Rudy Tribble named District Teacher of Year

Each Teacher of the Year received a certificate of recognition and a golden apple to display in their classrooms.

“This is one of the best nights, for sure, because we get to get some of our finest educators up here,” School Teaching and Learning Director CT Hussion said. “We have 215 teachers, and each of these folks were voted on by their peers within their school.”

After all the school principals had introduced their respective Teachers of the Year, outlining how each one was doing exceptional work in his or her own way, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived: the announcement of District Teacher of the Year.

“Out of these folks, we had a panel meet – and it was a tough decision because they’re all such awesome educators,” Hussion said. “I know them all very well and am really proud of every one of them.

“But this person brings 30 years of industry experience into the classroom, making learning meaningful and engaging with the kids. He teaches K-12 with enthusiasm, inspiring all students to love learning.

“He leads with a positive attitude, uplifting students and colleagues alike, and shows unwavering dedication to student success, making a lasting impact at Woody Gap School. So, this year’s UCS District Teacher of the Year is Rudy Tribble.”

As noted by Hussion, Tribble is a tremendously versatile educator, teaching all grade levels at Woody Gap. According to his fellow teachers, “he demonstrates remarkable expertise and inspires students at every age and every stage of their educational journey.”

Additionally, Tribble was described as “a truly exceptional educator and a cornerstone of the Woody Gap community” while being lauded for “his ability to foster genuine enthusiasm for learning,” which makes his classroom “a highlight for many.”

“His positive attitude and kind heart are evident in everything that he does, creating a rippling effect of encouragement and good energy throughout the school,” Woody Gap Principal Wendy Reynolds shared. “He’s always willing to go above and beyond.

“He consistently supports the students and staff, embodying a spirit of collaboration and dedication. He’s not only an amazing teacher, but he’s also a wonderful role model who always puts the best interests of his students first, encouraging them to reach their full potential.

“His contributions to Woody Gap make him incredibly deserving of being named Teacher of the Year. And I’m going to tell you a real quick story; he is in the process of building an 8 by 10 building, and working on this building is the kindergarteners through the 11th-graders.

“He had the kindergarteners nailing the subfloor down and handing him roof rafters last week, so they are doing just as much as they are able, all the way up to our juniors, who are the ones doing a lot of the (more advanced work), of course.

“But he is a beacon at Woody Gap, and we are grateful to have him.”

STAR RECOGNITION

The 2025 STAR Students and Teachers from UCHS were also honored that evening. Each year, the senior with the highest SAT score from one sitting of the test who is also in the Top 10% of his or her class is named STAR Student. And remarkably, there was a tie this year.

STAR Student Gunnar Ingram and STAR Teacher Howard McCombs received certificates of recognition in the meeting. STAR Student Turner West and his chosen STAR Teacher Dixie Conger were unable to attend but received congratulations, nonetheless.

BOARD APPRECIATION

Next, Superintendent John Hill turned the recognitions to the School Board itself in honor of School Board Appreciation Week in Georgia, which ran March 10-14.

“On behalf of all the students and staff of Union County Schools, we are so thankful for our board,” Hill said. “We have the best School Board in the state of Georgia.

“The reason this School System performs so well is because we have people that actually care and love the children and love the staff and are dedicated.

“(Board members) dedicate countless amounts of time to our students to ensure that we have the best of everything for our kids that we can possibly afford to do, within reason. And we are so thankful for everything that each and every one of you do each day.”

For an eye-opening experience, Hill recommended board service to anyone in the community, “because there’s a tremendous amount of work and no money attached to it,” and he said the children surely appreciate what the School Board does, too.

School Board Members Janna Akins, Julia Barnett, Tony Hunter, Jason McCarter and Patrick White stood from their chairs to receive certificates and applause.

AMERICAN LEGION

American Legion Department of Georgia’s 9th District Cmdr. Mike Merritt, who also commands Blairsville Post 121, and local Sons of the American Legion Cmdr. David Patterson made several presentations in the meeting to recognize the outstanding culture and climate within the schools.

