Noal Castater, career and technical education teacher at Waynesville Middle School; Casey Conard, PE teacher at Hazelwood Elementary; and Bronson Gross, health/PE teacher at Central Haywood High School, were recognized with Excellence in Education awards for the month of December.

The Excellence in Education program recognizes teachers from Haywood County Schools who exemplify a commitment to innovative teaching practices and show dedication to student success. The program is sponsored by Jack Bishop of Edward Jones and the Haywood County Schools Foundation (HCSF).

“Our Edward Jones office is honored to be able to recognize Haywood County’s outstanding teachers,” Bishop said. “Mr. Castater, Coach Conard, and Coach Gross are prime examples of the great teachers our school system employs.”

Castater has been teaching for 16 years, and has spent the last seven years as Waynesville Middle School’s career and technical education (CTE) teacher.

“What I enjoy most about teaching CTE is the hands-on nature of working in a greenhouse and a woodworking shop.  I enjoy teaching lifelong skills and working side by side with my students,” Castater explained. “When I started at WMS, I had classes with only four students. Now, my classes are at my CTE cap of 25 with a waiting list.”

Castater admits that being a successful teacher requires self-sacrifice, and his duties generally do not end when the final school bell rings each afternoon. In order to teach the most up-to-date information, Castater himself must continually research new discoveries in agriculture, as well as teaching practices.

“As a teacher, I believe you have to try new things, learn from mistakes, make changes for the better, develop a positive rapport with students, and build relationships with your co-workers,” Castater said. “I create a safe haven for my students through empathy, kindness, humor, high expectations, but also being able to individually adapt to each student’s needs and abilities.”

Down the road in Hazelwood Elementary School’s gymnasium, kindergarten students work on building their basic locomotor skills and fifth graders play team-oriented games while building their muscular strength and endurance. Conard, who has been teaching PE for six years, says his teaching style encourages students to learn and explore without fear of failure.

“The thing I enjoy most about teaching PE is the opportunity to build relationships with the students and families in our community,” Conard explained. “As a physical education teacher, I have a unique opportunity to see every student at Hazelwood each week and to take part in their education.  It is exciting to see each of them grow as individuals.”

Conard hopes his students learn the importance of teamwork and how positive social interaction looks and feels. At the end of the year, students leave his class with a basic knowledge of physical, social, and emotional health.

While PE activities and games may change for high schoolers, Coach Gross is working to instill the same values of teamwork, self-worth, and lifelong fitness in his students at Central Haywood High School.

Gross began his teaching career at Central Haywood five years ago.

“In the beginning, I was really excited to teach PE because sports were my primary passion. When I started teaching health, I realized that I enjoyed educating students about health topics, which was much needed in our area,” Gross explained. “I want my students to understand that health and PE are very important in their everyday lives.”

Gross’ gymnasium and classroom are structured environments that mimic life after high school.

“I always tell my students that teaching is just one part of my job,” Gross explained. “I’m also responsible for preparing them to work or go to college after high school. I want them to leave here ready to be successful citizens of Haywood County.”

“The teachers of Haywood County Schools always put their students first, and Mr. Castater, Coach Conard, and Coach Gross are no exception,” Haywood County Schools Foundation Executive Director Jenny Wood Valliere said. “The Excellence in Education program is a great way to publicly recognize them as outstanding teachers.”

Each month, up to three teachers from the 16 Haywood County Schools are recognized with an Excellence in Education award. Award winners are presented with a certificate and a $100 check sponsored by Bishop.

The Haywood County Schools Foundation recently recognized employees celebrating 5, 10, 15, and 20 years of service to Haywood County Schools with a $100 gift card.

“The Foundation is proud to honor the integral role our employees play in making Haywood County Schools one of the top performing districts in the state,” Haywood County Schools Foundation Executive Director Jenny Wood Valliere said. “Our students’ success is directly related to these employees, and we are grateful that they choose to work for Haywood County Schools.”

This year, Wood Valliere, along with Superintendent Dr. Anne Garrett and other members of Haywood County Schools Central Office, surprised 120 employees with gift cards.

Employee recognition and retention is one of the main focuses of the Haywood County Schools Foundation.

Each December, the Foundation recognizes employees who have reached certain career milestones with no break in service with gift cards. The money for the gift cards is raised by employees. At the beginning of the school year, employees have the option to donate to the Foundation through an annual pledge.

