SPECIAL TO THE REPORTER

Oak Mountain Middle School teacher Judy Barnett is in Japan as part of Honda’s Educators to Japan program. She will return Oct. 24.

Barnett, a seventh-grade math teacher, was nominated by principal Larry Haynes to participate in the program, which is being sponsored by the Honda plant in Lincoln.

Barnett is being accompanied by eight other educators from Ohio. The group plans to increase knowledge and understanding of Japanese education, culture and the needs of Japanese children and families.

The Honda plant in Ohio has been sponsoring the Educators to Japan program for 20 years, but this is the first year for the Lincoln plant to sponsor a trip.

A teacher from Shelby County was chosen to participate in the program because of the large number of Japanese students enrolled in the school system.

Shelby County Schools currently has 52 Japanese students enrolled, 13 of whom attend OMMS.

Barnett was selected to go on the trip, according to Haynes, because of her &uot;outstanding leadership and service to the school in years past.&uot;

She was also the first recipient of the OMMS Teacher of the Year award and serves as the Math Team leader.

Haynes said he is looking forward to her return because she plans to share her experiences from the trip with other faculty members