Teachers of the Year Named

December 20, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Director of Schools Patrick Cripps has announced the 2018-2019 Teachers of the Year at the building level of the five schools in the county.

This year’s honorees are first grade teacher Vicky Hawker at Smithville Elementary School;  fifth grade teacher Cheryl Vandagriff at Northside Elementary School; Jessica Antoniak, a sixth grade math and science teacher at DeKalb West School; Justin Nokes, a seventh grade history teacher at DeKalb Middle School; and Linda Parris, a home economics teacher at DeKalb County High School.

“Our district’s Teacher of the Year program recognizes and honors outstanding teachers in DeKalb County. We applaud teachers who care about our children, who devote their professional lives to enriching the lives of DeKalb students, and who demonstrate exceptional gains in student achievement. We are not just exceptionally proud of our Teachers of the Year, but we are also grateful for all of our educators in DeKalb County,” said Director Cripps.

According to Michelle Burklow, Supervisor of Instruction, “Competition for the district-wide John Isabell Teacher of the Year award continues through February, and will be announced at DeKalb County’s Teacher of the Year Banquet in the spring. Additionally, three DeKalb County teachers will be chosen by a committee to compete at the regional level in March, and if selected they will represent DeKalb County at the state level competition.”

Teachers of the Year are selected competitively through five cycles: Building, System, Field Service Core Center Region, Grand Division and State; and from three categories (levels of teaching); Grades Pre K-4, 5-8, 9-12.

Teachers selected at each cycle receive local recognition and awards underwritten by local sources. State recognition/awards include a banquet honoring the nine State Teacher of the Year finalists and certificates of appreciation from the governor. In addition, the State Finalists and the State Teacher of the Year receive cash awards.

Dr. Kathy Bryant, Supervisor of Instruction, concludes, “The Tennessee Teacher of the Year Program is designed to promote effective teaching practices by recognizing and rewarding outstanding teachers while encouraging others to join the teaching profession.”

December 20, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Casey Midgett has joined FirstBank as a relationship manager. Midgett will be responsible for growing FirstBank’s presence in the Smithville market and strengthening existing customer relationships.

Midgett comes to FirstBank with over 20 years’ experience, having previously served as a loan officer, a financial service representative, district leader, assistant vice president and financial adviser at financial institutions in the Smithville community. He was responsible for driving branch performance and worked closely with mortgage, commercial and investment banking.

“Casey’s community ties and extensive banking background are outstanding assets for our team,” said Scott Garrett, FirstBank’s market president. “His financial knowledge and commitment to our clients will support the community’s economic growth.”

Midgett was voted Best of the Best Loan Officer in DeKalb County in 2005 and 2007. He is a graduate of Tennessee Technological University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration.

“Being from Smithville, I look forward to continuing to help our community grow and to work with the local residents and businesses in meeting their financial needs,” Midgett said. “I’m excited to join the team at FirstBank and build on the relationships I’ve fostered for the past two decades.”

Midgett currently serves as president of DeKalb County Youth Football and treasurer of DeKalb Youth Baseball and is a board member of Smithville Junior Pro Basketball. He and his wife, LeVaughnda, have three children, Luke, Reed and John.

December 20, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

In an effort to beef up security, a new key fob system has been installed at DeKalb County High School to better control access to the four buildings on campus during the school day.

The system was funded as part of $83,570 in grant money for school security awarded to the DeKalb County School District from the state.

A key fob is a keyless remote device managed by a computer program to allow entry through one automatically locked door or throughout an entire facility. If there should be a security threat at the high school administrators can punch a button to lock down doors to each building on campus.

All high school students and faculty have been assigned an electronic key fob to gain entry to the buildings while school is in session. Except for class changes, all doors to each building are kept locked during the school day. The students’ key fobs are active only from 7:45 a.m. until 3 p.m. week days and from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. for the faculty. Administrators may use their key fobs at all times.

Visitors to DCHS, like the other four schools in the county, don’t have access to a key fob. Upon arrival they punch a button to alert the office of their presence. The door is unlocked and they are allowed to enter. Once inside, visitors must sign in. Unlike the other schools, DCHS poses more security challenges because there are so many other ways to gain entry by way of the vocational and agriculture/band room buildings in addition to the main entrance.

“This building is so wide open with so many entrances in and out we needed to find some way we could still flow our students in between classes but also make sure the buildings are locked down and secure throughout the day,” said Director of Schools Patrick Cripps.

Earl Jared and Aaron Young of the School System’s maintenance department are credited for coming up with the key fob idea for addressing the concerns.

“Earl and Aaron took the bull by the horns and came up with this option for this school. After we wrote the grant we had other systems contact us because they liked what we were putting in place,” said Director Cripps.

When students arrive for school each morning, the school doors are open. The students gather in the cafeteria and wait for the bell signaling them to  go to their first class.  Once they are in the classrooms, the entrance doors to all buildings are locked.

“The key fobs allow the students to go from building to building throughout the day other than class changes with the doors locks. For example if a student in the vocational building needs to come to the main building for something they can access it with their key fob to enter the main building. During class changes the doors automatically unlock so all the kids can go unhindered to their next class but when that class change is over, the doors lock back down. Ideally if a student is on time to all their classes and they are where they are supposed to be they will never have to use their key fob unless we call them to the office from another building. They can go through the day without ever having to use it,” said DCHS Principal Randy Jennings.

Because the key fobs are programmed by computer, each students access can be limited to only the buildings they need to enter during the day and their use of the key fobs can be tracked through the system.

In addition to the key fob entry system at the high school, grant money has been used to purchase more surveillance cameras at all schools to monitor activity inside and outside the buildings; school staff are being provided with more walkie talkies for better communication; and safety sphere bollards will be placed near entrances to the elementary schools as barriers to prevent anyone from using an automobile to crash into the front of the buildings.

These security and safety needs of the school system were identified by a team assigned to make those assessments as a requirement for obtaining the grant.

Participating in those assessments locally were Director Patrick Cripps, Federal Programs Supervisor Dr. Danielle Collins, Attendance Supervisor Joey Reeder, Smithville Police Chief Mark Collins, Sheriff Patrick Ray, Smithville Fire Chief and Emergency Management Agency Director Charlie Parker, Alexandria Police Chief Chris Russell, and Earl Jared and Aaron Young of the District’s Maintenance Department.

Governor Bill Haslam announced earlier this year that all 147 school districts in Tennessee including DeKalb County had completed a first-ever statewide assessment of school facilities and safety procedures.

Haslam and Commissioner of Education Candice McQueen said that those schools will now receive allocations from a $35 million fund for school security based on those assessments. All schools in the state were eligible to apply for two grants from the school security funding.