Friday pep rally pumps up Dougherty County educators
Staff Photo: Alan Mauldin
Staff Photo: Alan Mauldin
Staff Photo: Alan Mauldin
Staff Photo: Alan Mauldin
By Alan Mauldin
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ALBANY – Hundreds of Dougherty County School System employees got psyched for the upcoming school year Friday with a rousing pep rally that filled the bleachers of the gym at the Albany State University West Campus.
On hand Friday to motivate the crowd, which included teachers, administrators, facilities and maintenance workers, and law enforcement officers, was Lucretia Prince, chosen by School Superintendent Ken Dyer.
One of the employees who didn’t seem to need a pep talk was the system’s 2024 Teacher of the Year, Nikie Stephens.
The pre-K instructor, who has taught in the system for 11 years, even sent out her own text encouraging her fellow educators ahead of the start of the 2024-2025 school year that begins on Wednesday.
“I’m excited,” Stephens said during an interview outside the gym. “Every school year is a new year to love on my students and teach them. The young babies, they need you.”
In a classroom of 20 students, the pre-K teachers deal with students in varying degrees of readiness, from those who need training in basic classroom behavior to those who arrive with some basic skills. The 30 or so watchers and paraprofessionals at the Magnolia Early Childhood Learning Center deal with those basic instructions while also putting the students on the path to reading and the other skills they will need for a lifetime of learning.
“Another thing that I love is building the social and emotional skills of students,” Stephens said.
For the teacher who has also taught kindergarten, second grade and early intervention during her career, education runs in the family. Stephens’ mother is a retired teacher.
“It’s hard work, but it’s worth it,” she said. “I always knew I enjoyed the atmosphere and learning. For me it was my kindergarten teacher showing the passion and love for learning. Being able to be myself with the children … that’s what builds learning.”
Another aspect of teaching that the veteran educator enjoys comes outside the classroom.
“We focus on building relationships and making sure these parents understand the importance of having relationships with teachers and letting them (students) know they can be anything they want to,” Stephens said. “The development of what you are going to become in the world starts early.”
In her text to her colleagues, she wrote: “This school will be filled with love and excitement. As we embark upon this journey, let’s make the most of it. New beginnings, new adventures, new friendships, new opportunities and also new challenges are upon us.”
As he greeted the returning employees, Dyer discussed his goals for the pep rally.
“This is a great opportunity to get all the employees together to celebrate the successes we’ve had over the last few years and to continue the success,” he said.
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