“One of our big projects for the year is Wreaths Across America,” Merritt said. “We can’t do it by ourselves. We have volunteers from the school that help us out every year, and we’d like to recognize some of those folks.”

Merritt and Patterson presented a certificate of appreciation to UCHS Principal Josh Davis for his assistance in providing the School Fine Arts Center as an accommodating venue for the local Wreaths Across America Program in December.

The pair also honored School Safety Director Art McCann, a retired Army Ranger, for facilitating the great partnership between the American Legion, veterans and the School System.

Students received recognition as well, including UCHS Band members for their patriotic musical accompaniment during the annual Wreaths Across America Program.

Band Director Will Stafford was personally thanked for making himself available on the spot to perform the National Anthem on saxophone during a moment of need in last year’s program.

Joining Stafford for the recognition was talented senior trumpet player Jeremiah Frizzell, who performed Taps for the American Legion’s recent program.

Last but not least, UCHS Future Farmers of America Advisor Katie Rittenhouse and FFA students Piper Taylor, Kaitlynn Janes, Ansley Hughes, Emily Brown, Amber Watkins and Mackenzie Baldwin joined Merritt and Patterson for another recognition.

FFA students made service wreaths to display on veterans’ graves as part of the recent Wreaths Across America effort, and when it was time, they helped clear hundreds of wreaths from local cemeteries and repurposed them as fish attractors to help develop fish habitats in Lake Nottely.

“In addition to the certificate, we want to also present them a donation of $100,” Merritt said, handing a grateful Rittenhouse a check.

Patterson, who serves as Location Coordinator for Wreaths Across America “making sure all those wreaths get sponsored,” expressed gratitude for the community at large, which assisted the American Legion with placing over 700 wreaths on veteran graves in Union County.

“This year’s ceremony will be Dec. 13, and hopefully, we’ll be able to have the program like we have in the past,” Patterson said, with Merritt concluding their presentation by flipping the script as a veteran and thanking the School System “for what you do for us.”

SYSTEM UPDATES

Superintendent Hill said that he and everyone in the district were “really proud of our athletics,” and he welcomed Athletic Director Mandy Hunter to recount an impressive list of recent student accomplishments across several performative disciplines.

As usual, Hill has been keeping an eye on legislation moving through the Georgia General Assembly, and he and School Accountability and Compliance Director Dr. David Murphy highlighted multiple education-related bills that have traded legislative chambers.

Assistant Facilities Director Derrick Pruitt said that the new Elementary School was on schedule for its Grand Opening on April 24, with move-in scheduled to begin directly after the ribbon cutting to get staff situated well in advance of the 2025-26 school year.

Board Member Akins confirmed with School Finance Director Karen Bundy that Elementary School construction was on track to be paid for entirely with proceeds from E-SPLOST VI, all thanks to the county electorate supporting the massive effort for the betterment of local children.

“If I can speak on behalf of the board, we really appreciate the community’s approval of this ESPLOST VI,” Akins said. “That was something that was voted on on the ballot, and it enabled us to build this school without debt.

“We didn’t have to pay bond counsel. Weren’t borrowing money. We weren’t paying interest. We made interest income from the money that we received off of ESPLOST VI, and we are very appreciative of the community’s approval of that ESPLOST; it enabled us to complete this project in the way that we did.”

Board members vocally celebrated the fact that the Union County School District is one of just a few systems in the state to have zero debt – a particularly monumental feat for a district on the verge of opening a brand-new, multimillion-dollar Elementary School.

As part of their personnel recommendations, the board hired Gavin King to serve as the new construction teacher, effective March 19. King is coming over from the Union County Building Department as a replacement for Charley Cattanach, who is now CTAE director for the schools.

The public comments portion of the March 18 regular School Board meeting is covered in a separate article in this week’s newspaper.