Sarah Robinson named Oxford School District’s Teacher of the Year

Published 3:45 pm Thursday, January 23, 2020

Sarah Robinson has worked at Oxford High School since 2013, and on Thursday, Oxford School District honored her efforts.

During the Inaugural Teacher of the Year Luncheon at the Inn at Ole Miss, Robinson was named OSD’s Teacher of the Year.

Robinson, a Biology teacher, was also selected as the Teacher of the Year for OHS and is currently pursuing National Board certification. She works on the OSD curriculum team, chair of the OHS science department and is the local science fair coordinator.

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“It’s a little overwhelming,” Robinson said. “It’s really quite an honor, because I know the quality and caliber of staff that we have in this district. So, to be nominated is humbling. I’m very appreciative.”

Before naming the district’s Teacher of the Year, superintendent Brian Harvey recognized the other six Teachers of the Year at their respective schools. Each school goes through a process of selecting their own Teacher of the Year, and then those teachers fill out an application to be considered for the district’s top honor.

Libby Tidwell took the honor as Oxford Middle School’s top teacher. An inclusion teacher, Tidwell instructs students in math, history, science and English.

Sixth grade math teacher Jeff Jones was named Oxford Intermediate’s Teacher of the Year. A former Oxford Middle School football coach from 2007 to 2011, Jones was also the OMS Teacher of the Year in 2009.

Also named Teacher of the Year in 2017, Julie Kelly was named this year’s Teacher of the Year at Della Davidson Elementary. Kelly is a reading interventionist at Della Davidson and has been working at OSD since 2013.

This year’s Oxford Elementary Teacher of the Year honor went to second grade teacher Simsie Schaff. Schaff has been with the school district since 2016 and is currently working toward a Masters in Education in curriculum and instruction.

Also with the school district since 2016, Kayla McIntyre was selected as Bramlett Elementary’s Teacher of the Year. McIntyre teaches kindergarten.

“It is the best of the best, this year,” Harvey said. “The levels of education that they have and all of that’s great, but there’s a lot of things these folks, and all of our teachers, do that never gets noticed. The relationships they have with kids and the relationships they have with parents, truly the best of the best.”

This marked the first year in which the school district held a formal luncheon to honor their top teachers. The event was presented by Renesant Bank.

Each teacher received a monetary gift from the luncheon’s sponsors: B&B Concrete Company Inc., ICM, Specialty Orthopedic Group, Eley Guild Hardy Architects, mTrade, Mayo Mallette and Reid Sherman Investment Group of Raymond James. Every teacher received a $500 gift, with Robinson receiving $1,000 for being named the district’s top teacher.