March 14, 2023
By: Dwayne Page
DeKalb County High School continued its monthly observance Monday of recognizing a teacher, student, and parent of the month.
Each received a certificate from the school and a gift card for a meal at a local restaurant.
Morgan Oyster, a first-year agriculture educator at DCHS was selected by the administration as Teacher of the Month while freshman Yoselyn Garcia is Student of the Month, voted on by the teachers. The Parent of the Month is Jennifer King and this honor was based on a winning essay written by her son Daniel Stiffler, a sophomore at DCHS.
A dream come true!
That’s how Morgan Oyster describes her new experience being a first-year agriculture teacher and Future Farmers of America Advisor at DCHS. And to also be named “Teacher of the Month” is just an extra bonus.
“I am very appreciative of this honor. Its not something I thought I would get this year because I am the newbie at DCHS but it is my home school and it was always a dream of mine to come back here. For me being teacher of the month really says a lot because I am trying to build this program back up. Its been a challenge but it really pays off when you get recognition like this. I know the full potential of the FFA program here and the ag department and I love being able to get kids the hands on experience whether it be in the greenhouse or out doing beautification things,” said Oyster.
DCHS is familiar territory for Morgan, who graduated there just seven years ago.
“I graduated from DCHS in 2016 and went to Motlow for a year since I did dual enrollment here. I finished at Motlow in one year and then went to MTSU and graduated in 2019. From there I taught at Smith County High School before coming here to DCHS”.
Morgan and her husband Coleman have a son, Sawyer Oyster who will soon be three years old.
Assistant DCHS Principal Thomas Cagle said Morgan’s passion for the ag program and her students has not gone unnoticed. “She has done a great job bringing a lot of new excitement to the program and FFA whether its teaching in the classroom or being in the greenhouse or helping with the beautification process of the school and grounds here. The kids are excited to be part of FFA and the competitions. We are very fortunate to have Morgan as part of our school family this year,” said Cagle.
Yoselyn Garcia holds the distinction of being the Student of the Month at DCHS.
A freshman, she is the daughter of Vicky Garcia and Arturo Munoz and she has an older sister, Casandra Garcia who is a senior at DCHS.
“They are great parents,” said Yoselyn. “They inspire and encourage me. Each morning my sister also urges me to do my best at school”.
“Its awesome being Student of the Month,” Yoselyn continued. It’s a big thing. This is a really good school with a lot of positivity,” she said.
Although challenging, Yoselyn said math is her favorite subject. “I excel the most in math. Its one way I like to challenge myself”.
Yoselyn said one day she would like to become an auto mechanic and maybe have her own shop to work on cars. She plans to take an auto mechanics class next year.
“Yoselyn is a great all-around student and another representation of the amazing students we have at our school and their willingness to help each other and to help others around them which is the reason she was nominated and voted on by the teachers to be the Student of the Month,” said Cagle.
Jennifer King is also deserving of the Parent of the Month honor according to Assistant Principal Cagle.
“Daniel Stiffler wrote an essay for his mother talking about the many wonderful things she has been able to do in his life to help him be successful not only in school but outside of school as well. That is the purpose of these essays is to give us more insight into the things these students and their parents are doing or going through that help make them a stronger individual here at school and then after they leave school. Daniel’s essay was a great testament to what his mother has been doing in raising him while persevering through personal struggles and how that experience has given him strength,” said Cagle
“I wanted to write this essay to express how I feel about my mom because she has been a great mother to our family. She is always there for us even though she is disabled with health issues and is in chronic pain. When I see her persevere through personal struggles, it makes me want to persevere too. She gives me strength and is the one person I can always talk to and count on in my life. She makes me happy,” said Daniel.
“It feels great knowing that Daniel feels the way he does about me and its great knowing I have been able to be there for him. I am very proud of Daniel,” said King.
King is married with a daughter and stepson along with her son Daniel.