WCDS kindergarten teacher recognized
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on December 18, 2011 1:50 AM
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News-Argus/MICHAEL BETTS
Wayne Country Day School K-4 teacher Cheryl Warren goes over Andrew Meadows' classwork. Mrs. Warren was honored by RBC Bank USA with the Tribute to Teachers Award, providing her with $500 for her classroom.
In a manner of speaking, Cheryl Warren accidentally became a kindergarten teacher at Wayne Country Day School.
"About 18 years ago, I was substituting and they just had a need in the beginning of the year because they had too many 4-year-olds," she said.
She was asked to help out, then the following year again stepped up when an additional K-4 class was added.
"My children were small, and they were going there, so I stayed," she said. "And I'm still here. I have told people when it's not fun anymore I'm leaving.
"It's fun. How do you not have fun when you're in 4-year-old world?"
Many a night she will pull out the Play-Doh or make cupcakes at home for her class, she said. Her husband, Reed, has been known to come through and ask for one of the treats, only to have his wife shoo him away, saying she has just enough for her students.
He now refers to her job as "cupcake world," she said with a smile.
"It's just great," she says of being a teacher. "They're so funny. You never know what's going to come out of their mouths."
Mrs. Warren was recently named a 2011 RBC Tribute to Teachers award winner, receiving $500 in classroom cash.
The online campaign was based on nominations. Mrs. Warren said the announcement came as a "complete surprise" but meant a lot, especially since it was based on staff and student accolades.
The educator has three grown children, all of whom also attended WCDS. Several years ago, she won the school's Excellence in Teaching award, determined by parents and teachers.
This is the eighth year that RBC Bank USA has sponsored Tribute to Teachers and the first that the program has recognized winners in the spring and fall. Each award period had 50 winners, receiving $500 in classroom cash and a grand prize winner awarded an additional $2,000 school supply shopping spree.
"Ms. Warren is the only teacher from Goldsboro receiving this award," said Jenny Grant, senior specialist, corporate citizenship with RBC Bank (USA). "Between March 14 and Oct. 16, RBC Bank received just over 2,200 nominations and from that, selected 50 winners."
In recent years, the scope of the competition was reduced to focus on the company's six-state geographic region, which includes Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Alabama.
Mrs. Warren said she is undecided about how she'll spend the award money.
"I have talked to the (students), who suggested a real robot or Superman," she said. "I'll probably wait until after Christmas when things go on sale.
"I will probably use it to enhance my science curriculum."