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BLOWING ROCK MY HOMETOWN Blowing Rock School
Watauga County Schools in December 1999 to become an assistant principal at Watauga High School and later served as assistant principal at Parkway before becoming principal of Blowing Rock in July 2004.
“This award is not just about the principal — this award is about the whole school,” Sukow said after his most recent honor. “A principal’s job is about the students and the teachers. Without all of you, I can’t do what I do. I appreciate this group of teachers and staff so much, and I am so grateful for you. I am so proud of this school.”
This past school year, Blowing Rock teacher Brittany Bolick earned recognition as the school’s teacher of the year.
“To be voted teacher of the year by your colleagues is an enormous honor,” former WCS Superintednet Scott Elliott said of the school teachers of the year. “These teachers have proven themselves to be outstanding leaders in their classrooms and schools. Being chosen for this kind of honor by your peers who understand what it takes to be an exemplary teacher better than anyone else is a wonderful achievement, and I want to thank and congratulate all the Teachers of the Year for their well-deserved recognition.”
Bolick also earned a grant from the Watauga Education Foundation this past year to create “Ping Pong
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Playtime,” allows the students to be exposed to lifelong physical activities, requiring social interaction, working with small groups, hand-eye coordination and activity.
Blowing Rock My Hometown
Two other teachers also earned WEF grants this past year.
Blowing Rock teacher Carol Critcher earned one for “Let’s build a Bristle Bot and Run
Through the Keva Maze: Empowering students to build and explore creativity through STEM projects.” The grant will help Critcher purchase a Bristle Bot making kit and Keva Bot Mazes to introduce students to engineering concepts and the design process, thereby strengthening problem-solving skills, collaboration and creativity.
Blowing Rock Reading Specialist also earned a WEF grant for “Putting the ‘Science of Reading’ into Students’ Hands.” The grant will be used to purchase decodable text sets to address the pivotal areas in learning-to-read for K-3 students. Teachers can weave the decodable books into small group instruction tuned to the phonics concepts, giving students the chance for students to apply their phonics skills.
Among other progressive fea - tures of elementary education, Blowing Rock School was the first school in Watauga County to have a School Resource Officer hired by the town. The Blowing Rock Police Department has equipped the SRO with a ballistic shield after a community donated two to the department.
