Central Office Update

Jefferson County Schools is proud to announce its Teachers of the Year for the 2024-2025 school year, recognizing three exceptional educators who have gone above and beyond to foster student success, growth, and community engagement. These educators have demonstrated outstanding dedication to their students, schools, and the broader Jefferson County community.

Leslie Vines, a 13-year veteran of the classroom, is this year’s K-4 Teacher of the Year. Vines teaches English as a Second Language (ESL) at Jefferson Elementary, where her commitment to student achievement, growth, and engagement has made a lasting impact.

Vines measures her success by her students' progress, noting that her approach is centered on collaboration and creating an inclusive learning environment. She was instrumental in developing a co-teaching model with fifth-grade ELA teacher Kelly Calzadilla, a transformative partnership that has improved both student learning and teacher effectiveness. Together, they work seamlessly to share responsibilities, set clear expectations, and ensure that every student receives the support they need. While Ms. Calzadilla leads whole-group instruction, Vines provides real-time modifications, scaffolding, and feedback to support students who need additional help.

Beyond the classroom, Vines goes above and beyond to support her students and their families. She has helped numerous families access free healthcare, dental, and eye care services, even going as far as accompanying them to appointments to provide translation services. Vines has also helped secure medical equipment like crutches and braces, as well as veterinary services for pets in need. Her compassion and dedication to her students’ well-being make her an invaluable asset to Jefferson Elementary.

Pam Oakes, a 5th-grade science and social studies teacher at Piedmont Elementary, has been with Jefferson County Schools for 18 years. In recent years, she has focused her efforts on improving student achievement, student growth, and refining her own teaching methods. Her hard work has paid off, as evidenced by her remarkable TVAAS (Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System) growth index of 4.97, compared to the district’s growth index of 0.35. Her 5th-grade science students achieved an outstanding 97th percentile ranking among Tennessee’s tested students.

Oakes attributes her success to a data-driven approach to teaching, using student performance data to tailor her instruction to meet the individual needs of her students. Her dedication to professional growth and her ability to inspire her students are also key factors in her success.

One of Oakes’ most beloved contributions to Piedmont Elementary is the annual Senior Walk. This heartwarming tradition brings recent graduates back to their elementary school to walk the hallways they once roamed, cheered on by current students. Oakes plays a key role in making the Senior Walk a special occasion by organizing a breakfast for graduates, decorating the school, and preparing music for the event. The celebration has grown year after year, becoming a cherished community event that strengthens the bond between past and present students.

Lani O’Connor, a 14-year veteran educator, is this year’s 9-12 Teacher of the Year. O’Connor teaches service learning at Jefferson County High School, where she has made an immense impact on her students and the local community. O’Connor is known for using community feedback from service partners to continuously evaluate and improve her performance, ensuring that her students gain valuable real-world experience while strengthening their soft skills.

Under O’Connor’s leadership, her service-learning students have contributed more than 8,000 hours of service to nonprofits in Jefferson County. Whether it’s helping at after-hour events, raising funds for teacher grants, or organizing community initiatives, O'Connor's students are actively involved in making their community a better place.

One of O’Connor’s longest-running and most cherished projects is the Senior Citizen Prom, which she started in 2016 after learning about the loneliness some elderly residents experience. Partnering with local senior citizen centers, O’Connor’s students organize the event, preparing food, music, decorations, and advertisements. The first prom attracted over 80 seniors, and since then, it has grown to consistently host over 100 attendees. The event is now a collaborative effort, with support from culinary classes, the LEO Club, the criminal justice program, and others. The Senior Citizen Prom has become a beloved tradition in the community, and O’Connor’s students continue to take the lead in organizing it each year.

These three educators—Leslie Vines, Pam Oakes, and Lani O’Connor—along with each building level teacher of the year, represent the very best of Jefferson County Schools. Building level teachers of the year are listed below. Their commitment to student success, community engagement, and professional excellence serves as an inspiration to their colleagues and the entire school district. Congratulations to all of them for their well-deserved recognition!

• Dandridge Elementary - Catelyn Gantte - 1st Grade
• Jefferson Academy - Barbara Hutchens - Special Education
• Jefferson County High School Finalist - Lani O'Connor - Service Learning
• Jefferson County High School Finalist - Allison Bellissimo - Math
• Jefferson County High School Finalist - Brandon Tuggle - Biology & Chemistry
• Jefferson County High School Finalist - Stephen Strange - CTE Teacher
• Jefferson Elementary - Leslie Vines - ESL
• Jefferson Middle School - Laura Cummings - Music
• Mt. Horeb Elementary - Chasity Kiestler - Kindergarten
• Maury Middle School - Dakota Brewer - 7th Grade Social Studies
• New Market Elementary - Chelsey Key - 5th Grade ELA
• Piedmont Elementary - Pam Oakes - 5th Grade Science & Social Studies
• Rush Strong School K-4 - Mary Morris - 4th Grade ELA
• Rush Strong 5-8 - Andrea Towery - 5th Grade Math
• Talbott Elementary - Bailey Walker - Kindergarten
• White Pine School K-4 - Jessica Churchwell - 1st Grade
• White Pine School 5-8 - Jackie Collins - 8th Grade Social Studies

Second grade students in Jefferson County Schools recently participated in the “On Board with Reading” project. The JCS Literacy Learning Lab, a converted bus with books and science activities, visited each elementary school. Students selected a book to take home, aiming to promote reading, engage families, and build home libraries.

