Thompson earns Spence Art honor
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on May 27, 2015 1:46 PM
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Terri Thompson
A Meadow Lane Elementary School art teacher and outstanding student artists were recently recognized during Wayne County Public Schools' 24th annual visual arts awards reception.
Terri Thompson was named the Zeno Spence Art Educator of the Year for 2014-15.
She comes from a long line of educators, she said. Her father, Bill Garner, was coach and athletic director at Eastern Wayne High School, while her mother, Faye Garner, retired after years of teaching at Meadow Lane.
In her 21st year at the school, 23 in the profession, Mrs. Thompson chose to become an art teacher.
"I just always loved to draw," she said. "I wanted to pass that love on to others."
Admittedly surprised by the recognition, she said the job of an art teacher has been most rewarding.
"I love getting to show (students) different art processes and watching their excitement when they get it, when something kind of comes together and they try new things, like clay and paint," two of her favorite mediums, she said, "getting to teach them stuff and helping them to be creative."
Hope Meyerhoeffer, WCPS director of visual arts, introduced the award-winning student artists in the categories of Superintendent's Choice Art for K-12 and the top districtwide Christmas card design.
Mackenzie Jones, an eighth-grader at Norwayne Middle School, submitted a colored pencil drawing of a snowman surrounded by blue-tipped snowflakes, chosen to be used for the district's Christmas card this past year.
Winners in the Superintendent's Choice Art included:
Grades K-2
Makayla Franklin, School Street Elementary, first place
Christy Vega, Brogden Primary, second place
Jenna Cox, Grantham School, third place
Grades 3-6
Lindsey Moore, Tommy's Road Elementary, first place
Makayla Smith, Fremont STARS Elementary, second place
Olivia Hernandez-Fierros, Spring Creek Elementary, and Valencia Daly, Meadow Lane Elementary, third place
Grades 6-8
Christina Saldivar, Grantham, first place
Alexis Abbondanza, Eastern Wayne Middle, second place
Eileen Martinez, Mount Olive Middle, third place
Grades 9-12
Noah Horton, Southern Wayne High, and Han Wang, Eastern Wayne High, first place
Angel Pineda, Spring Creek High, second place
Emily Ricter, Rosewood High, third place
Honorable mention
Crystal Rodriquez, Brogden Middle; Andrea Aguilera, Carver Elementary; Kay Lynn Gilliam, Carver Heights Elementary; Siana Thomas, Charles B. Aycock High; D'Shawn Manuel, Dillard Middle; Nicole Page, Eastern Wayne Elementary; Jason McCall, Edgewood Community Developmental School; Josephine Grant, Goldsboro High; Caleb Elking, Greenwood Middle; Weslea Kirkpatrick, Northeast Elementary; Nehemiah McNair, North Drive Elementary; Hanna Benton, Northwest Elementary; Hunter Bogey, Norwayne Middle; Dia Alphin, Rosewood Elementary; Alayna Abbott, Rosewood Middle; and Violeta Hernandez-Fierros, Spring Creek Middle.
The Superintendent's Choice Art will be on display for a year along the hallways of the district's administrative offices on Royall Avenue.