Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle/High School was the talk of the town recently in Myrtle Beach.
During the annual South Carolina Division of Career Development and Transition Awards ceremony in late October the school was represented in superb fashion as former RS-M student Damien Dennis, and current teachers Tiffany and Joey Middlebrooks claimed three of the event’s top awards, including Outstanding Student of the Year, Outstanding Regular Educator of the Year and Special Educator of the Year for the state of South Carolina.
“We are so proud of these awards, but we are even more proud of the high-quality personal relationships and connections we have with each and every one of our honorees,” stated Cassie Cagle, Director of Special Programs for Aiken County Public Schools. “Individually, they are simply amazing people, but as a group, their exceptionalism is just off the charts. They are so deserving of these honors.”
“Damien is quite a young man. He’s a very special person at our school and it’s been great watching him grow as he has taken full advantage of the opportunities presented to him over the last couple of years,” commented Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle/High Principal Kyle Blankenship. “Then you have Joey and Tiffany Middlebrooks, who are really the ultimate power couple. They are a tremendous team and are involved in nearly every aspect of life at our school. It would probably take six people, and maybe more, to replace all that they do for us.”
Let’s take a closer look at our Aiken County Public School District honorees.
OUTSTANDING STUDENT OF THE YEAR – DAMIEN DENNIS
Not all that long ago, during the summer of 2014, Damien Dennis was sitting on his couch at home with no set direction for his life.
He was 19 years-old, and all of his peers had left Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle/High School for work, college or the military. Damien could have remained in school until the age of 21, but he had no interest in that. He was done with school. However, a terrific thing happened when, a year later, Damien’s former elementary school teacher stopped by and changed everything. Through lengthy conversations with RS-M teacher Joey Middlebrooks, Damien learned more about new opportunities which were still available to him if he chose to return to school to continue building his skills “toolbox” and form a more solid foundation for the future. Mr. Middlebrooks told Damien that he could be an active member of the school’s CDOC classroom and advance his job readiness skills so that he could look to the future with confidence.
Damien was hooked. He returned to school rejuvenated, and with a newfound thirst for knowledge and direction. While in the classroom, Damien worked on completing applications, resumes, and perfecting his interviewing skills, and did he ever do that!
Through the mentoring of Joey and Tiffany Middlebrooks (and other supporters on campus), Damien began to make great strides – huge strides.
He actively participated in Health Science class where he gained knowledge in taking blood pressure, stripping and making beds for patients, proper folding of laundry, feeding patients, and learning to transport individuals with physical disabilities. Through this class, he was afforded the opportunity to participate in HOSA’s Fall Leadership Conference at Newberry College. While there, he became interested in the competitive events offered by HOSA. With support from his Health Science Teacher and CDOC Teacher, Damien participated in the “Interview Skills” competition at HOSA’s State Leadership Conference in March. Damien finished 1st in “Interview Skills” and qualified to represent South Carolina in June at HOSA’s International Leadership Conference.
Not only did Damien work on his interview skills, he accrued hours of hands-on job training at Generations (Assisted Living). He was responsible for a wing at Generations. While at work he vacuumed the hallways, prepared table settings, laundered patient bedding, and provided patient assistance for minor issues. Prior to leaving high school, Damien applied for employment at Generations, Dollar General, and Aiken County Public School District. Damien was hired by Aiken County Public Schools as a custodian on September 16, 2016.
Now, Damien has developed into something of a legendary figure around the small communities of Ridge Spring and Monetta.
“Damien is really kind of an icon right now,” Principal Kyle Blankenship added. “He has done so many things around the school and he enjoys being able to serve others. He still helps us out with football games and has just emerged as a well-rounded young man.”
As a result of the efforts of the Middlebrooks, the dedication of the RS-M staff, and a lot of hard work and effort, Damien Dennis is poised for success.
“My job is going very well. It was tough in the beginning, but I got through it and I just want to thank everyone for working with me and being so nice to me,” Damien said following Wednesday’s awards presentation. “This award was such a surprise and I just really appreciate it. I would like to say thank you to Aiken County Superintendent Dr. Sean Alford and Director of Special Programs, Ms. Cassie Cagle for helping me to be a part of Aiken County Public Schools.”
SPECIAL EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR & OUTSTANDING REGULAR EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR
When trying to assess and place a value on the effort and skills the husband and wife Super Team of Joey and Tiffany Middlebrooks bring to bear at Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle/High School, it might just be easier to look for those areas at the school they don’t influence.
Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle/High Principal Kyle Blankenship says you won’t find many.
