On October 13th, our very own astronomy teacher, Mr. Jeter, was declared “Teacher of the Year”, and he could not be any happier.

“It is a wonderful feeling to be recognized by my peers,” Jeter said, “especially because of the tremendous respect that I have for my colleagues.”

The way the process works is that all of the school’s faculty members – including our teachers and staff – nominate several of their fellow teachers, and then individually vote on who they all believe deserves the award most. On top of the elation he got from the recognition, the award held a very personal meaning for him, as both of his parents dedicated their lives to teaching as well.

“Both of my parents were fantastic educators – my Dad won Teacher of the Year many times. I knew when I started that I had some big shoes to fill, so now winning this award is that much more meaningful to me,” Jeter said.

While the student favorite is extremely proud and excited by recieving the award, he still feels somewhat modest about his chances of being the District’s Teacher of the Year

“I filled out an application, got recommendations, and wrote several essays for it (the District Award). I guess I’ll found out in the next few months if I qualify for the next level.”

Douglas stands behind Jeter as its candidate for the award, and will do so until next spring when the county announces its winner, who along with the honor will also receive a cash prize, commemorative ring, and additional gifts.