BY GWEN HAYES
Sentinel Editor
Teachers in Hillsborough County officially returned to their classrooms on Monday, August 12, 2013. However, many of them have been in the classroom all summer – taking additional classes, getting recertified, or mentoring other students. They will open their doors to students on Tuesday, August 20, 2013. Among the 15,000 teachers who went back to work on August 12, 2013, were 800 newly hired teachers.
Many new teachers to Hillsborough County and East Tampa were treated to a get acquainted breakfast at Middleton High School on Thursday morning. Mrs. Evangeline Best coordinated the event.
According to the School District, an estimated 199,800 students will be starting school this fall.
Debra Dawkins Underwood, will be returning to classes at Nathan B. Young Middle Magnet Creative Science School.
“Our principal, APs and teachers have spent a lot of time on making the school appealing to the students. When the students get on the school grounds, the landscaping and scenery around them will make them want to be in school, want to work hard for better grades and that’s what we’re expecting,” she said in her own excitement.
Because of the resources available to the school, she said, “we have a really smart group of students and that can be attributed to our Lead Teacher, Ms. Jennifer Butler.” Ms. Nadine Johnson is the principal at Young.
As the parent of a 4-year-old son, Mrs. Underwood said she’s also excited about her son “transitioning into the 4-year-old age group. He has been tutored throughout the summer to get him prepared for the next age group. I know he’s ready.” Because of his birthday, little Antwaun, III is being prepared to be ready for the next age group.
Like most of the instructors, Mrs. Tameca Johnson (pictured above) is ready to get back into the classroom.
“I’m ready to get started! My students can fully expect another year of getting nothing short of my very best. I have a lot of ground to cover with them in the area of Journalism; such as, building confidence and a passion for writing, developing their interviewing and public speaking skills, while helping them also develop a strong knowledge base of current events.
“But, I am not alone in this effort to help bring out the best in our children. I am just one in a group of extremely committed and passionate teachers at Howard W. Blake High School who are experts in their craft. They are teachers who do not take lightly being a positive influence for our students and making a lifelong difference in their lives.”
Mrs. Johnson is also a parent who is hopeful that her children will receive the same education from passionate teacher that she is sharing.
“I am a mother of three. My oldest is on this same mission. She is a former science teacher and now a first year Assistant Principal at an elementary school in Jacksonville. My youngest two are public school students; and the traits I mentioned are those I look for in their teachers as well.”
A new teacher to the District is Ms. Maressa Hawkins. She will be working with 4th grade students at Oak Park Elementary school, where her brother, Pastor Antonio Hawkins has also taught.
A recent graduate (December 2012) of the University of South Florida, Ms. Hawkins, the mother of 2 boys, said she is excited about starting the school year, a new adventure for her. “It’s my first year and I don’t know what to expect, but I know God will guide me,” she said. “I grew up in the inner city (attended Edison and graduated from Middleton) and I feel as though I can connect to the kids at Oak Park. It’s my way of giving back to this community.” She did her final internship at Edison Elementary.
Teaching reading and writing to the 4th graders, Ms. Hawkins is also pleased that she will have her 8 and 5-year-olds at the same school with her. She gets to another level of excitement when she talks about some of the other new teachers who she went to school with at USF, and they, too, are on the staff at Oak Park. “It feels good to be with people you already know and have studied with.”
Theron James, Jr. is so proud that he will be entering high school. “I’m expecting to learn more and better things and I know I’ll be learning tougher things.” The 9th grader who will be attending King High School has not decided what he’d like to become, but he has thought about becoming a member of the band.
His sister, Sierra James, will be entering the 10th grade at King High. Studying JROTC with the hopes of entering the Navy after graduation, she said she’s “expecting more challenges, to do better on my grades; I’d like to get straight ‘As’,” she said. She involved in the Unarmed Basic Team.
Theron and Sierra are the children of Theron, Sr. and Annette Daniels James. Mrs. James, who recently earned an AA degree from Hillsborough Community College, and works with the Hillsborough County School District, said she’s happy that the kids will be getting back in school. My light bill and food bills will be going down,” she said with a chuckle.
“I’m pleased with how they used their summer, however. It was very positive. Sierra is involved with Upward Bound and Theron was involved with a reading program, in addition to the reading they do at home.
“Also I’m still in school so it will be a very busy school year for all of us.” She’s working toward a degree in education.
Mrs. James had a bit of advice to offer to parents. “Please pay attention to the CORE program. They are harder for some students, but it’s what they’ll need for the standardized tests. Also, those students who have not passed FCAT still have to do that.”
