American Education Week (AEW) was celebrated across the country from Monday, November 15, 2021, through Friday, November 19, 2021. During this time each year educational organizations celebrate public education and honor the individuals who work to ensure that every student receives a high-quality education. Aiken County Public Schools celebrated AEW on its social media platforms by highlighting outstanding members of our ACPSD family who make Aiken County Public Schools such a great place to work and serve.
Following are daily vignettes of standout ACPSD employees that were shared on the District’s social media platforms.
MONDAY: BELVEDERE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BOOKKEEPER KATIE WEAVER
It takes a number of dedicated individuals to help our schools run successfully each day.
On this first day of American Education Week, we’re celebrating Katie Weaver, Bookkeeper at Belvedere Elementary School.
Ms. Weaver has been the school’s Bookkeeper for more than three years, and her daily tasks go far beyond bookkeeping. She is one of the first people students see each morning as she stands at the front door greeting them and ensuring their morning starts off with a smile. She gives many hugs, high-fives, and words of encouragement to those who need them.
Ms. Weaver also provides coverage in classrooms as needed, she works closely with teachers to ensure they have the supplies they needed in their classrooms, and she ends her day assisting with car line to ensure all students return home safely.
Working in public education gives me an opportunity to influence young lives as well as helping develop successful young adults for the future. I love every minute of it. – Katie Weaver
TUESDAY: CLEARWATER ELEMENTARY SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER DR. DORIN DOLEAN
On this second day of American Education Week we’re celebrating Dr. Dorin Dolean, Special Education Teacher at Clearwater Elementary School, and a Research Scientist, specializing in language and literacy development.
Dr. Dolean is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Literacy Research, he presents frequently to national and international conferences, and has authored many research papers focused on the role of socio-economic status and language skills on literacy development of bilingual and monolingual children. He also authored the book Curriculum Based Measures for Monitoring the Progress of Reading Skills.
Dr. Dolean teaches students with special needs from Kindergarten through 5th grade, while continuing to research why elementary school students struggle to learn to read. His goal is to bridge the gap between academia and elementary schools by applying the latest scientific findings in the classroom.
“One of my main goals is to give all my students the reading skills they need to become independent learners before they move to middle school.” – Dr. Dorin Dolean
WEDNESDAY: WAGENER-SALLEY HIGH SCHOOL SAFETY MONITOR LEONARD BYNEM
As Aiken County Public Schools continues to celebrate American Education Week, today is Educational Support Professionals Day, and we’re celebrating Leonard Bynem, who serves as the Safety Monitor at Wagener-Salley High School.
As a lifelong resident and Wagener-Salley High alumnus, Mr. Bynem is pleased to serve students and families in his hometown. His service at Wagener-Salley High School began in 2017 to help ensure safety on campus. As a safety monitor he makes sure students get to class safely and without distraction. He also serves as a mediator between students who may have differences of opinion, helping them navigate the situation successfully.
Mr. Bynem also serves as the school’s Wrestling coach, although many students who are not on the wrestling team also see him as their coach because he builds positive relationships with students, teaching life skills and helping guide them to academic and personal success. He is often seen speaking with students about the real world, telling them what their future employers will expect so they will be prepared to contribute as community citizens when they graduate.
Mr. Bynem says much of what he teaches students at school he learned at home from his father.
“My dad taught us to love hard. Discipline happens, that’s a part of it. But it’s a lot easier when you love hard. Students embrace all of that. They see you disciplining them, but it’s much easier because they know we care for them and they know that’s why we’re doing it.” – Mr. Bynem
THURSDAY: REDCLIFFE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOOD SERVICE MANAGER CHERYL MONTALBANO
Today we’re celebrating School Food Service Manager Cheryl Montalbano at Redcliffe Elementary School.
Mrs. Montalbano has spent the last 15 years of her 30-year career nurturing the students of Redcliffe Elementary through nutrition.
She arrives at school by 5:15 a.m. each day to prepare the kitchen for her staff to begin their day. She is responsible for making sure all 500 students get breakfast and lunch in addition to making snacks for the students who attend QuestZone, the afterschool program.
Together with her staff they package and deliver meals to each classroom. Mrs. Montalbano says it is a joy to be one of the first people that students see in the morning as she offers up a friendly smile with each meal served. Serving children with a hot meal in the morning also assists in their learning. Mrs. Montalbano said a child’s brain will not function correctly without proper nutrition, so ensuring students are fed helps prepare them to be at their best in the classroom.
While working short staffed for nearly the entire school year, Mrs. Montalbano credits her staff for stepping up to the plate and working extremely hard to ensure all students receive their meals no matter what.
“We’re passionate about feeding children. If they don’t have a nutritious breakfast that can set the tone for the whole day. And these children are always so grateful, always saying thank you to us.” – Cheryl Montalbano
FRIDAY: NORTH AIKEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LONG-TERM SUBSTITUTE TEACHER SANDRA KOREY
As we wrap up American Education Week today, Substitute Educators Day, we are celebrating our Substitute Teachers.
Sandra Korey is a long-term substitute teacher at North Aiken Elementary School. She began substitute teaching in 1991 and was later hired as a teacher serving a number of Aiken County Public Schools, including Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle, Kennedy Middle, LBC Middle, and Aiken High. She retired from Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle School, but her heart remained in the classroom and since her retirement she has been filling in as a substitute wherever she is needed.
She loves interacting with students, helping them learn new things and watching them grow throughout the school year. Ms. Korey said it is important for substitute teachers to be flexible and supportive of teachers. Long-term substitute teaching allows her to really get to know each student and form a lasting bond.
“It’s all about building relationships because each student has their own needs. The trick is learning more about your students and how they communicate.” – Sandra Korey
If you are interested in becoming a substitute teacher in our school district, please reach out to recruiter Josh Pryor at (803) 630-5032 or email jpryor@acpsd.net for more information.
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LINK TO DISTRICT PRESS RELEASE: 2021 PR DISTRICT CELEBRATES AEW