
The Shining Stars in Our Universe
Teacher of the Year, Katherine Highsmith, Takes Learning to a Higher Level
Katherine Highsmith, a global inquiry and design teacher at Weddington Hills Elementary School, has enjoyed a year as being known as the Cabarrus County Schools (CCS) Teacher of the Year (2019-2020). Awards are not foreign to this outstanding educator. Katherine Highsmith was a Teacher of the Year Finalist in 2010 and the Mount Pleasant High School Teacher of the Year. The Cabarrus County Education Foundation and Union Power Cooperative have awarded her grants.
In an article in the Independent Tribune, Weddington Hills Elementary School Principal Chasity Dolan sings her praises. “Kate has a natural ability to connect with students and make learning meaningful to them. Her lessons are well-planned, and she links prior learning to new curricular information. She implements varied strategies in order to reach the range of student abilities in her classroom. Her students, as well as her peers, confirm her exceptional qualities as a leader and motivator. Moreover, Kate has a natural ability to communicate well with others and her global mission and vision are evident in all that she does both personally and professionally. Her commitment to success is unmatched, and she is always willing to go above and beyond the call of duty. Kate’s dedication and work ethic paired with her patience and compassion have an overarching impact in our school and community and for that we are very fortunate.”
Read more about her here.
As the school year comes to a close, and the work is still getting done, albeit remotely, five amazing finalists were waiting in the wings for their chance at the title. One of them has just been identified as the new 2020-2021 Cabarrus County Schools Teacher of the Year! Learn about all of the finalists below, and go to the district website to see who earned the high honor!