Mr. Boheler is great at engaging the student in vocational training. He has been creative with repurposing old furniture, spring garden, an outdoor sandbox amongst other projects. He visits the job sites and supports the job coach / student pair. He is good at networking with businesses in the community to seek out new opportunities  for all EC students . We are extremely lucky to have him as the transitional facilitator.

Ms. Boylan communicates regularly with families, she emphasizes the core standards of reading, writing and functional math, and also provides appropriate enrichment opportunities for all her students. She is great at collaborating with her colleagues to expand learning experiences for her students.We are very fortunate to have her.

Ms. Terri is empathetic, patient and supportive of our EC students. She supports the team in the many roles she fills during a busy week in our classroom.We are very grateful to her.

Ms. Tracy is caring, empathetic and supportive of our EC students. She accompanied my student for a field trip with the inclusion chorus elective class . She does a great job supporting her meaningful inclusion in her elective classes. Thank you so much for sharing your gifts with us.

Ms Agee has always been very open to find new ways to help my student who has dyscalculia. We love her!!

Ms Brausch worked hard to help set up an IEP for my son when we moved from Korea midsemester. 

She goes above and beyond in helping our child, even as he has challenging behaviors. She is a patient, consistent advocate and ally for our child.

He is a supportive educator and case manager, who is patient and thorough with our child and communicates all aspects of our child’s education with our family.

Mary's dedication, professionalism, talent, and work are nothing short of exceptional. Throughout the years, she has been one of the most important pillars in our daughter's development and a huge source of support for the whole family. We are grateful beyond words for everything she does for our daughter and for all the kids in CHCCS. We love you Mary!!

Coach Rivas has continually gone above and beyond her official job duties to care for many students, both on and off her official caseload.  Her room is known by the students as a safe haven, particularly if they are struggling with something and are seeking her advice and guidance.  She is always warm and welcoming to students as well as parents, whether at school or another function such as an athletic event.  She is very deserving of being recognized for her heroic efforts, and we wish to express our immense gratitude for how she has supported our daughter (and our whole family) at East in a caring and compassionate way. 

Anne has worked with my son for several years.  She always goes above and beyond to help him be the best he can be, helping him learn to communicate better to be more involved in the world around him.  We're so grateful to have her working with him and we're so lucky to have someone like her.  She has also worked with me to help learn more about my son’s communication device.   She truly cares about her students and is definitely making a difference one student at a time.  She is the best speech therapist we have ever worked with.  CHCCS is so lucky to have her.

Cassie has worked with my son for several years.  She is so dedicated and works to help my son be his best, helping him to learn the needed skills he will use throughout life.  She advocates for him at IEP meetings.  She communicates with me often and shares skills with me to work on at home with him.  She is the best school OT we have ever had.  We are so lucky to have her working with us and CHCCS is so lucky to have such a highly qualified OT working with the students.  She is making such a difference with our child and all of her students.  We hope she will be there throughout our son’s last years in school.

Ms Vrooman has been such a great teacher for my son.  My son has special needs and she encourages him to use his creativity to mold and paint.  The hands on aspect of ceramics has been so great for his OT.  He is so excited about picking the colors for his projects and has such pride in showing me his accomplishments.  Some teachers wouldn't bother to work with my son because it can be challenging, but Ms Vrooman really goes the extra mile to include him.  She is really making a difference in my son’s life and bringing out an artistic side of him that we had never seen.  We feel so blessed to have her working with our son.

Ms Dennison works with my son with EC Transition services.  She has been like a breath of fresh air, always willing to help my son and us as parents.  She has the most positive and uplifting attitude, always available to answer any questions.  She devotes her on time, unpaid, to make sure the EC students can also enjoy their high school prom experience, just like their neurotypical peers.  She is helping our son develop skills to live his best life possible after high school.  She has been an advocate for us during IEP meetings.  We are so grateful to have her in our lives and hope that she will be with my son until he graduates.

Ms Kruger was my son’s teacher in middle school.  She continues to stay in touch and communicates important information to us.  She has remained interested and involved with our son.  She, on her own time, has worked to make sure that EC students can be involved in their high school prom with their peers.  She has been an advocate for us to make sure our son is getting the best education possible.  We are so grateful for her.

Ms Betts has been filling in for our son’s class this entire year as they are without a permanent teacher.  She has been kind and caring and has made a difficult situation less difficult.  She truly cares about her students.  We are so grateful for her.

She’s loving, compassionate and understanding of our challenges and our kids different challenges. A good listener who displays genuine concern for our kid’s welfare. We look forward to seeing her receive our kid every morning.

Ms Gina is one of our son’s TAs.  She works with him 1:1 at times.  She is very kind and caring and communicates with us about his daily activities, which means a lot to us as our son is semi- verbal.  She has such a positive attitude and greets our son with a smile every morning.  She became more involved with him after one of his TAs suddenly passed away and she has made this transition smoother for our son.  We are so grateful she is working with him.

