Article Image Alt Text
Article Image Alt Text

Lacey Meaux

Article Image Alt Text

Melinda Roy

Article Image Alt Text

Dara Broussard

Article Image Alt Text

Dr. Belisa Smith

Article Image Alt Text

Wendy Stoute

Article Image Alt Text

Elizabeth Bearb

Article Image Alt Text

Tiffany Roché

Educators honored by Kiwanis Club of Abbeville

The first-ever Abbeville Kiwanis Club Educators Award night was held on a smaller scale, but it did not matter because everyone who attended enjoyed the night.
The event was held on Tuesday at the old Riverfront Restaurant next to the Vermilion River.
The awards were given to the top elementary teacher, the top middle school teacher, and the top high school teacher in the parish. Other awards given were to the top high school, middle school, and elementary principal. The first award went to the top support worker of the school district.
Nomination letters were emailed and mailed into the Kiwanis Club, and a separate panel from outside of parish selected the winners based on the nomination letters.
The winner of each category was given $500 cash, a gift basket and a trophy that totaled close to $800. The others were also given a $150 cash prize, along with an award.
The total amount of prizes given by the Kiwanis Club was $8,500.

High School Teacher winner

Lacey Meaux of Abbeville High walked away with the high school teacher award. For the last nine years, she has been Abbeville High’s virtual coordinator.
In her nomination letter, it states that “Lacey is an absolute rock of our students and faculty. She represents me, the ideal Wildcat. She is the product of our school, and she has returned to hold its legacy. She does what needs to be done to keep things operating 110 percent.”
Meaux said education runs deeper than simply giving students the best education possible.
“Education is about developing relationships with our students, who I often refer to as ‘my kids,’ and teaching them about life and how to be better people each day.”

Middle School Teacher winner

Malinda Roy of North Vermilion Middle School was named the middle school teacher of the year.
Roy teaches English and World History at NVMS.
Her nomination letter was sent in by a parent, whose son was taught by Roy.
The letter points out that her son has disabilities, and Roy was notified of his challenges.
“Each day, this teacher goes above and beyond our expectation as parents to work with my son, who is labeled as ODD. Each week she goes beyond and sends us a note to let us know how the week has gone. She has given my son a job to do in the classroom every day. As a fellow educator, I know she has a good rapport with her students, which goes a long way.
“If you build a great classroom environment, your students will work with you.”

Elementary School Teacher winner

Dara Broussard of Dozier Elementary won the elementary teacher of the year award. She is a fifth-grade teacher.
“I chose to teach because I love seeing children smile, laugh, and get excited because it is magical. I want to be an inspiration making sure that the light shining within each child’s heart grows and continues to shine bright. I want to make sure that each child knows that he or she is loved, special, and cared for,” said Broussard.
Here is part of her nomination letter.
“She is an amazing teacher,” said her letter. “She explains everything very clearly so we all can understand what she is talking about. She also never points anyone out for a bad reason.”

High School Principal winner

The winner of the high school principal of the year is Erath High assistant principal Dr. Belisa Smith.
Here is part of her nomination letter.
“Dr. Smith wants the students to succeed. She does not talk down to us but treats us like we would be her own children and she is so happy when we succeed. She gives us praise and lets us know that she believes in us.”
Smith, who is originally from Mississippi, has been the assistant principal at EHS for two years. Prior to EHS, she was the assistant principal at Abbeville High School.

Middle School Principal winner

Wendy Stoute is this year’s Middle School Principal of the Year winner.
Stoute retired in June after spending 30 years in education. She spent her final years as the EMS principal.
Here is part of her nomination letter.
“She always has her door open and empathizes with you, making you feel like you matter. She fights for her students and staff like no other principal I have worked for. Her finesse and presence with her community have proven that she lives to serve. I mean it when I say she is truly a blessing to our school. She is someone you want to serve because that is exactly what she does. She serves her school, her students, her staff, and her community.”

Elementary School Principal winner

Elizabeth Bearb is the Elementary School Principal of the Year winner. She is the assistant principal at Herod Elementary for the last two years.
Here is part of her nomination letter.
“In her short time, she has brought so much to our school,” said the letter. She has a vibrant and bubbly personality. She is a go-getter who is willing to do whatever it needed. She came to our school and quickly began making connections with the faculty and students. She digs into the curriculum and assists teachers with annotating lesson plans, analyzing students’ work, and using data to guide instruction. She has garnered the respect of the students, teacher, and parents alike. Our school would be a much different place without her.”

Support Staff Worker winner

Tiffany Vidrine Roché is the Support Staff Worker of the Year award winner. Roché is the bookkeeper at Herod Elementary.
Here is part of her nomination letter.
“She takes her job very seriously, and she strives daily to make sure she is doing everything correctly. The school’s finances are vital, and she makes sure that every penny is accounted for. She goes beyond her bookkeeping duties. She can be seen monitoring classes when the teacher must step out or making copies for teachers. She also serves meals when the cafeteria is short-staffed. She is like the hub of the school, and not much gets past her. “

Vermilion Today

Abbeville Meridional

318 N. Main St.
Abbeville, LA 70510
Phone: 337-893-4223
Fax: 337-898-9022

The Kaplan Herald

219 North Cushing Avenue
Kaplan, LA 70548

The Gueydan Journal

311 Main Street
Gueydan, LA 70542