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YOUNG AUDIENCES OF NORTHEAST TEXAS
Arts in Education
Awards
Thursday, May 7th at Kiepersol Estates
2015 Arts Teaching Excellence Awards Finalists.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Johnnie Patton
Music, Caldwell Elementary Arts Magnet (Tyler)
“It is rare that you come across any professional in any field that is still dynamite, innovative, and can say she loves her job every day after more than forty years! Johnnie Patton is just that kind of educator and professional,” writes Caldwell Elementary Arts Academy Principal Tamara Colston.
Mrs. Patton began her teaching career at Boulter Middle School in 1972 and moved to Ramey Elementary the next year. She has since taught at 11 of the 17 elementary schools in Tyler: Ramey, Griffin, Gary, Birdwell, Bonner, Peete, Andy Woods, Bell, Jones, Rice and Caldwell, serving as an inspiration to students throughout Tyler over the last 43 years. Those are.
Mrs. Patton has supervised the composition of both the Rice Elementary and Caldwell Elementary school songs. Her students have performed many times at local businesses and schools, and in her most recent tenure at Caldwell Mrs. Patton serves as Musical Director for the school’s annual Broadway Jr. musical production.
“It would be hard to find a more enthusiastic music teacher than Mrs. Patton,” wrote Caldwell parent Amy Ames. “As a parent, I have seen my children’s love of music thrive under Mrs. Patton’s instruction.” Mrs. Ames noted that Mrs. Patton loves to incorporate rhythmic moves and dancing with music and recently taught students a dance that they performed at the school’s Mother-Son and Father-Daughter dances.
Mrs. Patton instructs her students about music history, different genres of music, and in a variety of instruments. Her instruction does not stop with just students. Recently, Mrs. Patton took advantage of a school parent night to teach parents alongside their students to sing, dance, and play the violin and drums, creating a memorable night where parents connected with their children through the medium of music.
Over the years, Mrs. Patton has received numerous awards, including the Golden Apple in 2006, being honored as an Ebony & Ivory Musician Legend by CommUNITY Focus Network in 2010, and being nominated as Disney National Teacher of the Year in 2001. Mrs. Patton owns a farm and invites students to visit her animals. She also offers “Patton Beauty Shop” for students in need of refinement, grace and style and has a “Clothes Closet” where she collects clothing for students in need.
Within the Tyler Community, she is involved in the Women’s Symphony League, the East Texas Symphony Orchestra, and Tyler Youth Orchestra. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Texas College before earning a Master’s of Interdisciplinary Studies at University of Texas at Tyler and gaining additional certifications to teach all levels of music from Stephen F. Austin University and the University of North Texas.
Rising Star
Ramon Carrasco
Visual Art, Orr Elementary (Tyler)
Ramon Carrasco began his teaching career at Orr Elementary in 2012. Now in his third year of teaching, Mr. Carrasco not only loves to teach art but continues to produce work himself. “I want my students to feel comfortable with expression, to express themselves in a way that is creative and unique to each student,” wrote Mr. Carrasco.
His teaching not only emphasizes art history but also how “pop culture is saturated by the influences of Warhol, Dali, Picasso and so many others.” Teaching techniques and skills through art history, Mr. Carrasco challenges his students to work hard while enjoying art.
Mr. Carrasco graduated cum laude from the University of Texas at El Paso in 2012. He currently has work on exhibit at Main Street Gallery in Tyler.
Elementary
Jennifer Thrasher
Music, Rice Elementary (Tyler)
Jennifer Thrasher has the “enthusiasm, passion, creativity and motivation that set (her) apart from other teachers,” according to Rice Elementary Principal Shelly Bosley, where Mrs. Thrasher teaches music.
Students at Rice learn to read music, play instruments, sing, and develop self confidence through theatrical performances under the tutelage of their music teacher. Each year Mrs. Thrasher plans and executes five performances, one for each grade level from first through fifth. She also leads an after-school choir that performs in nursing homes and hospitals.
Mrs. Thrasher has been teaching since 1994 and taught in Louisiana, North Dakota, and other Texas cities before landing in Tyler in 2009. She graduated with honors from Northwestern State University in Louisiana in 1993 and went on to study the Kodaly Methodology of music instruction, receive a Master of Education in Curriculum Design and Instruction from North Dakota State University in 2010, and most recently graduated from the University of Texas at Tyler in 2015 with a Principal Certification.