Ms Bonnie is our son’s EC music teacher.  She works with him on Thursdays and has worked with him for several years.  He absolutely loves music and he so looks forward to her class every week.  It's truly his favorite day of the week because of Ms Bonnie!  Our son is semi verbal but loves to sing.  We feel that we really reach him through music, and Ms Bonnie makes such an effort to let him express his talents.  We are so grateful she is in our son’s life and she is truly making a difference by bringing music to our children!

Ms. Deinert is so caring and kind.  She always goes above and beyond, always available to help answer questions.  She has helped our EC students to attend their high school prom with their neurotypical peers and has chaperoned on her own time, without pay, just to make sure our children can have this wonderful experience.  She is very involved and truly cares about our EC students.  We are so grateful for her.

Radha works with our son during his music class.  Our son is semi-verbal but loves singing.  Music class is probably his favorite class and he looks forward to it every week.  We are so thankful for Radha.  She helps our son express through music what he can't always express in words.

Ms. Catt provides a safe space for all of her students. She is able to teach each student meeting them directly where their needs lie. Ms. Catt utilizes positive reinforcement to praise success as well as to boost current levels of performance. We are so fortunate to have Ms. Catt!

Mr. Rice is able to get on each student’s level and push them beyond. I’m impressed with his ability to connect with each student.

Mrs. Weir has had such a big impact on my son since she arrived at Ephesus!  There are many teachers that have helped him achieve his potential along the way, but Mrs. Weir is special.  He would not be where he is today without her!  

Ms. Murphy does an amazing job of breaking down large, complex, creative projects into digestible components for our neurodivergent children. By providing her instruction in such a focused manner, our kids have been able to learn new skills without fear of failure, and have been able to express themselves creatively without being overwhelmed by the number of choices, steps involved, etc. in the creative process. Ms. Murphy makes "art day" the best day of the week, every week for our kids!

Ms. Del Valle has been amazing this year. Her ability to connect with our son and help him understand vital social / emotional concepts has helped him become more patient, flexible, and resilient this year. Ms. Del Valle cares about him as a person and sees all the things that he is and all the things that he is capable of. She is part of an amazing team at FPGB, and that starts with her. Her organization, her care, her ability (and willingness) to communicate and share ideas makes her an ideal partner for us as parents. We consider ourselves SO lucky that Ms. Del Valle and the team at FPGB have been part of his journey. We don't know where we would be without them.

Ms. Jessica is an amazing teacher who brings fun and positive energy into her classroom.  She makes the kids feel important and empowered.  We are forever grateful for her hard work and dedication to her students.

Mr. Tavis is a fun teacher who is dedicated to his students and their success, whether in the classroom, on a field trip or a pick-up basketball game.  Thank you Mr. Tavis!

Mr. Dallas is a great teacher who is not only the tallest, but will hang out listening to country music and play pick up basketball.  His greatness has been noticed, as I think everyone at MMS wants him in their department.  He is dedicated to our kids and their success.  Thank you Mr. Dallas!

Ms Rodriguez has also been very responsive to my emails, and wanting to help my son be as successful as he can. She has also been encouraging and kind and even watched his wrestling matches!!

Ms. Cuany manages connects with students both academically and emotionally, and creates a safe atmosphere to embrace their strengths and challenges. She allows students to be themselves which fosters their openness to new ideas. She truly cares for students and embraces inclusion with every choice she makes as an educator. We are forever grateful for Ms. Cuany.

Ms. K is not only a phenomenal educator, she is also an amazing advocate for her students. We are so lucky to have her!

While every teacher at MGE is incredible and deserving of recognition, Ms. Kimberly has a special gift for seeing the potential in every child. She focuses on their strengths and celebrates every milestone, no matter how small. Her positive and encouraging attitude - and ability to help each child to be seen - is incredibly valuable for children who may struggle with self-esteem or feel discouraged by their challenges. Her patience, kindness, positivity, and dedication is inspiring. Thank you, Ms. Kimberly!

Mrs. Jeter ensures that her classroom is welcoming and inclusive for all students, encouraging kindness toward and understanding of those who are different. She supports my daughter with the accommodations she needs to feel regulated and safe in the classroom. For example, Mrs. Jeter lets my daughter hold sensory toys, helps her take breaks when she’s feeling dysregulated and adapts her assignments to meet her where she is. Every day, Mrs. Jeter shows care, respect and thoughtfulness toward  my daughter’s unique needs, strengths and challenges. Her sunny disposition, deep belief in children’s autonomy and love for her students of all abilities make her a super star teacher and person! 

