School system names district honoree
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on May 2, 2018 8:58 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Tracy Hand from Greenwood Middle School is named Instructional Assistant of the Year during a recognition ceremony at the Professional Development and Family Engagement Center Tuesday.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Tracy Hand from Greenwood Middle School is named Instructional Assistant of the Year during a recognition ceremony at the Professional Development and Family Engagement Center Tuesday.
Tracy Hand already knew she was going to be recognized Tuesday afternoon as an instructional assistant representative for her school, Greenwood Middle, and that she was one of three finalists for Wayne County Public Schools, as those announcements had been made earlier.
But she was not prepared to hear her name called as the district's 2018-19 Instructional Assistant of the Year.
So when Dr. Yvette Mason, assistant superintendent of human resources, began reading from Hand's portfolio, the emotion swelled up and she bowed her head.
Teacher assistants are the "backbone" of the school system, Mason said, and a very big and important part of education.
Twenty-seven of the county's schools had chosen their individual representatives for the honor, with each submitting a portfolio and participating in an interview for the honor.
The pool was narrowed down to three finalists, including Hand, Elizabeth Barnes of Charles B. Aycock High and Sharon Carter of Tommy's Road Elementary School.
Each finalist received a $250 award. As the ultimate recipient, Hand was also given a $500 award.
She has worked in the school district for five years, two at her present school.
But her contributions went beyond the self-contained exceptional children's classroom where she serves.
Wendy Thomas, EC teacher at Greenwood, called her an asset to her classroom, school and community.
"She mentors other professionals without even realizing it," she said.
Hand has been in the profession for 14 and one-half years, she said, also working in Wilson County.
"I keep coming back to education," she said. "I've worked in corporate America but it seems like I just keep coming back to education. That's my passion."
Ryan Nelson, her principal, also praised the role she plays at the school.
"She leads by example," he said. "She comes to work every day with the mindset of making the school better than it was the day before and she does that."
The remaining instructional assistants of the year for the district include the following:
Demetric Wright, Brogden Middle; Jeneen Moore, Brogden Primary; Cindy Grady, Carver Elementary; William Darring Jr., Carver Heights Elementary; Zsajauna Taylor, Dillard Middle; Caryn Reagan, Eastern Wayne Elementary; Elizabeth Becton, Eastern Wayne High; Charlotte Boyette, Eastern Wayne Middle; Omatayo Ayers, Edgewood; Ronnesha Bass, Fremont STARS; Dwight Sutton, Goldsboro High; Melinda Jernigan, Grantham Elementary; Katrina Evans, Grantham Middle; Michael McIntyre, Meadow Lane Elementary; Vera McCullen, Mount Olive Middle; Gladys Darden, North Drive Elementary; Richard Kendall, Northeast Elementary; Debbie Pope, Northwest Elementary; Kelvin Karema, Norwayne Middle; Jennifer Jenkins, Rosewood Elementary; Wade Johnson, Rosewood High; Angela Lancaster, Rosewood Middle; Charlotte Reaves, Spring Creek Elementary; and Gary Woodard II, Wayne Middle/High Academy.