Julianna Wynn
Visual Art, Bell Elementary (Tyler)
Julianna Wynn, has helped develop the love of art not only in the children, but also in the staff. Using a variety of art mediums, she inspires students to view themselves as artists, explore creativity, and capitalize on their strengths. Mrs. Wynn also works alongside the Bell PTA to make sure every student displays art at an annual art gallery walk.
Mrs. Wynn began an “Arts of the Month” program where students see several pieces of art, then research to discover who the artist is.
For adults, Mrs. Wynn developed a staff art club at Bell. “Through the implementation of the staff art club, staff members have acquired new skills in the area of art, gained a new outlook from the perspective of a student, and grown as a learning community,” wrote Bell Principal Dr. Keri Hampton.
Mrs. Wynn began teaching in 1994 in Louisiana and taught in Longview and Winona before coming to Bell Elementary in 2004. She has taught art camps during the summer as well as presented at Tyler ISD staff development days. Mrs. Wynn graduated from Louisiana State University in 1994.
Middle School
Shane Almendarez
Orchestra, Moore MST Magnet School (Tyler)
Each year, Shane Almendarez takes students who have never held an instrument and teaches them to play it. As the Moore MST Middle School orchestra director, Mr. Almendarez regularly teaches sixth graders with no prior musical knowledge how to play, and he does so with such enthusiasm that he is often named as a “favorite teacher,” according to Moore Principal Claude Lane.
“He has learned that the key to teaching middle school students is to be genuine with them and let them know that you truly care about them as individuals while at the same time holding them to a high standard of expectation,” wrote Mr. Lane.
A practicing musician himself, Mr. Almendarez plays the viola with several area orchestras. “I think the best way to sum up what I do in my orchestra program is to say I teach music because I believe in its power,” wrote Mr. Almendarez. “I knew I wanted to teach orchestra when I was a sophomore in high school because orchestra is why I went to school every day and why I made sure I made good grades. … Orchestra was my family and I want to make orchestra that place for the students I teach.”
Mr. Almendarez began teaching in Marshall, TX, in 2006 and has been at Moore since 2011. He graduated from Stephen F. Austin in 2004 and received his Masters in Music, Viola Performance, from Stephen F. Austin in 2011.
Heather Gentry
Visual Art, Arp Junior High School (Arp)
Heather Gentry, a visual arts teacher who has taught elementary, middle and high school is positively impacting students, parents and the community at Arp Junior High. Dwight Thomas, Arp Junior High Principal, credits Mrs. Gentry with building a flourishing program due to this expertise.
“She has the gift for making every student feel like they are a world-class artist, which has directly resulted in their positive self-esteem and strong work ethics,” wrote Mr. Thomas.
Mrs. Gentry’s students regularly participate in community events like Academic Rodeo and local art contests, as well as community projects like hand-painting boxes and filling them with personal care items for local senior citizens. Blending traditional skill-based projects and innovative art explorations, Mrs. Gentry’s students explore elements and principals of art while sharpening their creative thinking skills.
Mrs. Gentry taught in Tyler prior to beginning at Arp in 2013. She has received several grants over the years that have enabled her students to engage in art projects. She graduated from the University of Texas at Tyler.
Secondary
Melinda Tefteller
Visual Art, Rober E. Lee High School (Tyler)
Thinking outside the box – or throwing it away entirely – is encouraged daily in Melinda Tefteller’s visual arts classroom at Robert E. Lee High School. “I challenge my students to look at the world through different eyes,” wrote Ms. Tefteller. “I want my students to think critically about their world and I work to foster an environment of philanthropy in my classroom.”
Teaching beginning to advanced classes, Ms. Tefteller’s students regularly participate in multiple community service art projects, which molds each student into a more worldly person. Ms. Tefteller teaches that we all benefit from each student’s individuality and creativity. Her students have been recognized at the regional and state level for their artwork.
Beyond teaching, Ms. Tefteller is a key part of the culture at Lee. She serves as the National Honor Society co-sponsor and is a member of the campus improvement committee. Recently, she received an AP Summer Institute grant from the College Board.
Ms. Tefteller began teaching in 2001 and has taught at the middle and high school levels. She has also directed plays with the Tyler Civic Theatre during summers, working with elementary-age students. Ms. Tefteller graduated from Austin College in 2001. While there, she worked on restoring artwork that included pieces from Pablo Picasso and Alexander Calder.
