County Recognizes Nominees For Teacher Of The Year

LOW MOOR - The Alleghany County School Board recognized seven nominees for “Teacher of the Year,” during its Monday meeting at Clifton Middle School.

Jeff Bartley, Cindy Fox, Karen Staunton, Carol Varner, Stephanie Harmon, Rhonda Terry and Tina Fields were nominated to receive the Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce’s annual “Teacher of the Year” award for Alleghany County schools.

Fields, a teacher at Mountain View Elementary School, was named as Alleghany County’s “Teacher of the Year” by the Chamber of Commerce during its annual dinner meeting at The Homestead March 13.

Fields and the county’s six other nominees were presented with certificates of commendation by the school board Monday night.

Tina Fields is a third-grade teacher at Mountain View Elementary School. She resides in Valley Ridge with her husband, Will, and their daughters Caitlin and Grace. Will Fields is head varsity football coach at Bath County High School.

Tina is a native of West Virginia and graduated from West Virginia State College in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She furthered her education with a master’s degree from the University of Virginia in 2008.

Tina is currently in her 14th year as a teacher. She began her career with Bath County schools for two years and joined the Alleghany County School system in 1998.

In 2002, she was the recipient of the Alleghany Highlands -Covington Education Foundation’s “Grant for Excellence.” She currently serves as the Destination Imagination team manager for Mountain View Elementary.

Tina’s hobbies are scrapbooking, crocheting, and sp-ending time with family.

Jeff Bartley has been a teacher at Alleghany High School since he entered the education profession.

He earned a bachelor of arts degree in history with a minor in social studies education from Virginia Tech in 1976. Bartley received the J. Ambler Johnston Award for Academic Excellence in the study of history at graduation.

Jeff is certified in grades six through 12 in all fields of social studies, and is currently teaching U.S. history and government.

Jeff is a member of the National Education Association, the Virginia Education Association and the Alleghany Education Association. He served one terms as president of the Alleghany Education Association.

During his 34 years at AHS, Jeff has served as department chairman, prom sponsor, activities photographer for the yearbook, a sponsor for several clubs, and chairman of the school climate committee. Outside of school, Jeff enjoys travel and is an avid photographer, starting his own business in 1996. He is a member of Clifton Forge Presbyterian Church, where he served for several years as the chartered organizational representative for Troop 2, Boy Scouts of America.

He is married to Dorothy Bartley, who also teaches at AHS. They have one son, Christopher, who graduated from AHS in 2004 and West Virginia University in 2009.

Cindy Fox has been teaching sixth grade language arts at Clifton Middle School for three years.

Prior to joining Alleghany County schools, she was employed with Bacova Guild Ltd. from 1996 to 2006 as an import buyer.

Cindy received an associate degree in business management from Dabney S. Lancaster Community College and a bachelor’s degree in business from Bluefield College. She also earned a post-graduate teaching license from Mary Baldwin College. She plans to begin pursuing a master’s degree in education this summer.

Cindy is currently membership chairwoman for the Shenandoah Valley Reading Council, a member of Alpha Chi National Honor Society and a member of the parent advisory committee and PTO at Falling Spring Elementary, She is also a member of the Parent Teacher Association at Clifton Middle School. Cindy served as treasurer of the PTO at Falling Spring Elementary from 2007 to 2009. She also served as Girl Scout leader for Troop No. 301 from 2007 to 2009. At Clifton Middle School, she is a sponsor for the homework assistance and tutoring program, assistant track coach, and serves on the social committee.

Cindy is also a member of Johnson Creek Associate Reformed Presbyterian Ch-urch, where she served as historian and secretary from 2004 to 2009.

Her hobbies include reading, kayaking, sports, and spending time with family.

Cindy is the daughter of Ray and Susan Fridley of Covington. She is married to Chris Fox. They have one daughter, Allison, who is in the fifth grade at Falling Spring Elementary.

Stephanie Harmon is a third-grade teacher at Falling Spring Elementary School.

She has taught for six years at Falling Spring, three years at Clifton Forge Nursery School, and four years at Harrisonburg City Head Start.

Stephanie graduated from James Madison University with a degree in education.

She is a member of the Virginia Education Association and Phi Theta Kappa.

In her spare time, she enjoys working out, crafts, shopping and running her children to their after-school activities. She is married to Jeff Harmon, and they have two children. Tanner Harmon is a student at Alleghany High School and Maddie Harmon is a student at Clifton Middle School.

Karen Staunton, the li-brarian at Boiling Spring Elementary School, has taught for four years.

She graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in communication studies and a minor in history. She received a master’s in education from Radford University with a focus in library media.

Karen is a member of the Virginia Education Association and Delta Kappa Gamma.

Some of her activities at Boiling Spring include serving as the school Webmaster, organizing the school yearbook, serving as resident technology expert and principal designee in the absence of Principal Debbie Farmer.

In her spare time, Karen coaches Little League softball, recreation league volleyball, and volunteers at Jeter-Watson Intermediate School in Covington. She also enjoys reading, decorating, and cross-stitch.

Karen is married to Kit Staunton, guidance counselor at Jeter-Watson, and they have three children: Burke St-aunton, an eighth grader at Covington High School; Kendall Staunton, a fourth grader at Jeter-Watson, and Conlan Staunton, a kindergartener at Edgemont Primary School.

Karen attended Boiling Spring for grades kindergarten through seventh grade. She is a graduate of Covington High School and her parents are Bo and Jane Carper of Covington.

Rhonda Terry of Eagle Rock is a fourth and fifth grade teacher at Sharon Elementary School.

She has been in the educational field since 1988, with the last 15 years of service as an employee of Alleghany County schools.

Upon graduating from St. Louis Christian College with a bachelor’s degree in education for grades K-8, Rhonda began her teaching career in Indiana, and eventually made her way to Alleghany County. She worked at the old Clifton Forge West School and Callaghan Elementary prior to joining the Sharon Elementary staff in 1997.

Rhonda is a member of the Professional Educator’s Association. She has participated in numerous school functions, the social studies curriculum committee and textbook adoption committee.

In her spare time, Rhonda is active at her church, Crossings Christian Church in Daleville, where her husband, James, serves as pastor. Their son, Tyler, is a junior at AHS.

At church, she has volunteered as a youth group leader, drama leader and praise team and has traveled to Mexico on several different occasions with her mission group. Rhonda also enjoys spending time with her family at various Virginia Tech sporting events.

Carol Varner is a special education teacher at Cal-laghan Elementary.

She has 26 years of teaching experience.

Carol graduated from West Liberty State College with a degree in social studies and English education. She has a master’s degree in special education from the West Virginia College of Graduate Studies.

Carol is a member of the Virginia Education Association, the National Education Association and the Alleghany Education Association. She is also a member of Alpha Beta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, a teachers’ society. She currently is chairwoman of the Ca-llaghan child study committee. She serves on the school math committee and Standards of Learning test committee. Some of her activities include assisting with the PTO at Callaghan. She was the Wal-Mart teacher of the year in 2001.

She is an active member of First Presbyterian Church in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., serving on the friendship committee, singing in the choir, and serving as an elder. In her spare time she enjoys reading and traveling.

Carol is married to Jim Varner and they are the parents of three adult children.