Christmas morning should be filled with excitement, anticipation, and joy as children race to see what’s under the tree. For many children, this is their favorite time of year, as they anticipate Santa’s arrival and look forward to receiving new toys and clothing.

Unfortunately, many families in our area cannot afford to purchase presents for their children and pay their rent or utility bill. Thanks to generous donations from local businesses and community members, Haywood County Schools students in need will experience the joy of the holiday season.

For the past 30 years, the Haywood County Schools Foundation’s Sugar Plum Project has provided clothing and gifts to students in need during the holiday season. The Sugar Plum Project provides Christmas for pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and first grade students enrolled in Haywood County Schools. Most of these children come from low-income families.

“The Sugar Plum Project is a great event that our community has embraced for the past three decades,” Jenny Wood Valliere, Haywood County Schools Foundation executive director, said. “Buying one child a gift is such a small way to make a huge difference in that child’s life.”

From November 22 through December 10, children’s names were available on trees at United Community Bank, HomeTrust Bank, Hometown Hardware, and Champion Credit Union. Generous community members picked out a name, bought items included on the child’s wish list, and returned it to the respective business on December 11. The Sugar Plum Project also accepted monetary donations to sponsor children.

This year, through monetary and gift donations, 95 students received an early Christmas on December 13 at a Christmas celebration at the old Hazelwood gym.

Students from the county’s eight elementary schools were treated to lunch, opened their gifts, and were then surprised with a visit from Santa. The children got the chance to talk with Santa and tell him about their Christmas lists.

“Christmas is my favorite day of the whole year,” Sarah, a kindergartner, excitedly said. “I’m so excited to tell Santa what I want for Christmas.”

Along with the Sugar Plum Project, Haywood County Schools has worked with several other local agencies to ensure all students have a memorable holiday season.

For nearly 50 years, employees at Evergreen Packaging have raised money to purchase clothing for students in need. The Santa Pals program provides clothing for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade at all 16 Haywood County Schools. This year, contributions from Evergreen employees, along with a donation from the company, totaled $65,000.

“The shopping day at K-mart is focused on clothing because unfortunately, there are many children in our area who don’t have the things that most of us consider basic necessities,” Thad McCracken, Santa Pals coordinator and retired Evergreen employee, said. “This time of year, it’s essential for children to have clothing to keep them warm.”

Cops and Kids brought students together with 50 law enforcement officers at Walmart. Police officers from Waynesville, Maggie Valley, Canton, and Clyde, Haywood County Sheriff’s officers, Highway Patrol, and Haywood County EMS all participated in the event. Through private, business, and community donations, 36 students from elementary through high school received presents from the Cops with Kids program.

“Of course we all love being able to support the local community and our children through the Cops with Kids program, but one of my favorite parts of the day is seeing how much fun the officers have with the kids,” Matt Shell, Haywood County Sheriff’s Officer sergeant and president of the Fraternal Order of Police – Haywood County Lodge 16, said. “One officer was riding a bicycle down the aisle.”

“The generosity of our community is so abundant, and the holiday season brings out the best in everyone,” Wood Valliere said. “Haywood County Schools is grateful for the donations of money, gifts, and time given to our students.”

Kindergarten and first grade teachers at Meadowbrook Elementary School were surprised with a $2,000 donation from two local churches on Monday, November 21.

Morningstar United Methodist Church and Plains United Methodist Church received a grant from the United Methodist Church – Smoky Mountain District for $1,000 to be given to a local cause.

“Literacy rates are such a crucial indicator of future success in children and their communities,” Morningstar Rev. Nicole Jones explained. “When children develop a love of learning at a young age, it creates a foundation for them to be lifelong learners. It just made sense for us to use this opportunity to support our local elementary school.”

Jones, along with Plains United Methodist Rev. Zack Christy, challenged their congregations to match the $1,000 grant.

“Between members of our two churches, we were able to raise $1,000 in just two weeks,” Christy said. “Our congregation averages about 60 people per week, so it was amazing to see their generosity and excitement to help our area children.”

The $2,000 donation will be split among two kindergarten and two first grade classrooms at Meadowbrook to purchase high-interest, non-fiction books.

“This donation shows our teachers that the community sees and appreciates their hard work,” Meadowbrook Principal Stephanie Mancini said. “I continue to be blown away and inspired by the involvement of our community.”

Jones and Christy said they hope to continue giving a monetary donation to the school each year, and plan on focusing on different grade levels.