“They really embody and place on full display what it truly means to live and work as a team,” Blankenship added. “They serve as models for our students when you think about wanting them to be good, responsible members of the community who best leverage the resources we have for the greatest impact on our students. They are dynamic, and I’m just proud to serve as their principal.”
At the close of the 2014-2015 school year, Joey Middlebrooks made the move from Elementary Special Education Teacher to High School Special Education Teacher. Many of the students he had taught in elementary school were his students once again. While some teachers might be apprehensive in sharing a classroom with students they had taught previously, this was certainly not the case for Mr. Middlebrooks.
Mr. Middlebrooks entered Ridge Spring-Monetta High School with a clear objective – he would work to help each of his students become independent. To do that, he created a safe, nurturing classroom setting. He showed students how they each had unique abilities, and encouraged them to be active members of the RS-M student body and community. Working with the Health Science instructor, Mr. Middlebrooks designed a class specifically for CDOC (Career Development and Occupational Credential) students.
Some of his students also were involved in the HOSA organization already connected with the Health Science class. Through his guidance, CDOC students served as class representatives on the Homecoming Court, as Ag Science class members, and as FFA participants. On campus, his students cleaned and maintained athletic fields, worked in the cafeteria, shadowed and assisted the custodial staff, supervised the RS-M campus recycling program and created and maintained a school-based program of painting birdhouses. None of these engaging activities would have even been considered without Mr. Middlebrooks’ encouragement.
Outside of school, Mr. Middlebrooks met with community partners to foster relationships that would support Community-based Instruction for his students. Generations (an Assisted Living Facility), Ridge Poultry, and Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church all became active community businesses that welcomed Mr. Middlebrooks’ students and partnered with him in developing their work readiness skills and served as additional adult references for the students.
In addition to work readiness skills, Mr. Middlebrooks worked to guide students as they surged toward independence by providing them with the opportunity to obtain state issued identifications and register to vote. Throughout the school year, Mr. Middlebrooks also set up outings for the students in and out of the community to allow them to see how businesses run from behind the scenes. During the year, Mr. Middlebrooks guided an intern in her efforts to complete her degree, but also used the opportunity as a learning experience for his students in chaperoning them as they attended her college graduation and a celebratory dinner.
Additionally, the one-on-one mentoring Mr. Middlebrooks committed to outside of class with another of his former students, Damien Dennis, was crucial in altering the direction and trajectory of Damien’s life and future prospects. Mr. Middlebrooks says he looks forward to the future impact of the CDOC program at RS-M, as even more students grow and begin to prosper.
“I am happy to win this award. However, I am more excited to see the impact the CDOC program will have, not only in Damien's life, but also in the lives of other students who are coming through our transition program,” commented Joey Middlebrooks.
Meanwhile, just down the hallway at Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle/High School, Health Science/Sports Medicine Instructor Tiffany Middlebrooks was also broadening the horizons of students with special needs.
Mrs. Middlebrooks has gone above and beyond to include students with disabilities in her classes and in the school’s HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) organization, for which she serves as the advisor. During the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years, Middlebrooks devoted an entire Health Science class period to students in the CDOC (Career Development Occupational Credential) class. These students were taught general health care skills which included taking blood pressure, using gloves, stripping and making beds for patients, the proper folding of clothing, feeding of patients, and knowledge of transporting individuals with physical disabilities. Students participated by taking notes and preparing for assessments, while being given the opportunity to ask questions in a secure environment.
Mrs. Middlebrooks encouraged students to be active participants, and to look for opportunities to make their classrooms and community better.
During the 2015-2016 school year, CDOC student Damien Dennis was an active member of HOSA. Damien used the skills he obtained in the Health Science class with Mrs. Middlebrooks while working in a Community-based Instruction placement at Generations (a local assisted living facility). She encouraged and supported Damien’s work at Generations and helped bolster the interviewing skills he was perfecting in the classroom. With Mrs. Middlebrooks’ support, Damien attended HOSA’s Fall Leadership Conference at Newberry College in November 2015, and chose to participate in the “Interview Skills” competition at HOSA’s State Leadership Conference in March of 2016. Through Mrs. Middlebrooks’ support, Damien not only participated in the “Interview Skills” competition, but he placed first and qualified to represent South Carolina in June at the HOSA International Leadership Conference.
Damien has used the skills he acquired in Health Science, his CDOC class, and through his participation with HOSA to attain employment with Aiken County Public Schools as a custodian.
“My job is to help students focus on a career in health care. I have been trying for several years to find a way to include transition students in my program because I know there are jobs out there in which they can grow and excel,” stated Tiffany Middlebrooks. “It is nice to finally see it all come together. I can't wait to see where things go!”
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Link to District Press Release: 2016 PR RSM SCDCDT AWARDS