Ten Valley residents honored for contributions to local students

Fifth-grade teacher Jessica Skeens has approached teaching at Wenonah Elementary School one year at a time.

“I always try to improve the lessons and do better each year,” said Skeens.

In her 11^th year, Skeens is seen as a leader in her school and someone unafraid to take chances.

Two years ago, she was part of a pilot program to use laptops in her classroom. Now her students know all about spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations and other computer offerings.

Skeens was one of 10 educators recognized Tuesday night as Dawbarn Education Award winners.

The 10 winners were honored by the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge for their contributions to public education in Waynesboro, Staunton and Augusta County.

Christiana Shields, the foundation’s director of nonprofit services, said the quality of this year’s 52 nominees was high, making it difficult for a foundation committee to select 10.

The awards were established in 1992 by the late Waynesboro industrial leader, H. Dunlop “Buz” Dawbarn.

Skeens was appreciative of the recognition, which included a check to each winner for $10,000.

“It is nice to be recognized for your efforts,” she said. “You do what is best for the children.”

Wenonah’s principal, Rebecca Jarvis, calls Skeens a “master teacher who does a fabulous job with instructional strategies and has a wonderful relationship with students and colleagues.”

Others honored Tuesday were:

-- Susan Miller, English/speech teacher, Fort Defiance High School.

Miller works with a broad range of students from seniors and advanced youngsters to those with special needs. She also leads the school’s award-winning forensics team.

-- Jean Rexrode, second-grade teacher, McSwain Elementary School.

Rexrode has taught autistic and deaf children, has mentored other teachers and helped start a writers’ workshop in the city schools.

-- Steven Brown, custodian and coach, Berkeley Glenn Elementary School.

In addition to keeping the school clean and in working order, Brown volunteers as a coach in the children’s football league.

-- Martha Mikell, science teacher, Stuarts Draft High School.

Mikell was voted teacher of the year in Augusta County in 2011. She serves as the science department chair, as the high school’s Students Against Destructive Decisions chapter chair. Under her leadership, the club has won numerous awards, including a $10,000 national grand prize.

-- Sharon Falls, instructor, Valley Vocational-Technical Center.

She has served 30 years as the instructor for the education for employment program at Valley Vo-Tech. She completed a certificate to teach driver’s education so that her students could receive a driver’s license and hold jobs. Falls also has served as a job-site supervisor, counselor, mentor and coordinator for 15 years with the summer youth program.

-- Michelle DeMarmels, first-grade teacher, A.R. Ware Elementary School.

She has been voted Staunton’s teacher of the year, and has led the way at Ware with new literacy and math programs.

-- Boo Elkins, preschool family service advocate, Augusta County schools.

In her job as a family service worker, Elkins helps families in getting their needs met. She has helped students’ parents obtain housing, medical insurance, job training, food assistance and clothing assistance. She also has given up weekend and holiday time to make sure the needs of families are met.

-- Rosanne Wykes, English/special education teacher, R.E. Lee High School.

Her efforts as a special-education teacher have resulted in student success on classroom and Standards of Learning tests for the first time. Wykes also volunteers instructional help after-school and during Saturday school to help students.

-- Erik Walker, social studies teacher and coach, Fort Defiance.

Students in Walker’s geography and sociology classes achieve high Standards of Learning test scores and learn from his experiences as a Fulbright Scholar who spent a summer working in Kenya. Walker also has served as the school’s academic team coach and helped start a new club for the school, the Fort Defiance Chapter of the Future Teachers Association.