In an effort to further support Meadowbrook’s teachers, Canton Missional Network churches, including Morningstar UMC and Plains UMC, are working to organize a Paper Town Paper Pounding event on December 19. Teachers will be able to “shop” for school supplies for their classrooms at the event.

Paper and school supply donations can be taken to any of the 18 churches belonging to the Canton Missional Network or to Meadowbrook Elementary School before December 19.

Haywood County Schools Foundation gave more than 170 grants to teachers totaling more than $35,000 for the 2016-17 school year.

This year, grants were sponsored by Duke Energy, Evergreen Packaging, First Citizens Banks, HomeTrust Bank, and QuickDraw. The grants fund resources for teachers to enrich the learning experience for their students.

Teachers across the district applied for the grants this fall, and winners were selected after committees representing each grant reviewed applications. The teachers who won grants were invited to a Teacher Grant Recipient Reception at Pisgah High School on November 15.

“Thanks to the QuickDraw grant, my students will be traveling around the world,” Carrie Hooper, art teacher at Clyde, North Canton, and Meadowbrook elementary schools, said with a smile. “We’re currently in Mexico studying the work of Frida Kahlo, and then we’re off to Japan.”

Hooper hopes that the grant will help give her 1,200 young students insight into not only different styles of art, but also different cultures and countries that most have never visited.

Grants ranged from $400.00 to fund portable weather stations at Central Haywood High School, to $412.20 to purchase frogs for an anatomy unit at Canton Middle School, to $172.22 for partner reading books at Bethel Elementary School.

“Our Haywood County teachers put forth so much effort and dedication to their students,” Kevin Wells, First Citizens Bank senior vice president, said. “We are happy to help provide some additional resources to our teachers, so they can continue to provide a first-class education to our children.”

Each grant sponsor has different requirements and focuses of study. The Duke Energy grant provides funds for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education projects and programs. Similar to Duke Energy, the Evergreen Packaging grant focuses on projects that promote math and science. The First Citizens Bank grant provides funding to schools and teachers for reading initiatives. Professional growth and development is the focus of the HomeTrust Bank grant. The QuickDraw art grant provides funds for art teachers to purchase materials for art education projects.

Sally Hundley, STEM teacher at Bethel Middle School, has received several Haywood County Schools Foundation grants in the past. This year, she was awarded the Evergreen Packaging Math and Science grant, Duke Energy STEM grant, and HomeTrust Professional Development grant. All the grants Hundley was awarded were for different projects and workshops she plans to implement in her classroom.

“With the Duke STEM grant, our classroom is going to get a Sphero robot. It’s from the same company that made the BB8 robot from Star Wars,” Hundley explained. “Students will program the Sphero in a classroom project to simulate relief mapping of the ocean floor. Thanks to this grant, our students are getting to use the most up-to-date technology out there.”

Hundley co-wrote the Evergreen Packaging Math and Science grant with Science Teacher Amy Harrington. Using the grant funds, they will purchase Google Cardboard virtual reality viewers for the classroom.

“The Google Cardboard virtual reality viewers will open up a whole new world of learning for our students,” Hundley explained. “They can take a trip through the circulatory system or visit the pyramids of Egypt using this technology.”

If you would like more information about funding classroom projects, contact Haywood County Schools Foundation Executive Director Jenny Wood at 828-456-2400.

 

2016-17 Duke Energy STEM Grant

Grants were handed out to the following educators:

• Wanda Burns, WMS
• James Davis, THS
• Jennifer Davis, Junaluska
• Valerie Guyer, North Canton
• Amy Harrington and Sally Hundley, BMS
• Ira Hyde, Junaluska
• Kaitlyn Otey, Bethel
• Kendra Plemmons, BMS
• Rachel Rizoti, Jonathan Valley
• Eric Sollie, THS
• Wendy Underwood, Clyde
• Megean Wantz, Clyde
• Amanda Wells, WMS

 

2016-17 Evergreen Packaging Math and Science Grant

Grants were handed out to the following educators:

