By Matt de Simone
The Botetourt County School Board met last Thursday in Fincastle for its November meeting. The board was happy to present a group of recognitions for Botetourt County Public Schools (BCPS) staff achievements.
Eagle Rock Elementary School was recently announced as a recipient of the Virginia Department of Education’s (VDOE) Highest Achievement Exemplar Performance Award for the 2023-24 schoolyear. For this particular award year, 92 schools met the criteria for the Highest Achievement Award.
“Recognition is this program is one of the highest achievements a school can receive in the Commonwealth,” BCPS Superintendent Dr. Jonathan Russ shared during Eagle Rock Elementary’s recognition. “This recognition is a testament to the hard work and tireless efforts the educators, staff, students, and families make every single day.”
According to the Virginia Department of Education, Eagle Rock met state benchmarks in reading, math and science based on the current year pass rate on state assessments (not including growth or English Learner progress). Additionally, the school demonstrates a current year chronic absenteeism rate of 15 percent or lower.
Virginia schools are identified for exemplar performance under the VDOE’s authority prescribed in the Regulations Establishing the Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia.
The regulations state that schools and divisions shall be recognized by the board in accordance with guidelines the board shall establish for the Exemplar School Recognition Program to recognize schools or school divisions that exceed board-established requirements or show continuous improvement on academic and school quality indicators and schools, school divisions, and school boards that implement effective, innovative practices. Such recognition may include:
- Public announcements recognizing individual schools and divisions
- Tangible rewards
- Waivers of certain board regulations
- Exemptions from certain reporting requirements
- Other commendations deemed appropriate to recognize high achievement
In addition to board recognition, local school boards adopt policies to recognize individual schools through public announcements, media releases, and participation in community activities when setting policy relating to schools and budget development, as well as other appropriate recognition.
Botetourt Kiwanis Club member and former BCPS educator Lynne Bolton presented Botetourt Technical Education Center (BTEC) teacher Nathaniel Kingery with the Kiwanis Educator of the Year Award.
Kingery is an auto body instructor who joined BTEC following a visit to fix some equipment for the school before becoming an teacher there. Bolton shared that Kingery “encourage(es) the students, providing (students with) an excellent role model… He is a teacher that knows exactly what it’s like in the world of auto body and similar careers.”
This award is presented annually by the Kiwanis Club of Botetourt and is in memory of Jim Bushong, a long-time BCPS educator. The award is chosen by faculty and staff from BCPS schools.
BCPS also announced its Employees of the Month of October. The board recognized teachers Heidi Cornejo, an instructional assistant at Cloverdale Elementary School, and Caitlin Pannell, a science teacher at Lord Botetourt High School.
Photos courtesy of BCPS
“Heidi is so kind, loving, and gentle to her students,” Russ read from Cornejo’s nomination letter. “She treats them with so much kindness and is very supportive. She works very hard to connect with her one-on-one students and it is truly evident. I’ve never seen someone pour their heart and soul into their job like she does every day.”
Pannell was recently highlighted for her work in getting a NASA “Moon Tree” at Lord Botetourt. Russ read from her nomination that Pannell “is an excellent teacher dedicated to creative learning experiences for her students in Biology and Earth Science. She is also the senior class sponsor and, this year, she applied for a Moon Tree, and planned for a week of activities to celebrate the planting of the tree at Lord Botetourt.”
Lord Botetourt recently congratulated Pannell on social media sharing, “Whether she’s going above and beyond to bring a moon tree to LBHS or helping a student find a passion for science, she makes a difference in the school community contributing to the overall success of BCPS. Mrs. Pannell’s commitment and passion for her craft doesn’t go unnoticed.”
