Just before Habersham County schools broke for spring break, the school district handed out two of its most prestigious awards. The district named high school automotive instructor Jimmy Jones as its 2023 Habersham County Teacher of the Year. The district named Demorest Elementary School pre-K paraprofessional Mandy McEntire as Support Person of the Year.
A committee of retired educators selected Jones and McEntire from among 31 teachers and support persons of the year chosen at the school and department levels. Administrators honored them all during a banquet on March 30. Such affairs typically give people a moment to shine, but it is in the classroom, surrounded by students, where Jones and McEntire shine brightest.
A great honor
Jimmy Jones has been the automotive instructor at Habersham Central High School since 2017. Being named Teacher of the Year means a lot to him.
“I feel very honored that I received this award, and I feel it really shows that this district does care about career tech education as well as academic education,” he says.
Jones’ career began around 1990. His best friend’s dad was the service manager for the Honda dealership where he lived. He saw Jones’ potential in working on small engines and tinkering around with automotive work and asked him to work for him. Jones did. He attended the Honda Technical Training program and remained with Honda as a service technician for 17 years.
Several years ago, when the economy started slipping, Jones noticed that fewer and fewer people were bringing in their cars to be serviced because they couldn’t afford the dealership service fees. He decided to open his own shop to help such customers and ran the shop for about seven years.
While in business for himself, Jones applied to become an adjunct instructor at Central Georgia Tech. They hired him to teach college-level courses to students at Houston County Career Academy.
Moving to the mountains
It was during this time that Jones says he and his wife discussed moving to the mountains when their daughter graduated from high school. His fourth and final year at the Career Academy was a difficult one. His daughter graduated, and his wife passed away.
Staying true to what they had discussed, Jones began looking to move north. He found out Jimmy Scott was about to retire from Habersham Central High School. From there, he says, it all just kind of fell into place. Six years ago, the Habersham County School System hired him to teach automotive technology at HCHS.
“I have loved it ever since,” Jones tells Now Habersham.
In addition to a job that he loves, Jones says he met a wonderful lady who taught in Athens Clarke County.
“We got married in 2021, and she now teaches for the Habersham County School District,” he says.
In his off time, Jones is a river guide on the Chattooga River.
Habersham Central High School Principal Jonathan Stribling calls Jones an excellent selection for both the HCHS and Habersham County School System Teacher of the Year awards. He calls Jones “the whole package” when it comes to being a “phenomenal teacher.”
“First and foremost, students love Mr. Jones. He builds appropriate, professional relationships with students creating an optimal learning environment,” says Dr. Stribling. “Teenagers are smart, and they can tell quickly when an adult really cares about them, and Mr. Jones conveys his passion for student success daily.”
Jones uses his automotive technology classes to not only teach technical skills but also life and employment skills students can use their entire careers, no matter what field they choose.
Stribling says, “Mr. Jones continually puts students first, and that makes him a great Raider!”
Proud to call her ‘our own’
Mandy McEntire receives similarly effusive praise from her principal at Demorest Elementary School. Lana Jones calls McEntire an “asset to our school.”
“She demonstrates patience, compassion, kindness, and responsiveness to her students while maintaining expectations for their learning and development,” says Jones. “She is well deserving of our district Support Person of the Year, and Demorest Elementary is proud to call her our own!”
McEntire might never have been one of Demorest’s ‘own’ if not for her second child.
She spent 15 years working in an office. When she had her second child, she became a stay-at-home mom. Four years ago, when her daughter became old enough to attend pre-K, McEntire found herself at a crossroads. She was looking for something to fill the open hours in her day. McEntire knew she loved working with kids and felt like being a paraprofessional would be a good fit for her. She applied with the Habersham County School System and was hired.
Lucky for her students, she was.
A most vital year
McEntire brings her mother’s touch to the job, connecting with pre-schoolers in ways that help them adjust to being in school and away from their own parents. She is patient and calm and has a loving and caring attitude. She also has a strong sense of organization and of being a team player.
McEntire says she makes it a point to give individualized attention to each child every day.
“I feel pre-K is one of the most vital years of a student’s education, and I am so happy to be a part of this program,” she tells Now Habersham.
Pre-K is as much a behavioral learning experience as it is educational. Learning to share, getting along with others, following directions, and being kind and courteous are just some of the lessons pre-K teachers and para pros have to impart to their young students. One way McEntire does this is by teaching emotional regulation – helping small children to control their big emotions.
“When a student is upset, I can talk with them, hug them and use breathing and calming techniques. These calming techniques that I teach students can help them for a lifetime,” she explains.
And a lifetime is likely how long McEntire will cherish her memory of being named Habersham Schools’ Support Person of the Year.
“Can you imagine all the people that work here and they chose me for this year,” she says, still sounding somewhat surprised by the recognition. “It is such a big honor!”
_____
This article has been updated to reflect that Jones taught at the Houston County Career Academy and has since remarried.
