The top students and teachers of the Commerce, Jefferson and Jackson County school systems took center stage Monday evening as the Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce held its annual STAR Student/Teacher, Teacher of the Year reception.
The event, at the Commerce campus of Lanier Technical College, recognized four STAR students and their STAR teachers and 21 teachers of the year – one from each school in the county.
STAR students are those who earn the highest score on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT). STAR teachers are selected by the STAR students.
STARs recognized include:
•Commerce High School: Tirth Devang Shah, STAR student. His STAR teacher is science teacher Matthew M. Dahlke.
•East Jackson Comprehensive High School: Jill Edmondson, STAR student. She chose Denise Backus, a social studies teacher, as her STAR teacher.
•Jackson County Comprehensive High School: Elizabeth Johnson, STAR student. She chose Cary Lepzelter as her STAR teacher.
•Jefferson High School: Jennifer Ringo, STAR student. She named Kristopher Plummer, band director, as her STAR teacher.
Each STAR received three gift cards and, a resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives and a resolution from PAGE.
Teachers Of The Year
The following teachers of the year were recognized:
Commerce School System
•Commerce Primary School: Robbin Brown
•Commerce Elementary School and system teacher of the year: Susan Redmon
•Commerce Middle School: Carolee Jones
•Commerce High School: Walt Massey
Jackson County School System
•West Jackson Primary School and system teacher of the year: Diane Mergele
•Benton Elementary School: Melissa Kirk
•East Jackson Elementary School: Tammy Standridge
•Gum Springs Elementary School: Alice Lyle
•Maysville Elementary School: Aimee Vickers
•North Jackson Elementary School: Stacy Cantrell
•South Jackson Elementary School: Samantha Barrett
•West Jackson Intermediate School: Chris Stewart
•East Jackson Middle School: Abby Tankersley
•Kings Bridge Middle School: Robert Andrews
•West Jackson Middle School: Kristin Howell
•East Jackson Comprehensive High School: Jean Wall
•Jackson County Comprehensive High School: Scott Holtsclaw
Jefferson School System
•Jefferson Elementary School: Sandi Flint
•Jefferson Academy: Dawn Kinlaw
•Jefferson Middle School and system teacher of the year: Chris Corkery
•Jefferson High School: Hope Meredith.
Each system teacher of the year received a crystal apple and a check from Gwinnett Federal Credit Union.
