Lexington-Richland School District Five announced its new Teacher of the Year and Support Employee of the Year during a May 25 ceremony.
Jennifer Metts, a school counselor at Oak Pointe Elementary School, was named School District Five’s 2021-2022 Teacher of the Year during the district’s Employee Recognition Program. Melissa Huey, a nurse at Irmo Middle School, was named Support Employee of the Year.
School District Five Superintendent Dr. Christina Melton said, “The most valuable resource we have is our people and to me it is so important to celebrate them. School District Five is great because of the many caring and talented teachers and support staff we have in our schools, and Mrs. Metts and Mrs. Huey represent the best of the best in our district. We congratulate them, and all the other Teacher of the Year and Support Employee of the Year winners from each school.”
Metts has served at Oak Pointe Elementary School since 2008. She received her bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Clemson University and has a master’s degree in business administration and an education specialist degree in counselor education from the University of South Carolina.
“It was such a surprise and I am still trying to wrap my head around being selected as School District Five’s Teacher of the Year,” Metts said. “I am so honored because our school district is just staffed with amazing people. I look forward to being able to advocate for students on a larger platform.”
Huey has been with School District Five for a year and a half. She attended Midlands Technical College. Before joining School District Five she worked as a pediatric hematology/oncology nurse for Prisma Health Children’s Hospital.
“I feel thankful and honored to be selected as the Support Employee of the Year because the other finalists were so deserving,” Huey said. “It has been an overwhelming school year and this award is a team effort because everyone has supported each other this year. It fills me with pride to serve as the Support Employee of the Year for the 2021-2022 school year.”
Metts and Huey were chosen by a committee after being named Honor Roll finalists in both categories. Along with Metts, Leslie Jones from Seven Oaks Elementary and Lori Powers from Chapin Middle were named as Teacher of the Year finalists. Theresa Hicks from the Center of Advanced Technical Studies and Lorena Shanabrook from Dutch Fork High accompanied Huey as finalists for the district’s Honor Roll Support Employee of the Year.
Photo from left to right Michelle Eichelberger, Melissa Huey, Jennifer Metts, Amy Carter
