TEACHER OF THE YEAR: Rebecca Nicolay receiving her award for District Teacher of the Year during the TCS Board of Education regular board meeting on May 16.

THOMASVILLE- Tuesday night, Rebecca Nicolay of Scholars Academy was announced as the District Teacher of the Year during the regular meeting of the Thomasville City Schools Board of Education.

Shauwan Carter, the Director of Human Resources, said that each campus within the system had selected a Teacher of the Year to participate in the district teacher of the year selection.

“Each campus has selected a teacher of the year and they have all participated in our district teacher of the year competition,” Carter said.

Before announcing the District Teacher of the Year, Carter spoke about each of the individual teachers that had been honored by their respective schools, talking on their merits and reading statements from the principals of each school about their Teacher of the Year.

Carter began with Glynn Peace, from Harper Elementary, who has taught at the school for seven years, beginning with pre-k and working her way up to teaching first grade.

“Mrs. Peace is a graduate from Georgia Southwestern with a degree in early childhood education and obtained a master’s degree from Thomas University in reading and language arts,” Carter said. “She has taught at Harper Elementary School for seven years in pre-k, kindergarten and first grade. Mrs. Peace taught first grade this year until March, when she had, she and her husband, had their beautiful daughter, Laney.”

In a statement read by Carter from Pamela Cloud, the principal of Harper Elementary, Peace was said to be a bright and warm presence within the school.

“Mrs. Glynn Peace was given the nickname ‘Sunshine’ upon my arrival at Harper Elementary, her spirit radiated the genuine love she has for her students, her smile is warm and full of love for everyone she meets,” Cloud’s statement read. “Her instruction is engaging and meets the needs for all of her students, her leadership on the PBIS committee further supports her love and dedication to the entire Harper community. The Harper family is excited for Mrs. Glynn Peace here as teacher of the year.”

Lisa Singletary was then named Teacher of the Year for Jerger.

This honor, according to Carter, came to Lisa Singletary, after teaching for 34 years now within the Thomasville City School district, having spent 29 of those years as EIP for Jerger Elementary School.

“Mrs. Singletary has been teaching in Thomasville City Schools for 34 years now. Upon graduation from Thomasville High School, she attended Valdosta State College where she earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education,” Carter said. “Following that, she went onto receive her master’s degree in early childhood education. Mrs. Singletary taught her first five years in Balfour Elementary School and has been teaching at Jerger Elementary School for the remainder of her career to this present time. She has taught kindergarten for 29 years and has been in an EIP position for the last five.”

Emily Newman, principal of Jerger Elementary, said that Singletary exemplified and embodied the qualities of those gifted with the love of teaching, with Carter adding that Singletary’s favorite aspect of teaching is the relationship she has with the students.

“Mrs. Singletary’s favorite and most important part of teaching is the relationships with the students that comes along with the teaching aspect,” Carter said. “Moving from the classroom to the interventionist position, she is still teaching students and has those relationships with them, she is most proud to say that she has a part in teaching hundreds of children to read through her years in kindergarten classrooms. Mrs. Singletary loves her job and is proud to say that she has been a long time employee of Thomasville City Schools.”

Coming up to accept her award after Singletary, Brittany Gainous, from Scott Elementary School, said she couldn’t imagine teaching anywhere else.

“Mrs. Gainous graduated with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in early childhood education from Albany State University and began her career at Scott Elementary in 2011 teaching kindergarten,” Carter said. “Mrs. Gainous has been with the Thomasville City School district for 12 years and considers the school district a part of her family and couldn’t imagine teaching anywhere else.”

Said to be a loving observer of her students learning and growing, academically and socially, Gainous was also said to be able to consistently create classroom environments built on respect and safety, according to Nathan Espy, principal of Scott School Elementary.

“We’re pleased to announce kindergarten teacher Brittany Gainous as our teacher of the year for Scott Elementary School,” Espy’s statement read. “Mrs. Gainous’ instructional expertise is surpassed only by her love for her students. She consistently creates a classroom environment built on respect, safety, engagement and creativity.”

