Rubia Castro, a teacher at West Hall High School, was surprised at school on August 19th by Superintendent Will Schofield and Deputy Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, Kevin Bales with exciting news. She was named the 2024-2025 District Teacher of the Year. They were joined by the West Hall High School Administration as well.
Bilingual Mentorship Program
Castro teaches English as a Second Language, IB Spanish, and AP Spanish. She has also served as lead ESOL Teacher, World Scholars Program of Choice Coordinator, Dual Immersion Teacher, Sources of Strength Advisor, and Sponsor of HOPE (Hispanic Organization Promoting Education).
Bales applauded Castro for her innovative Bilingual Mentorship Program which gets students involved in welcoming new students. These students help acclimate English language learners. Bales stated in a press release, “Ms. Castro exemplifies what it means to be a part of an organization that is striving to be the most caring place on Earth.”
Principal Dr. Ley Hathcock described Castro as a rare teacher with the “perfect blend of passion, skill, and determination sufficient to envision, build, and manage programs that truly impact the culture of the entire school community.”
Hathcock said that Castro leads with her heart. “She is wonderfully the same person inside and outside of the classroom. The world needs more of that.”
Little changes every day
Castro considers it a great honor to represent Hall County and West Hall High School. She expressed the importance of “living each day, embracing kindness, working for the common good, and practicing compassion and listening with your whole heart.”
Castro emphasized the importance of a quote by Mother Teresa who said, ‘Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love’.
Castro wants to encourage people of the importance “to make that little change every day—in the classroom, at school, in the community, and at home. Be an agent of change. As educators, we have that choice, that privilege, that gift!”
From here, Castro will compete for the honor of Teacher of the Year for the state of Georgia. Since 2019, the Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation has provided a check for $10,000 to every Hall County School District Teacher of the Year.
