Schools

Matoaca’s Mahan gets top honor

By Caleb M Soptelean on May 14, 2019 Schools, Teachers

Kelly Mahan, center, is flanked by her husband, Chris, on left, and children, Max, 5, Ava, 3, and Henry, 7. Also pictured is CCPS chief academic officer Sharon Pope. (Caleb M. Soptelean photos) Kelly Mahan holds the cake that was made for her celebration last week. A Matoaca High School sports medicine and health and physical education teacher was recently named Chesterfield County Public Schools’ High School Teacher of the Year. Kelly Mahan, 39, was chosen from among 14 teachers who won the top teacher awards at their Chesterfield high schools. School district officials presented Mahan with the award during…

CCPS teachers of the year

By Press release on May 14, 2019 Schools, Teachers

Chesterfield County Public Schools’ teachers of the year from the Village News’ coverage area are listed below. Elementary schools •Bellwood Elementary: Amanda McCullough •Bensley Elementary: Kelly McDougald •Beulah Elementary: Lauren Pilgrim •Marguerite Christian Elementary: Sarah Robenson •Curtis Elementary: Kimberly Burnett •Ecoff Elementary: Lauren Watts •Enon Elementary: Debra Lewis •Ettrick Elementary: Anna Reilly •Falling Creek Elementary: Mark Erickson •Gates Elementary: Crystal Walker •Harrowgate Elementary: Kristen Callan •Hening Elementary: Shawn Sthreshley •Hopkins Elementary: Lauren Harlow •Jacobs Road Elementary: Ashley Carroll •Matoaca Elementary: Christa Godfrey •Salem Church Elementary: Melissa Anderson •Elizabeth Scott Elementary: Kaitlyn Festa •Wells Elementary: Lisa Coffey Middle schools •Carver Middle:…

Off to Germany

By Press release on May 14, 2019 Community, Schools

Matoaca High School student Ian Thornbrugh, a rising senior, has received the prestigious Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange scholarship. The scholarship, which is co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and German Bundestag (Parliament), awards 250 American high school students. Thornbrugh will spend the school year in Germany living with a host family, attending a German high school, and participating in a four-week language and cultural immersion camp to gain a better understanding of German culture, language and everyday life.

Little Library

By Press release on May 14, 2019 Activities, Community, Schools

First-grade teacher Jennifer Ferguson is about to cut the ribbon April 25 at a ceremony for a Little Library at C.C. Wells Elementary School. As part of a Project Based Learning project, first-graders were challenged with a questions such as, “How can we build and collect books for a Little Library to help give back to our community?” They designed blueprints for a Little Library and hosted a school-wide book drive to collect books to stock the library. (Maureen Capel photo)

Education assn. calls Mayday after two teachers assaulted

By Becky Wright on May 7, 2019 Police, Schools, Teachers

A teacher from Thomas Dale High School was assaulted while in the classroom on Wednesday, April 22, and the injuries sent the teacher to the hospital, police said. As a result, the Chesterfield Educational Association sounded a Mayday. “It was reported that a 15-year-old male student threw his backpack and two chairs at a (female) teacher,” Chesterfield police spokeswoman Elizabeth Caroon said. “During the incident, the student also damaged a school laptop and pulled a fire alarm.The woman, whose glasses were broken during the incident, was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A police officer filed a…

Longtime music teacher reflects on career

By Danielle Ozbat on May 7, 2019 Schools, Teachers

On June 14, Curtis Elementary will be saying goodbye to its music teacher. Randy McConnell has taught at the elementary school for 25 years. All told, McConnell has been teaching for 39 years, including time in Tennessee, North Carolina and Lunenberg County, Va. He said he is retiring because it’s time. “Someone told me years ago, ‘Randy, you’ll know when it’s time,’ and I did. I know it’s time.” A native of east Tennessee, McConnell – who plays piano and organ – had an affinity for music at a young age. It was his choice to take lessons he said,…

American Idol contestant visits elementary students

By Press release on May 7, 2019 Activities, Community, Schools

Thomas Dale High School seniors recently visited Marguerite Christian Elementary School in their gradation gowns. Coralei Waller, Abby Moore and Lily Lashley are pictured with senior Shayla Winn, who recently was a national contestant on American Idol and advanced to the Top 40 in Hawaii. (Gena Lashley photo)

L.C. Bird robotics team reaps success at int’l competition

By Danielle Ozbat on April 30, 2019 Activities, Community, Schools

L.C. Bird senior Sierra Gotshall prepares batteries for an international robotics competition. L.C. Bird High School’s robotics team won a divisional championship at an international competition in Detroit over the weekend, and ultimately placed fourth out of 408 teams at the FIRST, or For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, event. Coach Steven Wagner attributed the RoboHawks’ success to a strategy. “Their stellar performance resulted from the coach and drivers formulating a match strategy that was based on data collected from each prior match that characterized the other 67 teams’ performance and capabilities,” Wagner said, referring to the number…

New Harrowgate Elementary School coming

By Caleb M Soptelean on April 23, 2019 School Board, Schools

A new Harrowgate Elementary School is on the way after Chesterfield County officials broke ground at 4000 Cougar Trail last week. The new 782-student school will replace the current 760-student school located at 15501 Harrowgate Road, which was built in 1960. The new school will be built next to Carver Middle School, and local officials touted that as a benefit for students. School board member Carrie Coyner said the new Harrowgate School will be identical to the new Enon Elementary School. Harrowgate was originally supposed to be renovated, but because of a planned road (the East-West Corridor), county officials decided…

Former TDHS assistant principal now at Carver Middle School

By Caleb M Soptelean on April 23, 2019 Community, Schools

Carver Middle School underwent an unexpected change recently when it got a new principal. Principals Anthony McLaurin and Jason Trueblood were administratively switched in January, with the former heading to Carver and the latter going to the Chesterfield Juvenile Detention Home. McLaurin was the principal at the detention home for 18 months before coming to Carver. He was previously an assistant principal in Richmond and at Thomas Dale High School. He has been in education for 13 years after earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from Hampton University and master’s and doctorate degrees in educational leadership from Virginia State…

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