Moss Hill Elementary School three-peated in the annual LCPS Elementary Battle of the Books, earning its third consecutive win and its fourth in five contests in the 2024 competition held
By Patrick Holmes
Lenoir County Public Schools
Two first-year coaches and a team of fifth graders competing in its first LCPS Elementary Battle of the Books brought home the first-place prize for La Grange Elementary School for the first time since 2014.
The La Grange team – Annaliese Miller, Abby Martin, Alisson Rios, Lilly Johnson, Easton Vinson and Kelsie Stroud – dominated much of the round-robin competition to top second-place Moss Hill Elementary 158-143. Northwest Elementary finished third with 123 points; Pink Hill Elementary, with 117 points; and Banks Elementary, with 103 points.
Teams from all nine LCPS elementary schools took part in the April 16 competition, held at Kinston High School under physically distance conditions after last year’s Battle of the Books was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
WoodmenLife awards Pink Hill Elementary in patriotic contest
WoodmenLife recently named Pink Hill Elementary the third place winner of $1,000 of it America Is… video contest. The contest is geared toward elementary students to get them interested in history, their community, and patriotism. Students across the country created original 60-second videos showing why they think America Is Beautiful. The winners were decided by voting on the WoodmenLife Facebook page, and more than 2,500 votes were cast.
Phi Kappa Phi inducts new members
The following area students were recently initiated into Phi Kappa Phi, the nation s oldest collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines: East Carolina University: Natalie Kennedy of Atlantic Beach; Tim Davis, Peyton Shepard, both of Jacksonville; Jeffrey Foley of Maysville; Auston Melville of Morehead City; Megan Brown of Richlands; Nicholas Gillmore of Sneads Ferry. University of North Carolina at Charlotte: Madison Snyde
Three LCPS teachers finalist for district Teacher of the Year
By Patrick Holmes
Lenoir County Public Schools
Three young women who put their hearts into teaching Lenoir County Public Schools’ youngest students have surfaced as finalists for the district honor of 2021-2022 Teacher of the Year.
Selection of Shalona Newkirk of Northwest Elementary School, Heather Sloan of Banks Elementary School and Darylanne Towery of Contentnea-Savannah K-8 School was announced Wednesday afternoon after a panel of judges had completed virtual interviews with 18 nominees – each school’s choice as Teacher of the Year for 2021-2022.
“Let me say you are all winners,” district human resources director Pam Health, who directs the Teacher of the Year program, told nominees gathered virtually for the announcement of finalists. “It was so hard to narrow down. There are only three slots and every one of you deserves one of those three slots. You made us so proud.”