MODEL ELEMENTARY TEACHER NAMED 2023 FLOYD COUNTY SCHOOLS TEACHER OF THE YEAR

(Media release from Floyd County Schools, GA):

Jessica Murphy, a fourth grade teacher at Model Elementary School, has been named the Floyd County Schools (FCS) Teacher of the Year for 2023!

Mrs. Jessica Murphy began her teaching career with Floyd County Schools in the 2010 school year. In her 12 years of teaching, she has taught at the pre-kindergarten and fourth-grade levels. She is currently teaching fourth-grade reading, writing, and social studies at Model Elementary School. This school year marks her sixth year teaching fourth grade students.

Along with her team, Jessica works diligently to create engaging and dynamic lessons.Always seeking to include diverse interests, she even transformed her classroom to include a fashion show runway and the inside of a circus tent. Her thematic lessons capture her students’ interests and are thoroughly enjoyed by the Model Elementary staff.

Jessica’s positive energy and creativity is noticed by anyone who meets her. She is the chairperson for the staff Sunshine Committee and works collaboratively with her colleagues and administrators to build and maintain a fun and happy work environment and a school culture of success.

Continuing in her journey as a teacher leader, Mrs. Murphy will be participating in the 2022-2023 Floyd County Schools Leadership Academy.

Mrs. Murphy will be participating in the 2022-23 Teacher of the Year Program through the Georgia Department of Education.

Each school named their individual Teacher of the Year earlier this school year. . After the field was narrowed down by qualifications for state honors, eligible teachers were interviewed by a panel of community partners who then voted anonymously to select four semifinalists. The semi-finalists were observed and evaluated in their classrooms by another set of judges to finalize the list of finalists. Top finalists and winners were announced during the FCS Teacher of the Year banquet which was held recently.

Elementary School Teachers of the Year were Pam Tappan (Alto Park Elementary), Martha Broome, (Armuchee Primary), Melissa McLaughlin (Armuchee Elementary), Amanda Blake (Cave Spring Elementary), Ansle Nancoo (Garden Lakes Elementary), Shelley Robbins (Johnson Elementary), Jessica Murphy (Model Elementary), April McClung (Pepperell Primary), and Lisa Wiggins (Pepperell Elementary).

Middle School Teachers of the Year were Katie Hulsey (Armuchee Middle), Wendy Hall (Coosa Middle), Lee Jones (Model Middle), and Brett Lane (Pepperell Middle).

High School Teachers of the Year were Seth Bates (Armuchee High), Niki Henderson (FCS College & Career Academy), Christina Schultz (Coosa High), Kendall Roberts (Model High), and Laura McLendon (Pepperell High).