GREENSBORO, N.C. — Guilford County Schools has named a new Teacher and Principal of the Year at an awards ceremony on Wednesday.
Jeffrey Silverthorne, from Western High School, received the highest honors for a teacher. Silverthorne won an additional award for High School Teacher of the Year.
“My approach involves forging strong partnerships with local businesses to create internship opportunities that are directly aligned with the workforce needs of our community,” Silverthorne said. “This initiative not only supports local economic growth by providing companies with career-ready individuals but also enriches students' educational journeys with practical, hands-on experiences in their fields of interest."
Jonathan Brooks, from Bessemer Elementary School, was awarded Principal of the Year.
"As a leader, I ask for each committee or PLC in our school to complete a quarterly Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, or Threats (SWOT) analysis," Brooks said. "From our cafeteria staff, custodial staff, EC department, or PreK team, all areas of the school evaluate our operations quarterly to ensure that individual efforts contribute to our collective goals as a school community."
GCS held its annual Celebration of Excellence at the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Greensboro. Teachers and staff from across the school district were recognized for their outstanding contributions at the ceremony.
Silverthorne and Brooks both received $1,500 and will represent GCS in regional and state competitions.
Other awards given out included Counselor of the Year, Social Worker of the Year, and recognition for the district's Rookie Teachers and Mentors. At the ceremony, 22 GCS schools were recognized for achieving graduation rates above 90%.
Here are the finalists for Teacher and Principal of the Year:
Teacher of the Year:
*WINNER Jeffrey Silverthorne, Western High
Christen Blanton, Academy at Lincoln
Marthaiel Grinton, Northern High
Natasha Richmond, Brightwood Elementary
Suzanne Stringer, Triangle Lake Montessori Elementary
Principal of the Year:
*WINNER Jonathan Brooks, Bessemer Elementary
Jennifer Cooper, Millis Road Elementary
Mike Hettenbach, High Point Central High
Leslie Kinard, Ferndale Middle
Trent Vernon, Jamestown Middle
For a full recap of the event, including video and photographs, click here.
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