From left Linda Lucas, John Hennessey, Missy Hennessey, Dr. James Lane, Donna Dalton, Tony Lucas, Beth Lucas, John Erbach, Dr. Joe Tylus, and Dr. Laura Hebert.
Three Chesterfield County teachers were lauded and lavished with balloons and flowers as choices for the 2017 – 2018 Teachers of the Year for elementary, middle and high school and county wide Teacher Elementary School Teacher of the Year and Robious Elementary’s Teacher of the Year;
Katherine Byers is Chesterfield’s Middle School Teacher of the Year and Midlothian’s Middle School Teacher of the Year; and Beth Lucas is Chesterfield’s High School Teacher of the Year and Bird High’s Teacher of the Year.
John Erbach, Dale District representative on the Chesterfield County School Board, praised Lucas for her dedication to her students.
“Mrs. Lucas is one of those teachers that lights up the whole building with her presence. She really loves her students,” Erbach said. “I’ve seen her teach class outside on nice days–my favorite teachers always did that.”
Three teachers who were profiled in the Terrific Teachers series in this space also got their schools’ Teacher of the Year award: Kyle Berchtold, Susan Wilson and Harvey “Dave” Duncan.
Berchtold is Carver Middle’s Teacher of the Year, and in addition to teaching English and social studies, he teaches night lab for Homebound at Matoaca High School, after school remediation, and has a basketball book club. In his profile, he praised his co-teacher, Terri Faison, as being one of the reasons he loves going to work.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do this without some of my colleagues. I have a co-teacher [Faison] in first and third block but she is probably one of the most influential people I’ve ever worked with,” Berchtold said. “She’s not afraid to tell me when I need to change something or when something’s not working, which is helpful, I mean just because I’m having a good time doesn’t mean the kids are.”
Susan Wilson, the third-grade elementary school teacher who was profiled for the handwritten letters she mailed to her students, is Wells Elementary’s Teacher of the Year and, like Berchtold, she commended her colleagues in aiding in her growth as a teacher.
“I’m just honored for the school to even be recognized by my peers and colleagues … but it really is a team effort,” Wilson said. “I couldn’t do my job without the wonderful administration that we have or without my coworkers; or even without the parents, without their support, the students wouldn’t make much growth.”
Duncan is Thomas Dale’s Teacher of the Year and he said he was humbled by the accolade.
“I don’t know if I deserve it, to be honest with you. I look at all the people who teach here, who have taught here [and]once again, I’m humbled by the whole idea of it because it is a faculty-voted thing, and that means a lot,” Duncan said. “My son goes to Thomas Dale and I always reflect back on the teachers he’s had that I’ve had a different experience with – and this is a big school, there’s 130+ teachers in this building and some you really get to know and some you want to know and some you don’t get a chance to know in the school year – [and]I definitely think through my son and all the teachers I’ve connected with, there’s a lot of deserving teachers in this building so [I’m] honored … and humbled by it at the same time.”
