By Fred Guarino
The Lowndes Signal

Fort Deposit was well represented among Lowndes County Board of Education quarterly award winners at the board’s regular October meeting held, Thursday, Oct. 10.

Four of the eight awards presented by Lowndes County School Superintendent Dr. Daniel Boyd went to winners with Fort Deposit connections.

Award winners for the October Quarter include: Student of the Quarter, Derrell Perryman, a Lowndes Middle School in Fort Deposit student; Parent of the Quarter, Natasha Simmons, a Fort Deposit Elementary parent; Volunteer of the Quarter, former Head Start Program employee Dorshanni Kelly, who is a Jackson-Steele Elementary in White Hall parent;

Support Personnel of the Quarter, bus driver Bernadette Simmons of Fort Deposit; Teacher of the Quarter, Byron Powell, Fort Deposit Elementary; Principal of the Quarter, Kenneth Fair, the Calhoun High School in Letohatchee; and Administrator of the Quarter to Bernard Mitchell of the Central Office, federal programs.

Boyd said the awards are presented in October, December, February and April of each year with the winners for the year in each category recognized in May at a gala held at Central High.

He said Student of the Quarter Perryman is “truly, truly outstanding.” He said he makes A’s, has a wonderful attitude and when he sees other students acting up, “He goes to them and says, ‘Hey, you know you shouldn’t be doing that.'”

Boyd said Parent of the Quarter Natasha Simmons is always visible and has a “wonderful attitude.

He said Volunteer of the Quarter Kelly helps in many ways and serves on a strategic planning committee and also works with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation committee “and always willing to help out in any possible way.”

Boyd said Support Personnel of the Quarter Bernadette Simmons does an outstanding job as a bus driver and recently took time and patience to help a new student.

He said Teacher of the Quarter Powell is new to Lowndes County but not to hard work and dedication and handles things in a professional manner. He also said Powell has awesome discipline, is respected and gets high test scores.

Boyd said Principal of Quarter Fair of The Calhoun School handles adversity in a positive strong way, never shows weakness and had the highest SAT-10 NCE Normal Curve Equivalent scores.

He said Administrator of the Quarter Mitchell is an “outstanding mathematician, a great writer and an outstanding person.”

Boyd also recognized Steve Foster, vice president of the Lowndes County Board of Education for earning his third year masters at the Alabama Association of School Boards School Board Member Academy.