year as a 4th Grade Teacher at Midway Hills Academy, and has already established herself as a model of excellence. Ms. Cole was nominated by her colleague, Stephanie Coxwell. Ms. Coxwell had the following to say: “Hannah Cole teaches 4th-grade science and social studies. From the start of her lessons in both subjects, Hannah engages her students in rich discussion and reflection of topics. Her approach to teaching encourages students to show their learning in multiple ways, including interesting project-based activities that invite students to show what they have learned in multiple interesting and fun ways. Students are eager to share what they have learned with her and others in the class and Hannah approaches every opportunity as a learning opportunity. She cares about her students' opinions and ideas while challenging them for higher thinking. Hannah has created a classroom that exemplifies Midway Hills Academy's pursuit to create a growth mindset learning environment.” Ms. Cole, thank you for modeling excellence!

Jerry Williams
Paraprofessional at Lakeview Academy
Mr. Williams has worked for the Baldwin County School District for more than 23 years. He currently works as a Paraprofessional at Lakeview Academy. Mr. Williams was nominated by his colleague, Diondrea Whipple. Ms. Whipple states: “I nominate Mr. Williams for the POE due to the fact that Mr. Williams takes great pride in being a Lakeview Academy/Baldwin County Employee. Mr. Williams completes an array of duties during the school day. He does it with a smile and spirit that is nothing short of contagious to all. He commits fully to any task given. He works great with the 4th-grade team and is always willing to lend a helping hand when needed or just in general. He takes time to talk to the students as well as, encourages them on a daily basis. Mr. Williams truly models what it means to S.O.A.R at Lakeview Academy for staff and students." Mr. Williams, thank you for being a model of excellence!

Tammy Parker
School Food Service Manager
Ms. Parker has worked for the district for more than 5 years and currently works as School Food Manager. Ms. Parker was nominated by Molly Reese, the teacher at Midway Hills Primary. Ms. Reese had the following to say: “Ms. Parker has done a wonderful job making sure the students have delicious and nutritious meals. She and her amazing staff work hard each day to keep the breakfast and lunch lines running smoothly! Not to mention their incredible patience with the students. I love eating the school lunch, the food is always so great! My favorite meal and the meal that made me want to nominate Ms. Parker for the Pursuit of Excellence Award) is the cheeseburger, smiley face fries, and black-eyed peas. It was amazing and I can't wait until they serve it again!” Ms. Parker was also nominated by Tara Burney, Principal of Midway Hills Primary. Mrs. Burney states: “Tammy Parker should be nominated POE winner because of her hard work and dedication to our students at MHP. She encourages students to eat breakfast by providing them with opportunities to win prizes from the cafeteria. Students are so excited to eat breakfast because they are eager to
see if they have received a special ticket in their bags that are redeemable at lunch for slushies and so much more. She also works with the school to make sure students who arrive at school late have the opportunity to get breakfast. She is open to suggestions and new ideas. Not only that, we love the delicious salads and tasty meals that are provided to students and staff daily." Ms. Parker, thank you for being a shining example of excellence!

Susan Curtis
Gifted Teacher at Oak Hill Middle School
Ms. Curtis has worked for the Baldwin County School District for over 3 years. She currently works as a Gifted Teacher at Oak Hill Middle School. Ms. Curtis was nominated by her colleague, Rachel Adams. Ms. Adams states: “Mrs. Curtis does an outstanding job keeping up with the demands of a teacher as well as the other duties and responsibilities that she takes on outside of the classroom. She is an essential part of our school as well as the school system. In the classroom, she is a dynamic science teacher who provides engaging lessons for her students with many hands-on and STEM activities that help her students thrive in their knowledge of the science content. Her students adore her as she holds high standards of learning while building strong relationships with them as individuals. She collaborates with her team members by integrating math and other standards-based
curriculum into her science instruction. Her experience and expertise in classroom management, as well as standards-based instruction, are used to mentor student teachers. Mrs. Curtis holds many leadership roles within our school. She is a science department chair and provides her knowledge of the curriculum with her colleagues and leads PL training to them as needed. She serves on the school leadership team to provide a voice and support for her team members as well as the administrative team for the school. Despite the excellence that Mrs. Curtis exhibits each and every day, she is never
satisfied and is always willing to learn and try new strategies and methods to improve her instruction and leadership skills. For these reasons and many more, she is deserving of the Pursuit of Excellence Award.” Ms. Curtis, thank you for being the epitome of excellence!
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