Michael Ward
Theatre Director, Rober E. Lee High School (Tyler)
At age 14, Michael Ward discovered the meaning of the word passion as he took the stage for the first time. Now the Director of Theatre at Robert E. Lee High School, he helps his students discover that same passion daily.
“As a theatre teacher I have the opportunity to awaken in students a love for the arts, a love for performance, and a love to experience all types of performances and art,” wrote Mr. Ward. He has been involved in more than 150 theatrical productions, filling roles ranging from Director to set design to media and marketing.
His students say that in addition to teaching them theatre, Mr. Ward impacts their lives personally. “Caring” was the word that repeatedly came up as they described him. He responded that, “I gave them a safe place on campus to be who they were and to discover who they are. To me, that is really what teaching is about. To help students to learn the arts but to also find themselves and their place in the world and maybe one day, they will do the same.”
Mr. Ward serves as the Campus UIL Academic Coordinator. In addition to being a leader on his campus, he serves in leadership roles within community theatre. He will be directing the Tyler Civic Theatre’s production of “Les Miserables,” which takes the stage this June.
Graduating with honors from the University of Texas at Tyler in 2002 with a degree in English, Mr. Ward went on to Texas A&M Commerce to earn a Master’s in Theatre Arts with a 4.0 grade point average.
Distinguished Service to the Profession
Christolyn Milligan
Music, A.T. Stewart Middle School (Tyler)
As the choir director at Stewart Middle School for 29 years, Christolyn Milligan “has been an important part of the success at Stewart,” wrote Stewart Principal Theodore Timms.
Mrs. Milligan began her teaching career in 1982 as the Assistant Choir Director at Robert E. Lee High School. After two years, she took the position at Stewart Middle School, where she has developed the choir program and made it an integral part of Stewart. According to Timms, “You can find her in almost every program that occurs on campus. … Mrs. Milligan puts on most of the programs for the different holidays at our school and she tries to involve all students.”
“I chose to remain at Stewart all of these years because I thought I had something to offer these students that they wouldn’t get if I was not there,” wrote Mrs. Milligan. “I am now teaching the grandchildren of my first students and I don’t feel old yet. I still have some years of teaching left in me.”
Among those opportunities she created for her students are trips to Dallas and Tyler area businesses to perform. In addition to singing, students were able to give speeches and dance at some of the performances. Her choirs have won awards over the years and Mrs. Milligan has utilized choir as a vehicle to build confidence in her students. Some of them have gone on to become music teachers.
After graduating from Northwestern State University in Louisiana in 1980 with a degree in Vocal Music Education, Mrs. Milligan went on to University of North Texas to earn a Masters of Music Education in 1984. She has sung in area community and church choirs and currently directs the choir at Family of Faith Christian Church.
Alacia Reid
Choir & Theatre, James S. Hogg Middle School (Tyler)
“In just a few short years, Alacia Reid has turned our middle school program from something that was there in name only to a force to be reckoned with wherever they go,” wrote Hogg Middle School Assistant Principal Anthony DeFrancisis. Ms. Reid currently teaches choir and theatre.
“Our Fine Arts program is flourishing under her tutelage with more students wanting to become a part each year,” said Mr. DeFrancisis. So much so that Hogg is now “beginning to totally upgrade the facilities to recognize her success.”
Ms. Reid’s students compete in a large variety of contests, as well as performing at various community events. Her students also participated in the Make Your Own Radio Show grant in conjunction with From the Top on National Public Radio and Young Audiences. For the past two years, Ms. Reid has served as the coordinator for the District’s UIL One Act Play Contest.
“No matter what my students choose as a career, I hope I have instilled a love for the arts,” wrote Mrs. Reid. Close to 2,000 students have come through her choir and theatre programs at Hogg, and those programs have personally impacted many students.
“You introduced me to that love of music and theater,” wrote former student Tara Porr. “I was given my first opportunities to speak in public in theater and now as a pastor, speaking and preaching is a large part of what I do. … You help your students to see the best versions of themselves.”
Ms. Reid graduated from Baylor University in 1995 with a degree in Vocal Music Education. She began her teaching career in 1996 at an elementary school in Waco. She then taught for two years at the National Music Conservatory & Amman Baptist School in Amman, Jordan, before returning to the United States and joining the faculty at Hogg Middle School.
