School News
Kristen Jones Named SCWS Teacher of the Year
March 2, 2017
Columbia, SC – South Carolina Whitmore School, a virtual charter public high school, is proud to announce the winner of the 2017 Teacher of the Year Award, Kristen Jones of Conway, SC.
Kristen Jones teaches English II-IV, along with several other elective courses at SCWS. She earned a Bachelor in Arts from Coastal Carolina University. After spending time after college working in Horry County, she realized her true passion was teaching. She became a substitute teacher for Horry County School District before returning to Coastal Carolina to earn a Master of Arts in Teaching.
Jones lives in Conway, South Carolina, with her husband of nine years and her two daughters, Rachael, 7, and Ava, 6. She enjoys going to the beach and any outdoors activities. In the colder months, you can often find her curled up in a lot of blankets with some hot chocolate and a good book. This is her fourth year at SCWS.
“As a first year teacher I was skeptical about going into the virtual setting, since it is a newer entity of education, but I am glad I did,” said Jones. “This is my fourth year at SCWS, and I am still going strong. I love seeing the impact of working with students on a one to one ratio. It is truly personalized learning and students respond well to it.”
Principal John Loveday said his school is fortunate to have Mrs. Jones at SCWS.
“From her first day at SCWS, Kristen positively impacted the lives of students on a daily basis. Kristen understands how to encourage and support students in an online setting, which is not as easy to do as one may think. Kristen is also the sponsor of our school newsletter – The School Scoop – as well as the sponsor of our online artistic and literacy magazine, know as ArtMore. She consistently hosts field trips, new student orientations, and other school related event across the state for our school. Kristen is a leader among our faculty and we are grateful to have her at SCWS!”
SCWS is a tuition-free, virtual charter public high school that was founded in 2011 and aims to engage students in mastery learning. The school’s objective for students is to become independent learners in a challenging way while giving them the essential tools for success that they may need. This unique environment of learning is an alternate form of education for students who may be on an accelerated track or need a flexible academic calendar.
Media Contact: Tyler Jones
press@scwhitmoreschool.org
