Congratulations to Mrs. Jennifer Scott who was named the RULH "Teacher of the Year" for 2024-2025! Mrs. Scott exemplifies the heart of education at Ripley Union Lewis Huntington Elementary School. For 24 years, she has created classroom environments where young learners thrive through encouragement, high expectations, and the warmth of a supportive classroom family. Currently teaching second grade, Jennifer has enriched the educational experiences of students across kindergarten through fourth grade throughout her career.
Jennifer's path to teaching began in the purple-inked pages of her mother's classroom, where childhood hours spent helping with bulletin boards and running copies on the old mimeograph machine sparked a passion that would become her life's work. When Jennifer began her teaching career—the same year her mother retired from hers—she carried forward a legacy of patience, care, and encouragement that continues to define her approach today.
Mrs. Scott stated, "I often meet past students of mother's who say, 'Your mom was my favorite teacher ever. Several have even said, 'I became a teacher because of your mom.' Mrs. Scott also said, "I can proudly say my mother was the reason I became a teacher."
With Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Elementary Education from Morehead State University, Jennifer brings both academic expertise and heartfelt dedication to her classroom. Her educational philosophy centers on the belief that "all children have the right to learn and grow to the best of their ability." She creates learning environments where students develop independence through diverse learning opportunities—hands-on activities, cooperative projects, and choices in demonstrating knowledge.
"I try to create a classroom family where everyone supports and encourages each other, as we all learn, grow, and make mistakes along the way," she explains. This approach is evident in how students help create classroom management guidelines, fostering ownership of their learning environment.
Jennifer's favorite teaching moment happens daily after lunch during read-aloud time. Those fifteen minutes spark excitement, meaningful discussions, and personal connections among her students. "Every day, when we're walking back from lunch, I always get, 'Are we doing a read aloud today? What are we reading?'" As the year progresses, students suggest books and even gain the confidence to read to their classmates—moments that fill Jennifer with pride.
Beyond her classroom, Jennifer strengthens the school community through her service on multiple teams, including the Building Leadership Team, District Leadership Team, PBIS team, and the school safety team. Her collaborative approach extends to colleagues just as it does to her students.
Jennifer has been married to her husband Chris for 26 years, raising three sons—Ethan, Blake, and Brett (and his fiancée Shelby) —while maintaining her dedication to education.
RULH Local School District proudly honors Jennifer Scott as its "Teacher of the Year"—an educator who continues a family legacy of excellence in teaching while creating her own lasting impact through the timeless gift of encouraging young minds to discover the joy of learning.
RULH Elementary third grade students recently enjoyed learning about animal life cycles. They have been observing the life cycle of the Painted Lady Butterfly and discussing the insect’s metamorphosis. Several of the butterflies recently emerged from their chrysalises, and the students were very excited!
The students have created their own books, complete with illustrations, that tell about the butterfly life cycle. They are looking forward to releasing their new butterfly friends into the wild! Way to go third grade Blue Jays!
RULH fourth grade students in Ms. Deanna Adams' class celebrated Earth Day on Tuesday, April 22nd, by becoming eco-heroes! The students spent part of their day picking up trash around the school grounds while participating in a fun scavenger hunt. Each group had a checklist of different types of trash to find—turning our clean-up into a mission to help the planet and a learning adventure. It was awesome to see them working together, making a difference, and showing pride in taking care of our Earth! Blue Jay Pride!