• Sally Hundley, Ron Hundley, and Amy Harrington, BMS
• Kristin Buff, Hazelwood
• Lisa Cleaveland, Jonathan Valley
• Matthew Clements, WMS
• Haley Cox, Bethel
• Jan Davis, Clyde
• Linda Estes, WMS
• Barry Feldman, CHHS
• Valerie Guyer, North Canton
• Cynthia Haney, Bethel
• Karen Hopkins, Bethel
• Tammy Little, WMS
• Patrice McCoy, WMS
• Kaitlyn Otey, Bethel
• Jerren Pittaluga, WMS
• Yvonne Plemmons, THS
• Randall Pressley, THS
• Shannon Rock, Bethel
• William Saxon, WMS
• Timothy Shepard, PHS
• Julie Smith, BMS
• Chase Smith, PHS
• Penny Squires, PHS
• Amy Tiller, CMS
• Haley Watts, Riverbend
• Amanda Wells, WMS

 

2016-17 First Citizens Bank Reading Grant

Grants were handed out to the following educators:

• Lisa Crockett, County-wide
• Jennifer Davis, Junaluska
• Hayley Donaldson, Bethel
• Cynthia Haney, Bethel
• Stacey Hembree, Jonathan Valley
• Karen Henson, Bethel
• Misty House, Meadowbrook
• Karen Kreitzburg, WMS
• Kaitlyn Otey, Bethel
• Julie Smith, BMS
• Sarah Souderes, Hazelwood
• Wendy Underwood, Clyde
• Mandy Williamson, Hazelwood

 

2016-17 HomeTrust Bank Professional Development Grant

Grants were handed out to the following educators:

• Sherry Banks, THS
• Christine Basulto, WMS
• Armando Basulto, WMS
• Jeff Battle, CMS
• Caroline Bethea-Brown, CHHS
• Valerie Blazer, Riverbend
• Deidra Boone, BMS
• Martha Brown, WMS
• Pamela Bryant, WMS
• Phyllis Burchfield, Bethel
• Lisa Burgin, THS
• Noal Castater, WMS
• Alda Chambers, Meadowbrook/PHS/THS
• Anita Clark, BMS
• Carol Clarke, Hazelwood
• Kathryn Clontz, County Wide
• Jennifer Cody, BMS
• Bethany Coleman, WMS
• Nicole Conner, Hazelwood
• Lisa Cook, PHS
• Angie Corn, BMS
• Lindsey Costner, BMS
• Jessica Coward, CMS
• Marlene Creary, Junaluska
• Mary Lou Cunningham, WMS
• Roberta D’Alesandro, THS
• James Davis, THS
• Jennifer Davis, Junaluska
• Gretchen Denton, BES/BMS
• Linda Estes, WMS
• Emily Fama, BMS
• Barbara Fowler, THS
• Amy Garner, THS
• Carol German, CMS
• Matthew Golden, BMS
• Daniela Grant, WMS
• Misty Griffin, WMS
• Valerie Guyer, North Canton
• Cynthia Haney, Bethel
• Rhonda Haney, WMS
• Amy Harrington, BMS
• Lori Heatherly, WMS
• Teresa Heinz, CHHS
• Sandra Hermida, WMS
• Rosemary Houston, BMS/CMS
• Ron Hundley, BMS
• Sally Hundley, BMS
• Ira Hyde, Junaluska
• Dillon Ingles, THS
• Lara Ernest, Karen Langley, John Serenius, Jonathan Valley
• Judy Johnson, Riverbend
• Karen Jones, BMS
• Kristin Kane, WMS
• Michelle Knapik, BMS
• Karen Kreitzburg, WMS
• Cynthia Lanning, WMS
• Lisa Lawrence, CMS
• Eunice Ledford, Junaluska
• Tammy Little, WMS
• Jennifer Mabry, BMS
• Michelle Mahoney, PHS
• Jill Mann, Hazelwood
• Candy McCoy, RIverbend
• Crystal McCracken, BMS
• Angela McHenry, Bethel
• Jennifer Mehaffey, WMS
• Vicky Messer, WMS
• Robbie Metcalf, CMS
• Christy Mitchell, THS
• Laura Beth Moody, Bethel
• Sandra Myers, CMS
• Paula Nichols, Junaluska
• Tonya Oldham, WMS
• Tara O’Loughlin, WMS
• Anita Painter, CMS
• Elise Parham, BMS
• Shawn Parris, BMS
• Jennifer Parton, WMS
• Jerren Pittaluga, WMS
• Kendra Plemmons, BMS
• Angela Pless, THS
• Frank Pollifrone, WMS
• Spencer Reeves, BMS
• Jennifer Reeves, WMS
• Kathy Robinson, THS
• Shannon Rock, Bethel
• Robin Rogers, THS
• Gloria Rose, Clyde
• Jackie Roten, WMS
• Tonya Shepard, CMS
• Kelsey Shepherd, WMS
• Kim Shipman, Bethel
• Mary Ann Shoaf, Child Nutrition Services
• Karma Shuford, BMS
• Julie Smith, BMS
• Rebecca Smith, BMS
• Chase Smith, PHS
• Penny Squires, PHS
• Adam Stewart, WMS
• Dorine Styles, Bethel
• Elke Tate, WMS
• Lisa Thompson, Junaluska
• Amy Tiller, CMS
• Norma Warren, CMS
• Amanda Wells, WMS
• Rhonda Wester, CMS
• Brenda Wheeler, BMS
• Betty White, WMS
• Melissa Williams, BMS
• Namchuam Williams, Junaluska
• Mandy Williamson, Hazelwood
• Tim Wise, THS

