Abig announcement was made at the Newcastle Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, March 12. This year’s Teacher of the Year was selected out of the school’s previously announced site Teachers of the Year.
As Superintendent of Schools Dr. Cathy Walker rhetorically asked for a drumroll, many of the more than 100 audience members did their best drumroll impression. That led to the unrolling of a white and Racer blue banner announcing middle school math teacher Rebecca Grider as the 2023-24 NPS Teacher of the Year.
Grider will represent Newcastle Schools in the State Teacher of the Year competition, Dr. Walker said.
Rebecca Grider was announced as Newcastle Schools’ Teacher of the Year last week. She is with Assistant Superintendent Kristi Ferguson, Superintendent Dr. Cathy Walker, and Grider’s daughters, Marie and Elana.
• photo by Mark Codner
“We have a wonderful group of Site Teachers of the Year, and it made it very difficult for the committee to reach a decision,” she said.
Earlier in the evening, Middle School Principal Wade Hampton took on the task of presenting Grider as the NMS Site Teacher of the Year. He said Grider had served in the Air Force for eight years. She is a secondary school teacher of seven years experience and she taught at Oklahoma University.
Hampton said he was in desperate need of a math teacher at the middle school, “someone who could turn the math program around from the inside.” Hampton said he was introduced to Grider through Executive Director of Academics Jonathan Atchley.
Hampton said he and Grider met, and he hired her on the spot.
Hampton said Grider is the mother of two daughters, Elana and Marie. One is a student at the elementary school and one will be at the early childhood center next year. Her husband, Phillip, is a physical therapist.
“There’s always a kid in her room. She makes math easy to understand, and fun for kids,” Hampton said. “She cares about the students, stays late, and will do anything the school needs her to do.”
Site Teachers of the Year had been announced earlier this year. They were introduced again at the board meeting. They are: Shannon Chlouber, early childhood center; Megan Bailes, lower elementary school; Alicia Gilmore, upper elementary school; Grider, middle school; Abigail Schmitz, high school; and Taylor Westmoreland, Tri City Learning Academy.
During the recognition, the teachers were provided goodie bags from the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce on behalf of local businesses and individuals.
