Middle school English teacher named NCPS teacher of the year

“I was surprised to say the least, but also extremely honored. I work with an amazing team of educators here at NMS, so to be recognized among them is above and beyond my expectations,” Berry said in an email to the Nelson County Times.

A native of Nelson County, Berry began teaching seventh and eight grade English in Nelson in 2018 after having taught in Campbell Campbell county since 2016.

Currently, Berry also heads the Acts of Kindness Club at the school, is the coordinator for the seventh grade Student Assistant Team and recently joined the Virginia Tiered System of Support Committee which works to support students by encouraging positive behavior.

Berry was selected by the division committee for her enthusiasm, outstanding articulation of what learning should look like, and for her ability to expand on the need for differentiated classrooms, the release states.

“Learning is all about meeting students where they are. While we always want to hold students to high expectations, we want those expectations to be attainable for students. It is important to encourage students to set individual goals for improvement and celebrate those successes rather than have them feel tied to a test score or what they think they did ‘wrong,’” Berry said.

In a news release, Superintendent Martha Eagle described Berry as a “passionate educator who is driven by a willingness to help all students overcome barriers, diversify her teaching methods, and engage students in a variety of activities.”

According to the release, NCPS initiated the teacher of the year program in 2015. Each spring, each school selects their respective teacher who they believe best exemplified excellence. Those four candidates are then considered for the division teacher of the year after completing an application and interview process.

The other school-level recipients are Suzanne Hauschner, with Nelson County High School, Rebecca Allen, with Tye River Elementary school; and Morgan Robertson, with Rockfish River Elementary School.

Nelson Middle School Principal Roger Dunnick said in the release said Berry cares deeply for her students.

“Katlin Berry is recognized in particular for her willingness to pitch in wherever she is needed, her cheerful personality that is most infectious, and her development of engaging lessons (both virtual and in-person) for her students,” Dunnick said in the release.

Berry said this past year of virtual learning helped her grow as an educator and she was thankful for the opportunities to learn alongside her fellow educators.

“I am a teacher because I had the privilege of learning from incredible teachers; many of them are now my mentors and colleagues, and having the opportunity to share what I learned from them is truly a blessing,” Berry said. “Ultimately, it all comes back to the students, too; I love being a teacher because I have the opportunity to learn from them every day.”

During the Nelson County County School Board’s May 13 meeting, the division also recognized other school administration.

Supervisor of Nutrition Christina Connell received the School Meals Hero Trophy from the No Kid Hungry Organization of Virginia which recognized all school nutrition leaders this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

NCPS served more than 50,000 meals during the spring 2020 school shutdown alone. While in virtual learning from August to February, that same team served more than 160,000 meals, Eagle said.

Eagle also was presented with Superintendent of the Year from the Virginia Association of School Superintendents and the Virginia School Boards Association as part of their recognition of all division superintendents for their leadership during the pandemic and navigating the constantly changing field of education.