Sarah Connery, from Thomasville High School, was also honored for her selection as Teacher of the Year, with Carter speaking to attendees about how Connery’s career and love for teaching was solidified as she grew up.

“Mrs. Connery is in her 23rd year of teaching exceptional students,” Carter said. “Having taught at MacIntyre Park Middle School and Harper Elementary School, she is now in her eighth year at Thomasville High School, teaching exceptional students with a focus on life skills. She earned a dual degree in English literature and education from Elmira College in the Southern Tier of New York, Mrs. Connery became interested in teaching as a child, but her career was solidified after qualifying for a junior year of teaching practicum during her sophomore year in college to teach abroad in England.”

Connery believes that within education lies liberation and facilitates that discovery through teaching important aspects of life that help students maximize their potential.

“Mrs. Connery believes that education is liberation and teaches skills such as social awareness, positive communication, independence and problem-solving to help her students maximize their full potential,” Carter said.

From MacIntyre Park Middle School, Billye Young was recognized. Young began working within the district in 2010 and since then has risen through the ranks as she enjoys interacting with students, both past and present, according to Carter.

“Billye Young is a native from Thomasville and graduated Thomasville High School in 2005. She went onto complete a M.A. in History from the University of Georgia and graduate in 2009,” Carter said. “Ms. Young began working for the Thomasville City School system in 2010 as a pre-k paraprofessional. In 2019, she became a seventh grade social studies teacher at MacIntyre Park Middle School. She completed the Georgia TAPP through Southwest Georgia RESA in 2021. Her favorite thing about teaching is interacting with students, especially her former pre-k students.”

Courtney Davenport, principal of MacIntyre Park Middle School, said in a statement read by Carter that Young often went above the call of duty within her role as an educator and was well-equipped with a wealth of knowledge and willingness to use it as needed.

“Ms. Young is a very dedicated educator that takes pride in knowing that she does everything possible to ensure student success,” Davenport’s statement read. “She goes above and beyond the call of duty by arriving early to work, staying late, and serving on school committees. Ms. Young also serves the Thomasville community through her involvement with the local chapter of the Boys & Girls Club. MacIntyre Park benefits from the wealth of knowledge that she possesses in her content area as well as her willingness to serve in whatever capacity is needed.”

And finally, Rebecca Nicolay, the Teacher of the Year of Scholars Academy and District Teacher of the Year, came up to receive her award, with Carter saying that Nicolay began as an ELA teacher at MacIntyre Park Middle School in 2007.

“Mrs. Rebecca Nicolay is a Thomasville, Ga. native and salutatorian of the Thomasville High School Class of 1999. She attended Georgia Tech for her undergraduate degree and graduated in 2003 with a bachelors of science in science, technology and culture,” she said. “She started her teaching career with Thomasville City Schools as an ELA teacher at MacIntyre Park Middle School for the 2007-2008 school year and taught there for six years.”

Continuing to learn and refine her teaching style, Nicolay pursued further education and eventually became involved in the Scholars Academy program, teaching honors English classes.

“She also completed, at Valdosta State University, a masters of art for teachers in secondary education. Nicolay was selected while at Valdosta State to participate in the Blackwater Writing Project Summer Institute, a four-week writing seminar that allows teachers to explore writing theories and best writing practices to improve the way they teach reading to K-12 grades,” Carter said. “She began teaching seventh, tenth and twelfth grade honors English classes in 2013 through the Scholars Academy program and is completing her tenth year teaching the middle and high school students.”

Carter said that Nicolay is passionate in and out of the classroom and is looking forward to continuing her career in the upcoming year, her 17th year of teaching.

“Mrs. Nicolay is passionate about supporting her students both in the classroom and in all of their extracurricular activities,” Carter said.

“Once a Bulldog, always a bulldog. She’s grateful to serve in the same school system that fostered her love of learning and she looks forward to begin next year, her 17th year in education as an educator, advisor and coach for the Thomasville City Schools.”