 

2016-17 QuickDraw Art Education Grant

Grants were handed out to the following educators:

• Julie Buchanan, Junaluska/Hazelwood
• Kara Faust, CMS
• Jessica Hauser-Flinchum, PHS
• Carrie Hooper, Clyde/Meadowbrook/North Canton
• Stephanie Kea, THS
• Dustin Keyes, BMS
• Tara O’Loughlin, WMS
• Caroline Ottinger, Bethel/Jonathan Valley/Riverbend

Teams of student scientists at Bethel Middle School studied the complex ocean upwelling process with an interactive lab provided by the Haywood County Schools Foundation Evergreen Packaging Math and Science grant.

Using plastic containers, water, straws, food coloring, and a hair dryer, eighth graders created mini oceans.

“During our hydrosphere unit last year, Mr. Hundley and I discovered that upwelling was a difficult concept for many of our students to visualize. Since we don’t live in an area dependent on upwellings for fishing, we wanted to bring the concept to life,” Amy Harrington, eighth grade science teacher, said. “We were thrilled to receive the Evergreen Packaging grant last year, and it will continue to impact our classes for years to come.”

In small groups, students compared ocean shore environments. In two tubs filled with room temperature water, students added cold, colored water to the end of the tubs.  The cold, colored water represented nutrient-rich water that is denser and usually stays at the bottom of the ocean.

In the experimental tub, students created offshore ‘wind’ using a straw to blow across the surface of the water. Students saw that the cold, nutrient-rich water came back up toward them as an upwelling.

Upwellings bring nutrient-rich bottom waters to the surface of the ocean. Plankton feed on the nutrients, and in turn fish feed on the plankton. The resulting environment tends to be rich in fish and other sea life.

As a finale, the entire class created a larger upwelling demonstration using a hair dryer to represent offshore winds.

“I like doing labs because it’s fun and it helps me learn to see things like upwellings,” Sydney Shumolis, a student in Harrington’s class said.

Last year, Harrington and math teacher Ron Hundley received the Haywood County Schools Foundation Evergreen Packaging Math and Science grant for lab supplies. This year’s students also gained a much deeper understanding of the upwelling process as a result.

The Haywood County Schools Foundation awarded more than $208,000 in grants to teachers, schools, and students for the 2015-16 school year. Each fall, teachers and faculty may apply for five different grants through the Foundation, including the Evergreen Packaging Math and Science grant.

Dr. Seuss characters, ponies, witches, and soccer players gathered in the library at North Canton Elementary School on Friday, October 28 to listen to the book “Fancy Nancy.” Everyone from pre-kindergartners to fifth graders to the principal dressed up as their favorite book character for the school’s second annual Book-o-ween.

“Book-o-ween is a chance for our students to read something that they might not normally pick out,” North Canton Media Specialist Valerie Guyer explained. “I hope that they gained more knowledge today and had fun dressing up.”

To the delight of students, all of North Canton’s faculty and staff dressed up. The front office staff, including Principal Belinda Trantham, greeted students in a morning assembly dressed as Wizard of Oz characters. Grimley, the school’s unofficial dog mascot, even played the part of Toto.

After the morning assembly, students excitedly rotated through classrooms to listen to a variety of books. By the end of the day, students had heard 10 different books, including favorites like “The Day the Crayons Quit,” “Amelia Bedelia,” and “Julia’s House for Lost Creatures.”

“My favorite book I heard today was ‘The Hallo-Weiner,’” Lilly, a first grader who was dressed as Dr. Seuss’ Thing 2, said with a smile. “It was about a dog who rescues his friends on Halloween.”

North Canton was one of several Haywood County Schools that hosted a Book-o-ween event.

