Two teachers have been named as the 2018-19 Teachers of the Year. The Teacher of the Year finalists are chosen by a selection committee who review all campus teachers of the year and identify the top three candidates from elementary and secondary education. Each finalist then participates in an external interview process with professors from TWU who identify the top teacher.
The elementary Teacher of the Year is Heather Carson, a fourth grade teacher at Carol Holt Elementary.
Heather Carson teaches fourth grade math and science at Carol Holt Elementary. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Multidisciplinary Studies with a specialization in English as a Second Language from Texas Tech University. Her mission is to increase student engagement in the classroom by movement and extraordinary educational experiences. She stands true to her values by always putting her scholars first, building positive relationships with parents and scholars, amping up academic rigor, challenging her scholars to think beyond the standards, and always keep learning as an educator.
“She’s the kind of teacher you wish you had in elementary school,” said Thelma Foster, principal at Carol Holt. “The teachers admire her and respect her and I think they all want to be her when they grow up. I want to be Heather when I grow up.”
The secondary Teacher of the Year is David Roberson, the culinary arts teacher at Ben Barber Innovation Academy.
David L. Roberson was born and raised in Oklahoma City, OK. Sooner born and bred, Roberson is the youngest of eight children which helped develop his character as a person, chef and educator. He is a Culinary Arts instructor for grades 9-12 at Ben Barber Innovation Academy and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Christian Education with a concentration in Theology from Liberty University. Chef Roberson co-wrote the curriculum for Culinary Arts, which includes ProStart industry certification and Certificate of Achievement developing real world opportunities on and off campus.
“Not only does he love the students, which is very important, he loves the staff,” said Ben Barber principal, Catherine Hudgins. “He brings a bright light to us every day he is on campus.”
Five-year-old Gabby Malkomes is a girl of few words, but her contagious smile says it all. The Martha Reid Leadership Academy student has Down Syndrome and lights up every time she helps her mother cook.
Thanks to her cooking skills and bubbly personality, Gabby now has the opportunity to win a $30,000 cafeteria makeover for her school.
Gabby’s mother entered the two of them in the nationwide Ben’s Beginners cooking photo contest, sponsored by Mars Food. The goal of the contest is to promote wholesome diets.
The judges recently picked their top 25 pictures, and the Malkomes family made the cut with a peanut butter rice flan.
“I created around eight recipes using their products, took pictures of Gabby and I cooking them together, and submitted them,” said Luciana Malkomes. “They received more than 500 entries.”
The picture was selected by judges and is up for public voting.
The top five winners will receive a $15,000 check and an additional $30,000 check to be used toward a cafeteria makeover for the child’s school. Winners are determined based on public votes, creativity, presentation of dish and appetite appeal.
“I'm really excited about this opportunity to win this huge prize for the school,” the mother continued.
Public voting is open now through Nov. 6. Grand prize winners will be announced in December.
There’s a reason why Savvy’s Bistro, located inside of Ben Barber Innovation Academy, is called food with educated taste. The restaurant is operated by high school students in the culinary arts program.
Savvy’s Bistro started more than ten years ago as a test kitchen for the aspiring chefs. Under the guidance of Chef Adair Smith, the eatery expanded to a place that is open to the public.
The restaurant will reopen for the 2017-18 school year on Tuesday, Oct. 17.
“My students have been preparing for this for a month-and-a-half, and they’re ready to go,” said the culinary teacher. “From the servers to the back of the house to the executive chefs, everybody’s ready to make sure we’re 100 percent on service and food.”
Savvy's Bistro also caters food for campus and district events.
New this year, patrons will get to enjoy a bigger and newly remodeled dining area. Another added feature is the ability to see students cook the food in an exhibition kitchen.
Students who work at Savvy's Bistro are certified ServSafe food handlers. They said it’s a great opportunity to experience the real world in a safe and nurturing environment.
“He doesn’t baby us. We make our mistakes, and we learn from them,” said Cecilia Harlen, senior at Frontier High School. “Instead of sitting in a classroom and watching videos on how to make something, we actually make it.”
Chef Smith said there are menu staples, but there are also new featured foods every two weeks. The featured foods on opening day will be spicy Cajun dishes.
“If you’re in the mood for some really tasty food, come on down to Savvy’s Bistro,” he added.
Savvy’s Bistro is open every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on school days. To view a menu and calendar, visit the restaurant’s webpage.
Maddie Campbell slicing the chicken quesadilla she cooked.
Mansfield ISD students entering sixth, seventh, and eighth grades got a chance to explore their future occupations this summer.
For the sixth year in a row, MISD held its Rising Stars Discovery Camp. The camp offers unique courses in areas like crime scene investigation, health sciences, video game design, graphics, American Sign Language, and culinary arts.
“I chose the cooking class because I love to cook and want to own my own restaurant one day,” said Maddie Campbell, incoming sixth grader at Donna Shepard Intermediate School.
No matter what class students chose, the goal was the same—exposing children to different career paths at an early age.
”Our camp showcases a few of the offerings that are available to students at the high school level,” said camp administrator Eric Holschuh. “Each section is representative of a course or career path available at Ben Barber Career Tech Academy.”
Keven Smith teaching a student about garlic.
Especially new this year was a course teaching young minds about the basics of agricultural science. Students enrolled in that program met at the new Ron Whitson Agricultural Center and learned hands-on about farming, fishing, and gardening.
“Those skills are essential for America,” said Keven Smith, Agriculture and Science Teacher. “Without us taking care of what we have, we will become less independent.”
“I liked tending to the animals and growing plants. Time flies when you’re having fun,” said Matthew Fuller, incoming 8th grader at Danny Jones Middle School.
Rising Star Discovery Camp was held from June 15 to June 25, excluding Friday, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Holschuh hopes next year’s camp will bring in more students and subjects.
“The camp changes every year depending on teacher availability,” said Holschuh. “We open registration the Monday after spring break.”
View more images from the 2015 Rising Star Discovery Camp. For more information, visit the camp’s website.
