Teacher of the Year to be named Thursday

A new Columbia County Teacher of the Year will be celebrated during a Thursday banquet.

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Finalists for Teacher of the Year are:

- Allison Palfy, of Cedar Ridge Elementary School;

- Kathy Cassedy, of Lewiston Elementary;

- Carolyn Holliday, of North Harlem Elementary;

- Mary Beth Davison, of River Ridge Elementary; and,

- Terry Wimburn, of Evans Middle School.

Each school's faculty selects its Teacher of the Year.

A group of judges from outside the school system reviews those selections and chooses five finalists.

The panel then conducts classroom observations and interviews each finalist to select the overall winner.

Already determined is the school system's Media Specialist of the Year -- Sonji Aycock of Harlem High School.

Aycock and all the teachers of the year will be celebrated during the banquet held at West Lake Country Club, with the Teacher of the Year named that night.

Last year's county Teacher of the Year, Michele Rigsby of Bel Air Elementary School, went on to become a finalist for Georgia Teacher of the Year.

The educator selected Thursday will undergo another round of interviews and classroom judging as she competes for the state prize.