Haigh is Southern Wells’ Educator of the Year
By JONATHAN SNYDER
In front of the entire Southern Wells Elementary student body, second grade teacher Peggy Haigh was announced as the Southern Wells Educator of the Year.
Elementary kids were called to an assembly in the gym, where Haigh was honored with a certificate, balloons and other gifts for her dedication. During her speech, Haigh stated that she felt honored not only to receive the award, but for the opportunity to teach at Southern Wells. She thanked both the school and her students for their dedication throughout her over 36-year teaching career.
“A lot of team effort comes into this,” Haigh said in a separate interview. “It’s not just me, I had a lot of good support with the administration and other teachers, parents and the kids. It’s truly an honor to teach here — it’s a great (school) system.”
Haigh said that the students have been her inspiration throughout her career. Seeing their growth academically and socially drives her to continue and finding those moments where her students fully understand a concept is a point of motivation for her.
Haigh’s uniqueness comes from an effort to be understanding with her students. Former and current students mentioned that she will give second chances to students if they prove to be hard workers. Additionally, she will incorporate different games for reading and math to keep students engaged. Haigh is also ready to help a student whenever they have trouble.
“She would put us with the best possible people to help us learn,” current sixth grade student Olivia Hoffacker said. “She always had a positive attitude. If I were to choose my favorite teacher, Mrs. Haigh would be my first.”
“She helps us learn,” second grader Reagan Slusher said. “If you get hurt she helps you and she will get you a Band-Aid.”
“She gives us a decent (amount of) time for reading and she has fun books,” elementary student Brynlee Caldwell said. “I love that she’s so nice and all the time she just smiles. Her jokes are pretty funny.”
This positivity also extends to the staff at Southern Wells Elementary. Teachers and other staff members said that they can come to her when they are feeling low, and that her personality picks them up and puts smiles on their faces.
“She is very positive,” literacy coach Kim Huffman said. “You could be having the worst day ever and go into her room at the end of the day and just fall down on a chair and she would perk you up. She would encourage you and be willing to listen to your beefs and make you feel better about any situation.”
First grade teacher Caleb Sleppy also noted Haigh’s dedication as a reason for the award. Sleppy mentioned that Haigh is constantly getting involved in after school activities and willing to help both students and teachers after hours with a smile on her face.
“I had (Mrs. Haigh) when I was in school,” Sleppy said. “She’s a great teacher that has taught me many things and I look to her for advice. She’s a hard worker, she has put in a lot of time. She cares about everybody, she cares about the kids, she cares about her coworkers — so she is more than deserving. I am thankful for everything she has done.”
Haigh’s positivity, fairness and penchant for incorporating games into her teaching style have put her in great standing with teachers, students and administration. Superintendent Trent Lehman described her as an amazing professional, and will remain positive about herself throughout any circumstance.
“When I’ve come into her classroom she is always prepared,” Lehman said. “The students are engaged, she’s smiling, she’s kind. She is just positive about herself as a teacher, about education in general and about her kids. It’s amazing that she maintains that positive attitude in a world where it’s sometimes easy to be negative. She’s always smiling, engaging and loving to her students and always a professional with her coworkers.”
jonathan@news-banner.com
