Haley Watts of Chelsea Elementary, Laura Roberts of Columbiana Middle School and Connie Shaw of Thompson High School have been selected as Shelby County &uot;Teachers of the Year&uot; for 2002 in their respective school divisions.

The three were recognized

during the Greater Shelby County Education Foundation’s 2002 Teacher of the Year Awards Reception held Dec. 19 at Thompson Middle School and during the regular December meeting of the Shelby County Board of Education that followed on the same night.

The three received $500 each to use in their classrooms or for professional development.

Also recognized during the awards reception were individual school Teachers of the Year for Shelby County Schools.

Elementary Teacher of the Year Haley Watts

Watts, who was unable to attend the reception, has taught first grade at Chelsea Elementary for four years. She is a graduate of Auburn University with a degree in early childhood education and leads discussions for parents and teachers of twins on team-teaching.

She serves on the School Improvement Team, Public Relations Committee, Sunshine Committee and as a mentor for first-year teachers. She also serves on the ESL (English as a Second Language) Advisory Board for the school system and

taught a summer enrichment program.

Watts participated in the Teacher Internship Program, in a post-graduate fellowship in Washington D.C. and published an article for a publication titled &uot;Ed Facts.&uot; She also wrote a portion of a history textbook titled &uot;Let Freedom Ring.&uot;

Watts has also worked with the Angel Tree Prison Fellowship and served on a mission trip to Central America to teach English to Chinese and Belgian students.

Middle School Teacher of the Year Laura Roberts

Roberts has taught for 19 years. She has been at Columbiana Middle for the past seven years, where she teaches keyboarding.

She received a double major in health, physical education and recreation and business from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma and received a master’s in education administration from the University of Montevallo.

She serves as the school’s SACS coordinator, webmaster, produces the student handbook, sponsors the Future Business Leaders of America and the school newspaper, participates in Digital Approaches to Teaching Academies II and assists in school administration.

She has taught computer classes and worked with the administration while the principal was out for an extended period of time and when a new principal was appointed.

Roberts is currently working with other teachers to design a course of study for middle school business education.

High School Teacher of the Year Connie Shaw

Shaw has taught for 21 years and worked for five years as journalism/mass communications and honors English teacher at Thompson High School.

She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education from the University of Montevallo and an &uot;A&uot; certification in English from the UM as well.

Her students have completed grant-based projects and are currently working on a fine arts video to promote the fine arts program at THS.

Roberts works with the school newspaper and the UM mass communications department. She helped produce the THS Course Curriculum Guide and has worked with Alabaster area school principals to design the school page for the Alabaster city newsletter.

She has also taught technology workshops for school system teachers and has completed Pro Tech training.

Named as 2002 Teacher of the Year by their individuals schools were:

Elementary &045; Lisa Barton, Calera Elementary; Watts, Chelsea Elementary;

Kathy Kesterson, Creek View Elementary; Michelle Denney, Elvin Hill Elementary; Alice Lobeil, Helena Elementary; Karen Morgan, Helena Intermediate; Kimberly Youngblood Inverness Elementary; Michelle Colburn, Meadowview Elementary;

Stefanie Cotter, Montevallo Elementary; Lela Haynes, Linda Nolen Learning Center; Kathy Olive, Oak Mt. Elementary; Cecelia Tropeano, Oak Mt. Intermediate;

Lisa Carden, Shelby Elementary; Susan Mitchell, Thompson Intermediate;

Cindy Nicholson, Valley Elementary; Kim King, Valley Intermediate;

Melody Arledge, Vincent Elementary; and Lee Hall, Wilsonville Elementary.

Middle &045; Ray Haley, Chelsea Middle; Roberts, Columbiana Middle; Susan Beard, Montevallo Middle; Jeff Jordan, Oak Mt. Middle; Bruce Hulberg, Riverchase Middle; and Denise Gwin, Thompson Middle.

High &045; Sue McGlawn, Calera High; Barbara Gunn, Chelsea High; Jane Clayton, Montevallo High; Jennie Gandy, Oak Mt. High; Julie Nelson, Pelham High; Allan Robertson, Shelby County High; Shaw, Thompson High; Karen Jensen, Vincent

Middle/High; Melanie Holcomb, School of Technology; and Jay Smith, Instructional Service Center.

Ricky Darby, coordinator for elementary school instruction, expressed special thanks to event sponsors: state Reps. Mike Hill, Cam Ward, Mary Sue McClurkin, Jimmy Martin and Jim Carns; state Sens. Steve French, Jabo Waggoner and Hank Erwin, the Jefferson County Teachers’ Credit Union, Larry Throneberry and the Greater Shelby County Education Foundation Board of Directors.

The board of directors include: David Nolen of SouthTrust Bank, president; Frankie Gaddy, retired school teacher, secretary; Lamar Peacock, Horton, Lee, Burnett, Peacock, Cleveland & Grainger, P.A., treasurer; Vanessa Frazier-Davis; Matt Mayo, Regions Bank; Cam Ward, city of Alabaster; Debbie Hawkins, Alabama Power; Sharon Anderson, city of Montevallo; Jennifer Trammell, BellSouth; Rosie Metcalf, city of Pelham; Carol Hill, retired schoolteacher; Larry Throneberry, Baptist Health Systems Inc.;

Lisa Beckham, Shelby County Schools; Randy Donaldson, Alabama Gas; Diana V. Hopson, Porterfield, Harper & Mills P.A.; Candy Parker, Shelby County Reporter;

Aubrey Miller, Southern Progress; Sue Duncan, city of Calera and Carol Bruser, executive director