Ms. Kassidy supports my daughter, who has autism, every day by helping her with her assignments and self-care needs. She even put timers on her phone to help remind my daughter to use the bathroom, as my daughter struggles with saying when she needs to go. She is kind, loving and sweet to all of her students, always offering warmth and encouraging words. Ms. Kassidy is a wonderful teacher and person! 

Ms. Naylor is my daughter’s EC resource teacher. From day one, she expressed a deep interest in learning what works for my daughter academically, and she consistently implements creative, adaptive assignments to keep my daughter engaged in her work. She responds to my many queries with thoughtful care and detail. And she has been an amazing partner in making decisions for my daughter during IEP meetings. I am so grateful for Ms. Naylor!

Ms. Sarah has been my daughter’s speech therapist for about a year now. She has provided her expertise and excellent insight during my daughter’s IEP meetings and treats my daughter with respect, care and thoughtfulness. At a kindergarten transition meeting, I expressed that my daughter would need help getting to the car at pickup time. Ms. Sarah immediately volunteered to walk my daughter to the car so that she would be safe. She supported this accommodation, showing deep respect for my daughter’s needs. Ms. Sarah is awesome! 

Ms. Devan has been my daughter’s occupational therapist for a year now. In that time, she has helped my daughter improve her fine motor skills significantly. She also helps my daughter walk to the car at pickup time. She is a kind-hearted and patient person. We are so grateful for her!

Ms. Deal has been working more than what I can express. Her dedication of teaching, love, care, guidance, thoughtful help, made his middle school  successful in fitting, learning, enjoying, participating, developing and growing. I do owe a lot to her. She is very thorough, lovely, passionate, gentle, and encouraging of myself as well as my son. We have been so lucky. I strongly wish that chccs acknowledge teachers like her.

I have known Ms.O’Dore for 7 years since Rashkis Elementary School. My oldest son’s 5th grade teacher, and then my other son’s 5th grade teacher, and art teacher at Philips. So, I can say a lot about her with great confidence. She is a wonderful teacher with a great mind that accepts any student for anything. When she was at Rashkis, she helped him in a creative way for more vocabulary, more talk and effective communication. I’ve never seen that he couldn’t wait for the next day to go to school. She was such an inspiration for education. His verbal development progressed. We were extremely relieved when we saw her on “Meet the teachers” evening at Philips. Having her as an art teacher has been another huge blessing for us. She allowed him to explore art just like other kids and allow opportunities. We also owe tremendous appreciation. It has been making him have another successful developmental time at middle school. We thank her for years at CHCCS.

We are so grateful for Mrs. Simon Ross’s incredible work with our daughter. Mrs. Simon Ross provides a wonderful, enriching and supportive environment for her adapted curriculum students. She established goals for my daughter rooted in early math and literacy development and believes in her every step of the way.  Our student has made so much progress under her care. We are so grateful!

Our years in the AC classroom with Ms Karlen, Ms Courtney, and Mr Nab have been such a wonderful experience. Our son loves going to school everyday, and the dedication they put on the kids is awesome. We're going to miss you all next year!

She uses her skill to improve our son’s outcomes. Since he started in Ms Leah’s class in January there has been a lot of positive improvement in his development. She is always providing us with tips to work with at home as well. 

I have had the opportunity to work with Takeeta during the 2023-2024 school year. Takeeta encompasses Rita Pierson's famous quote, "Every child deserves a champion-an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be." She is truly every child's champion! Takeeta arrives each day determined to make the day better for her students and coworkers. She meets children where they're at and through patience and grace helps them become their best selves. Takeeta sets the bar high, encourages children if they falter, and cheers them on at each win.

During a year of significant transitions at my son's school, Ms. R. has continued to go above and beyond in supporting the students in the adapted curriculum classroom.  From always finding positive developments to reinforce (without sugarcoating the challenges) to providing preferred snacks for the students, it is clear she cares deeply for her students and wants the best for each and every one of them.

Ms. Hooker has been a steady, consistent presence in the adapted curriculum classroom for several years.  This year her ability to connect with the students and serve as a bridge to parents was particularly critical.  She kept the class focused and productive at times of great uncertainty this school year.

Miss Amy has been a wonderful presence in the lives, not just speech therapy sessions, of the adapted curriculum students.  She has taken the time to know each student and appeal to their interests in order to encourage communication.  This year she has been invaluable to families in advocating for improvements and competence in the classroom.  She always goes above and beyond the scope of an SLP to make the entire educational experience as worthwhile and successful as possible for each of her students. 

Miss AnaAustin has found meaningful ways to engage students this year beyond her defined OT sessions with them.  She has been a fierce advocate for improvements in the adapted curriculum classroom at a time when those students most needed someone in their corner.  Her impact on their fine motor life and academic skills goes without saying.  What distinguishes AnaAustin is her dedication to their entire school experience. 