Backhoes and boom trucks took center stage at Western North Carolina’s Construction Career Days on October 12 and 13 at the Haywood County Fairgrounds.

The career fair brought out more than 1,100 students from 17 surrounding counties. Area schools that participated included Tuscola, Pisgah, and Central Haywood high schools.

“The Construction Career Expo is a great opportunity for our students to see what is available to them,” Central Haywood High School Principal Rodney Mashburn said. “They have access to local employers, and they’re able to ask questions about the types of jobs that are available.”

Students were given 1.5 hours to talk with more than 30 local and state businesses and organizations in the main building. They learned about everything from how to wire a basic switch to how to become a mason.

Their remaining 1.5 hours was spent operating cranes, backhoes, and other equipment in a hands-on environment.

“I really liked getting to operate the different construction equipment, but my favorite was the tire changing challenge with the NASCAR Technical Institute,” Jay Bradley, a Pisgah senior, said. “I’ve already been accepted to the automotive diesel technology program at Ohio Technical College, so this was like a preview of what’s to come.”

Among the businesses and organizations at the Construction Career Expo was Starr Electric Company, one of the largest and oldest commercial and industrial electrical contracting companies in the Southeast.

“Students have shown a keen interest in the trade,” Jermaine Roach, Starr Electric corporate recruiter, said. “We’re searching for people who want to come work with us right out of high school and also for those interested in attending a four-year university for something related to electrical engineering.”

Roach even made a standing job offer to a high school student on the first day of the career fair based on the student’s interest and demeanor.

The lead sponsor of the Construction Career Expo was Education Services Unlimited, a Mt. Holly education consulting business owned by Tim Eldridge.

Eldridge has been involved with Construction Career Days since it began in 2000. The N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) created the event, but was unable to continue the career fair after 2012 due to changing focus on education outreach.

Eldridge said he was happy to step in as the event coordinator this year and bring Construction Career Days back to Western North Carolina after a four-year hiatus.

“It’s great to see our students using their hands to open their eyes to career opportunities that they didn’t even know about,” Eldridge said. “I’m happy to help the students in Western North Carolina because they are so driven, and they deserve the same opportunities that other students have in the state.”

Eldridge said he hopes to organize another Construction Career Days in the spring of 2018.

Construction Career Days is one of several career-driven events that Haywood County Schools participates in to expose students to a variety of career fields.

Tuscola High School students have been wading the waters and studying the health of Richland Creek over the past several weeks.

The outings to Richland Creek bring curriculum to life in Susanne Miller’s earth/environmental science classes.  Students learned to determine stream velocity, discharge, slope of the channel, depth, and width.

As students traversed the creek, they searched for macroinvertebrates, including water penny beetles and caddisflies.

The water chemistry was also tested during the students’ several trips to Richland Creek. Temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, presence of E. coli, nitrates, and phosphates were all observed. Students also took note of the suspended and bedload sediment.

During Miller’s second trip to the creek, her students teamed up with Cindy Shipman’s Exceptional Children (EC) class to discuss the creek’s ecosystem.

“Surface water studies is an integral part of our curriculum,” Miller explained. “By having my students teach Ms. Shipman’s students, my students reinforced what they learned on their first trip. Both classes worked well together, and I look forward to having them on future trips.”

Based on the tests and physical conditions observed by the students, they determined that Richland Creek is healthy.

The creek studies were funded in large part by Pigeon River fund grants written in conjunction with geoscientists from Western Carolina University.

A local Olympic silver medalist visited Bethel Elementary School to inspire students and share her love learning.

Lauren Tamayo, an Asheville resident, won a silver medal in cycling at the 2012 London Olympics. She has been a professional cyclist for 15 years.

More than 120 students who participated in Bethel Elementary’s summer reading program and summer camp were surprised by Tamayo last month at a party to celebrate their achievements.

Every summer, Bethel Elementary opens its library on Tuesdays for students to check out books and spend time reading with their families. Students who came to the library more than five times over summer break were invited to the reading celebration.

Tamayo talked with students about her Olympic experience and even passed around her silver medal.

“Our students were so excited to meet an Olympic athlete,” Diana Gray, Bethel Elementary media coordinator, said. “Students asked meaningful questions and left the celebration feeling like they could accomplish their goals.”

Tamayo told students that in her senior yearbook, she was quoted as saying that her dream was to compete in the Olympics. She emphasized that anything is possible with hard work and dedication.