By Matt de Simone
The Botetourt County School Board held the monthly student and staff recognitions last Thursday in Fincastle.
This month, the School Board highlighted the efforts of students from the Botetourt Technical Education Center who recently won state championships in the recent SkillsUSA competition held in Virginia Beach from April 19-21. SkillsUSA is the number one workforce development organization for students. It empowers students to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders and responsible community members.
The board recognized winners of the Virginia Board of Education 2024 Highest Achievement Exemplar Award. This award recognizes schools that exceed board-established performance requirements. There are only 37 schools in the state that earn the Board of Education’s highest achievement award. Three of those 37 schools that received the honor are right here in Botetourt County. Breckinridge, Buchanan, and Eagle Rock elementary schools were recognized by the Virginia Board of Education as recent recipients.
“This recognition is a testament to the hard work and tireless efforts the educators and staff, students, families, and communities make every single day,” Superintendent Dr. Jonathan Russ said during the recognition. “They should be proud of all they have achieved.”
These awards are based on performance and practices during the 2022-2023 (and prior) school years. This recognition is one of the highest achievements any Virginia school can receive. School principals Wyatt Turner (Breckinridge), Debbie Garrett (Buchanan), and Kara Halsey (Eagle Rock) accepted the certificates from the board.
Photos courtesy of BCPS
The School Board announced the April Employees of the Month, Buchanan Elementary School Head Custodian Holly Curran and Lord Botetourt High School Health & Physical Education teacher Cheryl Shockley.
In other student recognitions, BTEC students Evan Myers (plumbing), Emerich Jameson (Teamworks), Dawson McCallister (Teamworks), Hunter Ferguson (Teamworks), and Cameron LeBlanc (Teamworks) each received certificates of recognition from the board. Teacher Phillip Simmons was also recognized by the board for serving as a student advisor and sponsor.
Two Lord Botetourt High students, Samantha Shields (portfolio) and Isabella Sanchez (sculpture), recently received a “Gold Key” at the 2024 Scholastic Art Awards and were given recognition for receiving the highest honor for students participating in the program.
Read Mountain Middle School (RMMS) students who recently competed in the annual Stock Market Game were also recognized by the School Board. The game is a comprehensive economics and personal finance educational program for grades 4-12. Small student teams comprised of two to four in number compete for awards by investing $100,000 in an online, virtual portfolio. The adult advisor registers the student teams who are then provided access to their team’s individual online investment portfolio. Students research and apply their investment ideas in a real-world environment.
RMMS students Maddox Harrell, Oliver Greene, Jared Atwell, and Morgan Keleher won “First Place – Middle School” in the region and received certificates from the board. Student advisor and RMMS Gifted Resources teacher Daryl Hylton also received a special thanks and recognition.
Several dual-enrollment students from Lord Botetourt and James River high schools graduating in 2024 have recently earned an associate’s degree and/or the uniform certificate of General Studies from Mountain Gateway Community College or Virginia Western Community College along with their high school diplomas at next week’s respective graduation ceremonies. Those students recognized during last Thursday’s meeting were:
James River
- Silas Miller, AS Science degree and Uniform Certificate of General Studies (MGCC)
- Zachary Vernon, AS Science degree and Uniform Certificate of General Studies (MGCC)
- Braylin Snider, Uniform Certificate of General Studies (MGCC)
- Makayla Petty, Uniform Certificate of General Studies (MGCC)
- Paul Theimer, Uniform Certificate of General Studies (MGCC)
- Sara McFadyen, Uniform Certificate of General Studies (MGCC)
- Sloane Stephenson, Uniform Certificate of General Studies (VWCC)
Lord Botetourt
- Isabella Antivero, AS Health Sciences degree and Uniform Certificate of General Studies (VWCC)
- Allison Argabright, AS Health Sciences degree and Uniform Certificate of General Studies (VWCC)
- Daniel Bowling, Uniform Certificate of General Studies (VWCC)
