April 7, 2009
St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools
Present Teachers of the Year
The St. John the Baptist Parish School Superintendent Dr. Courtney P. Millet recently announced the winners of the 2009 Teacher of the Year award.
The 2009 winners include Elementary Teacher of the Year Malleanor Hall, an inclusion teacher at West St. John Elementary; Middle School Teacher of the Year Carla Simoneaux, a sixth-grade physical science teacher at Lake Pontchartrain Elementary; and High School Teacher of the Year James Oubre, a physical, environmental and earth science teacher at East St. John High School.
All three teachers will advance to the state’s regional competition in June, with hopes of advancing to the state finals later this year. The annual Teacher of the Year competition is sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Education.
The district winners were selected from a group of teachers who were nominated by their respective schools. All nominees were presented at the April 2, 2009, board meeting.
“We are so very proud of our top teachers. We know that it is people like them – not programs – that make the difference in our classrooms,” Superintendent Dr. Courtney P. Millet said. “That is why, as a district, we are focusing on teacher quality as a key factor to influence student achievement because we know the power of good teaching cannot be matched by any program.”
The other Elementary Teacher of the Year nominees included Monica Brown, John L. Ory Magnet; Tanya Faucheux, Fifth Ward Elementary; Elizabeth Thompson, East St. John Elementary; Nadine Stewart, Garyville/Mt. Airy Magnet; Jennifer Brock, Lake Pontchartrain Elementary; and Sherelle Parker, LaPlace Elementary.
The other Middle School Teacher of the Year nominees included Brandon Walters, West St. John Elementary; Ashley Weber, East St. John Elementary; Leroy Melton, LaPlace Elementary; Agnes Hollins, John L. Ory Magnet; and Berth Spivey, Garyville/Mt. Airy Magnet.
The other High School Teacher of the Years nominee included Shannon Smith-Magee of West St. John High.
All the nominees submitted portfolios to a panel of judges. Included in those portfolios was a written description of their teaching philosophies.
“Teaching becomes a holistic process,” said Hall, adding that “effective teachers can help students learn as well as enhance the quality of their lives.”
Hall is a graduate of Jackson State University, and she has completed coursework at the University of New Orleans, Louisiana State University and Southeastern Louisiana University. She has worked for the district since April 2005. Prior to that, she was a special education teacher in the Orleans Parish School System.
“The most prolific forms of service offered to students are listening, caring and loving,” Hall said. “In the end, when (my) students recall their academic careers, they will remember who took the time to nurture and care for them. Teaching is not just a job to me, it is a calling.”
Simoneaux, a graduate of Nicholls State University, has worked for the parish’s public school district since August 2004. She said she decided to become a teacher because “I wanted to be like the teacher who touched my life.”
“I became a teacher because I knew that I could connect with just about any type of student. I always had a love for learning, and I decided that I could live the rest of my life sharing that love with others,” she said.
Simoneaux added that she trys to instill in her students a sense of optimism, that anything is possible. “A good teacher is constantly asking what works well, and what needs to be changed. I am always willing to try new things that will help my students to become better thinkers,” she said.
Oubre, a former student at East St. John High, said he was strongly influenced to become a teacher by one of his favorite teachers, and now beloved co-worker and friend, John Ellis.
“He educated the class in a way that we not only understood concepts of physical science, but in addition, why to appreciate what we take for granted on our planet and the resources Earth provides. John (Ellis) inspired me to eventually pursue a science degree in the Earth/environmental sciences and to become very interested in astronomy and star gazing,” Oubre said.
Oubre said he said he strives to implement new techniques and technologies in his teaching. He also critically examines his teaching philosophies to ensure they are diverse and varied to encompass the environments and students he impacts. He also said a major objective of his teaching to increase student participation and ownership in their educational process.
The 2009 Elementary Teacher of the Year nominees for St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools include, from left to right: Monica Brown, John L. Ory Magnet; Tanya Faucheux, Fifth Ward Elementary; Malleanor Hall, West St. John Elementary; Elizabeth Thompson, East St. John Elementary; Nadine Stewart, Garyville/Mt. Airy Magnet; Jennifer Brock, Lake Pontchartrain Elementary; and Sherelle Parker, LaPlace Elementary.
The 2009 Middle School Teacher of the Year nominees for St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools include, from left to right: Agnes Hollins, John L. Ory Magnet; Leroy Melton, LaPlace Elementary; Ashley Weber, East St. John Elementary; and Carla Simoneaux, Lake Pontchartrain Elementary. Not pictured are Brandon Walters, West St. John Elementary; and Bertha Spive, Garyville/Mt. Airy Magnet.
The 2009 High School Teacher of the Year nominees for St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools include, from left to right: James Oubre, East St. John High; and Shannon Smith-Magee, West St. John High.
The 2009 Teacher of the Year winners for St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools are, from left to right: High School Teacher of the Year James Oubre of East St. John High, Middle School Teacher of the Year Carla Simoneaux of Lake Pontchartrain Elementary; and Elementary Teacher of the Year Malleanor Hall of West St. John Elementary. They are pictured with Superintendent Dr. Courtney P. Millet during the presentation of their plaques at the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board meeting.
