Melissa Cobb, JCES Teacher of the Year The Jenkins County school system has three new celebrities. The system recently named its Teachers of the Year as follows: Melissa Cobb, Jenkins County Elementary School (JCES); Monica Broxton, Jenkins County Middle School (JCMS); and Col. (Ret) Kenneth Wade, Jenkins County High School (JCHS).

Ms. Cobb has been employed by the local school system for four years, teaching first grade at JCES. She has also served as the JCHS tennis coach for the boys and girls teams for the past two years.

“My favorite part of teaching is seeing my students’ ‘lights go on’ when they understand what they’ve been taught and seeing the look in their eyes when they are excited about learning. If a teacher can nurture a love of learning in their students, and they become energized by the learning process, ‘the sky is the limit’,” said Ms. Cobb.

Monica Broxton, JCMS Teacher of the Year Mrs. Broxton came to JCMS in 2001. She is a 1995 graduate of JCHS and a 2000 graduate of GSU with a bachelor of science degree in Education. She completed her master’s degree in education in 2005 from Walden University in the area of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment. She and husband Chris have been married 10 years and have two sons, Colby, 9, and Paul, 3. She is a member of Mount Olivet Baptist Church, and her parents are Brenda and Joseph (Bunny) Johnson.

Col. Wade has been employed by the Jenkins County school system for three years as a Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) instructor. Prior coming to Jenkins County, he was employed by the Ware County school system, Waycross, for nine years. Col. Wade retired after 33 years of military service in 1998, and immediately after retirement, he began teaching JROTC cadets at Ware County High School (WCHS). During his tenure at WCHS, the JROTC enrollment increased from 139 students the first year to 450 students the second year, eventually leveling off at 350 students over the course of the next seven years. The Ware County JROTC Drill Team won nine consecutive State Drill Team championships and one National Championship while Col. Wade was there. Col. Wade and wife Linda have been married for 44 years, and they have two sons.

Col. (Ret) Kenneth Wade, JCHS Teacher of the Year The system-wide Teacher of the Year will be announced at the school system’s pre-planning meeting for the 2010- 2011 school year.