She goes above and beyond to make our son have interest and love for school. The bond between them is amazing to watch.

What would we do without Mary? Mary is the gold standard of school physical therapy. She has shown exceptional care for my daughter and our family over the years. She simplifies my life by helping coordinate multiple providers when braces or equipment fails. She always thinks critically about mobility needs and has all the right goals to make sure our child progresses.  She is known and loved by all those who work with her. Mary is known, loved, and respected within the PT community, ATP community and orthotist community and because of this students receive the best care. She is an integral part of the community at Rashkis. She goes above and beyond in all she does and we could not be more grateful for her. 

Ms. Menz has been doing speech therapy in the district for a long time and is retiring this year! If ever she deserves a SNAColade, this is the year. Thank you Ms. Menz for everything you have done for our children throughout your career. You are a caring, thoughtful, and effective educator and we will miss you very much!

Ms. Sharp consistently exudes energy and warmth, fostering an environment where you feel welcomed to discuss anything concerning your child. She keenly observes your child and brainstorm unique strategies to support their growth and development.

My daughter has often mentioned how hard she works at school. One day, I suggested she work hard at home too. She replied, 'But Ms. Maddi is nicer than you.' I couldn't help but laugh at her response. However, it also made me deeply grateful for the positive influence Ms. Maddi has on my daughter. This year, I've witnessed significant growth in my daughter's confidence.

Ms. Melissa Barry is an exceptional and compassionate teacher who goes above and beyond to support her students and their families. Her dedication and understanding of the challenges faced by exceptional children make her a valuable resource and a trusted friend. Through her regular communication and genuine care, she creates a safe and nurturing environment for her students, allowing them to thrive and feel supported in their educational journey.

Ms. Taybron truly cares about her students and their success.  She even brought them to watch the show to enrich their learning experience and create more learning opportunities for them.  She tries her best to help the parents to navigate the path when she sees they might need some help.  We are so blessed to have her.

Ms. Danka always tries her best to help special needs children whenever possible. She spends extra time and effort to accommodate their needs and make sure they will have the full opportunity to learn. We are so blessed to have her and hate to see her leaving Smith Middle School.

Dr. Hawkins cares about our children and makes sure they will have great opportunities to learn in school.  He spends extra effort to give individualized attention to each child.  We are so lucky to have him in our school.

Ms. Neville not only is a gifted teacher, very nurturing, but also gives just the right amount of challenge to our children.  When she told me in email: "I do know that he has an IEP and I offered NO help to him in learning the percussion part because I wanted to see what he could do.  He did GREAT!  ", words cannot describe my gratitude.  We are so lucky to have her.  She is a great example of an educator.

Ms. Garcia-Johnson took my child in without any hesitation, an IEP student who struggles reading comprehension.  We all know it is very difficult to teach a special Ed child.  However, she has the magic.  We cannot believe that her class has become one of his favorites.  We are so blessed to have her.

I have not had the time to directly contact Ms. Fry, however, based on my child's progress, I think she has magic!  He struggles on reading comprehension and he told me that he is confident that he will make progress this year because he thinks she is a very good teacher--he has speech delay.  Hearing his words and also feeling his happiness--makes me feel so happy with our school system.  We are so blessed to have her!  Somehow, she makes this difficult class a joy for him.

Mr. Bennard is UNC Children’s Hospital Teacher, Head Coach for Smith MS Wrestling.  He opens a window/door for our special needs children.  He is a great example of a true educator.  Seeing so many not so sporty students grow in his program is almost like seeing God's great works.  It is amazing.  We are so blessed to have him in our school.  The educational opportunity that he offers is priceless.

Mr. Sleeman provides great opportunities for our special Ed students, in a way that is fair, not as a favor.  It warms our hearts to be treated not really in a special way, but in a fair way--to give our children a good opportunity to learn/grow like their peers.  He let our child perform the National Anthem in the final match of his favorite sport--which is a great example of American spirit.  We are so blessed to have him in our school.

Ms. Hudson has been with my child for a long time.  We can count on her to give him the best education.  We trust her.  She has given him the best IEP.  She has his best interest in her heart.  We are so blessed to have her for all these years.

Ms. Treml is a true educator.  She also helps to navigate the parents through the paths.  When I see her smiling face, I know it will be OK.  We are so blessed to have her.

Mr. Brown is my child Math teacher, coach for cross country team and track and field.  He is a great example of a true educator.  My child wants to become a math teacher and coach:)

Ms. Hughey supports students with kind patience and keeps parents updated about students’ growth and aspects for improvement. I’m especially impressed by her taking time to answer my girl’s emails outside of school. We feel so lucky to have her!

Our family always receives her support promptly. She advocates for resources that EC students deserve for their growth.