Kristi Waltke, the district's Elementary Supervisor, emphasized that being ON BOARD with READING means enjoying and getting excited about reading, which helps students improve their skills. She highlighted the importance of connecting with families to support literacy.

Students were encouraged to read their books at home and could earn a reading pin by sharing pictures or notes with their teachers. Teachers, like Kay Scholler and Casey Green, noticed the positive impact as students eagerly read and shared their books with their families. The project has fostered a love for reading and strengthened family connections.

Pictured above is Charlotte Seal from Mrs. Gladwin's class at New Market Elementary. Charlotte enjoyed reading her book to her dog Stella.

Jefferson County schools hosted a series of heartfelt events to honor veterans for their service. The programs, which spanned from November 4 to November 12, brought students, families, and community members together to celebrate the contributions of local heroes.

Quilts of Valor were presented to veterans during presentations at all schools.

Jefferson County High School kicked off the week with A Salute to Tennessee's Fallen, where students and the public viewed an impactful display honoring the state’s fallen soldiers. On November 12, the school also held its Night of Patriots, featuring a dinner and student performances dedicated to veterans.

At Dandridge Elementary, veterans enjoyed a breakfast followed by a musical program with chorus, band, and dance performances. Piedmont Elementary hosted a special Veteran’s Day Program where local veterans were celebrated through the students' version of Portraits of Courage. This project included student artwork and biographies of local veterans that were made into a book.

Other schools, including Jefferson Elementary, Jefferson Middle, Maury Middle, and Mt. Horeb Elementary, held moving ceremonies with music, speeches, and presentations. Rush Strong School held a Veterans Day parade through Strawberry Plains, while Talbott Elementary offered a breakfast and program for local veterans.

In White Pine, students presented a program and reception for veterans in the community, and New Market Elementary welcomed veterans to a public program. Click here to view highlights of New Market's program.

These events, rich with patriotic spirit, provided the community with meaningful ways to honor and thank our veterans for their sacrifices.

Jefferson County High School recently celebrated seniors who improved their ACT scores by at least 2 points with prizes. The initiative aimed to motivate students to take the test seriously and make strides in their academic performance.

Students who raised their scores by 2 or more points were eligible for prizes, while all participants in the retake were entered into a drawing for additional rewards. Principal Randy Rogers emphasized that the program wasn’t just about high scores but about celebrating personal growth.

“We wanted students to feel supported and motivated to improve, regardless of where they started,” said Rogers. “The goal was to recognize effort and progress.”

Prizes included a 50-inch television, tools, a microwave, a bike, AirPods, prom tickets, and other items that would be useful to students as they leave high school and enter the workforce, college, training programs, or the military. In all, 40 students received prizes.

Coach Adam Shockley, a Dandridge Elementary School P.E. Teacher won $200 in classroom equipment for having the most school families attend the fall semester's Fun Health Fair. Thank you Coach Shockley for your dedication to good health. Also, thanks to all who attended the 2024 Family Fun Fair!

It's tradition for school cafeterias to serve a Thanksgiving meal with turkey and the fixings on the Thursday before Thanksgiving each November.

The hard-working Dandridge Elementary cafeteria staff is pictured to the right. Pictured below are the hard-working cafeteria staff at New Market Elementary and some of the visitors who joined for the meal. The gymnasium at Mt. Horeb is also pictured below where over 900 meals were served on November 21, 2024.

Thank you for all of your hard work to provide the delicious meal, JCS cafeteria staff!

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One of the students learning to take vital signs last week in Stacey Morgan’s CTE class at Jefferson Middle School might be taking care of you five years from now at Jefferson Memorial Hospital.

Thursday’s activity may have piqued the student’s interest in nursing or another health-related field and a well-paying job serving the healthcare needs of local residents.

Such is the benefit of Jefferson County Schools’ still-new middle school Career Technical Education (CTE) program, now in its second year at Jefferson, Maury, White Pine, and Rush Strong.

The program is designed as an introduction to Jefferson County High’s extensive CTE program, which offers numerous career pathways for students who may or may not be going on to college. It involves sixth, seventh, and eighth graders in hands-on activities that will help them more quickly decide on a direction of study once they reach JCHS.

And it doesn’t hurt that JMS students enjoy the different styles of learning. During Thursday's health-related session in Morgan's class, he interjected important facts while students took each other’s temperature, checked their pulse – both before and after several sets of jumping jacks – and calculated breaths per minute based on a 15-second sample. The room was filled with smiles, energy … and learning.

“They want to hurry up and get through the talking part,” said Beau Ford, who teaches the mechanical side of the program. “A lot of them learn better [by] doing, and you can talk to them while they’re doing.”

Ford and Morgan are the JMS CTE team. While Ford handles mechanical pathways – welding, agriculture, construction, transportation and similar skills – Morgan focuses on life pathways … topics like health science, criminal justice, agriculture, culinary and cosmetology. “We don’t go into deep detail on anything, but we introduce them to a whole bunch of stuff pretty quick,” said Morgan.

“We get as many activities as we can going, and get them interested in different aspects of the careers.”

“The goal for middle school classes is to make sure students know all their options before high school registration,” said Missy Hayes, Jefferson County CTE Supervisor. “Students should be aware of what is covered in each program and be aware of all Early Post Secondary opportunities like dual enrollment, advanced placement and industry certifications.”

Click on this link to access the December 2024 Patriot Preview.