El Dorado School District students Ethan Hammons of Barton Junior High and Chardesia George of El Dorado High School and teachers Jill Humphreys of BJHS and Katherine Mobbs of EHS, were honored during the regular monthly meeting of the El Dorado School Board Monday night.
Hammons is an eighth-grade student at BJHS and the son of Michael and Tricia Hammons and Amber Blackmon. The teacher nominating Hammons for the award said he excels in academics, athletics and extracurricular activities and he placed second at the Regional Math Competition. He will attend state competition later this month. He competes in swimming with the HealthWorks Hurricanes AAU team and the Central Arkansas Sports Club Racers USA Team. He also competes with the Robotics Team.
His principal, Sherry Hill, said, “He strives to be the best in everything he attempts. He is inquisitive, interesting and earnest. I predict Ethan will be running some corporation someday, or discovering a cure for a dreaded disease, or writing some new computer program that will revolutionize something – or maybe all three, while also writing the next great American novel.”
George is a senior at EHS, the daughter of Carl and Dana George. Her principal, Alva Reibe, said she nominated her because of “her outstanding student qualities.” She shows “remarkable leadership in her school work, in her extracurricular activities and in her character.” She has a 4.0 grade point average and plans to attend Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia and major in accounting.
George was the point guard for the EHS Lady Cats basketball team, and “she has a great attitude and is very respectful,” works in the principal’s office and “has an outstanding work ethic which will carry her far in college. She is the student who always does what is asked and does so immediately and with respect,” the teacher nominating her for the award wrote.
Humphreys received her bachelor of arts degree in history and science from Arkansas Tech University. She started with the El Dorado School District in 1997 at West Woods Elementary, taught several years at Rogers and began teaching science at Barton in 2002. She presently teaches robotics and media classes. Humphreys and her husband, Greg, have two children – Caroline at EHS and Ben at WMS.
Co-workers nominating Humphreys said she is “willing to take the time to help another teacher” and “has given up many Saturdays to travel and sponsor the Barton robotics competition team.” She is “rarely absent, well prepared, kind to students and staff, positive, challenges her students and is willing to help anyone in need.” Her principal, Hill, said she is dependable and helpful in all areas. “She was a tremendous help in technology to teachers during the PARCC testing. She strives to create challenging and engaging activities for her students.”
Mobbs received her bachelor of science degree in secondary math education from Arkansas Tech University. She is currently working towards a master’s degree in secondary gifted and talented education. She has three years teaching experience – all at EHS. Those nominating Mobbs said she “pushes all her students to become life learners and lovers of math and ‘being nerds.’” She is “super organized, smart and encourages her students and keeps her class moving around and involved in the lesson. She refuses to give up, is constantly searching for good professional development” and is a “wonderful support to her fellow teachers.”
Her principal, Reibe, said she is “a teacher who is determined to win students over to her content – math – to engage students in learning and to encourage students to always do their best.”