Lauren Norman was chosen North Pike School District’s overall Teacher of the Year and was honored Thursday by the school board.
Norman was the elementary school teacher of the year as well. Also receiving honors were English teacher Sandra Taylor at the high school and math teacher Christy Rushing at the middle school.
Each recipient received a plaque from their principal, and Norman’s mother, Mary Lou Smith, presented her daughter with the overall award.
Norman is in her 11th year at North Pike, where she is an inclusion teacher working with special education students in a regular classroom setting.
“I’m especially proud. This honor means a lot to me,” said the 1990 North Pike graduate, who has three children enrolled in the district. “I feel like any one of us could have won this award because we’re all very dedicated.
“Whether or not (the children) have special needs, they’re all unique. It’s definitely hard work. It’s a very tiring job, but it’s a rewarding job.
“I was very surprised by the award,” Norman said. Principal Bobbi Burdett “told me what several of my co-workers said when they nominated me. I’m just so pleased and honored by what they said. I can’t describe how honored I felt.”
Burdett said Norman deserved the honor.
“The best thing about her is that she has a passion for teaching,” Burdett said. “She is very creative. When one of the children has a challenge, she’ll research and find a strategy to help that child. She’s very caring, motivated and very loving to these students. She’s able to reach all kinds of students.”
Norman is married to Billy Norman. They are the parents of a 14-year-old boy, and two girls, 11 and 9.
Norman received her B.S. degree from Southeastern Louisiana University in 1996, and her Masters in special education from William Carey, in 2005.
“She is just a wonderful mother,” Burdett said. “She is involved in a lot of community activities. She is willing to go the extra mile to help anybody.”
In other business, the board:
• Approved a student transfer from the Amite County School District to North Pike.
• Approved a motion to purchase an AIMSweb Progress Monitoring and Response to Intervention System for $11,285.
• Approved travel for the middle school Beta Club to go to Washington, D.C. for five days in May.
• Approved travel for the middle school’s CLUE Club to travel to Universal Studios in Orlando for five days in April. Club members will see first-hand how the park uses math and science to operate the facility.
• Noted the retirement of elementary teacher Kay Davis, who is retiring.
• Accepted middle school substitute teachers Brenda Anders and Allison Johnson and high school substitute teacher Reondra Green.
