By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

PELHAM— City Hall was filled with enthusiastic teachers at the Pelham City Schools Board of Education meeting Jan. 25 as four teachers were honored with Teacher of the Year distinctions.

Kathy Brotherton of Riverchase Middle School, Whitney Pruitt of Valley Elementary School, Sidney Saindon of Valley Intermediate School and Karen Varner of Pelham High School were Pelham’s teachers of the year.

“It’s a great day for our school system to take a day and a night to remember those that really make it happen for us, and that’s our teachers,” said Superintendent Dr. Scott Coefield. “We could not do it without them. We have four great teachers that have been recognized by their schools and by their peers.”

Brotherton, who was also recognized as Shelby County Middle School Teacher of the Year in 2006, was named the District Teacher of the Year. Each teacher was awarded with a door plaque and a wall plaque. Brotherton was awarded a $100 dollar check and the other teachers of the year were given $50 checks at the meeting.

Brotherton has been teaching at Riverchase Middle School for 16 years, and she currently teaches eighth grade English and AP English. She is involved with the school’s newspaper as the faculty editor, is a PTO representative and is a Literacy Team Chair.

Pruitt has been teaching at Valley Elementary for six years. She has previously taught in Marietta, Ga., and at Rocky Ridge Elementary School in Hoover. She currently teaches second grade.

Saindon, a 2010 graduate of Pelham High School, has been teaching for two years. She’s a fourth grade teacher at Valley Intermediate and a member of the Leader in Me Lighthouse team and the First Priority sponsor at VIS.

Another graduate of Pelham High School, Varner, has been teaching at PHS for 14 years. She currently teaches health, leadership and law classes. Varner is actively involved in the basketball program, was voted as teacher with most school spirit two years in a row and was named Med Center Mazda Friday Night Rivals Teacher of the Week.

“You represent the best of the best,” said Board of Education President Rick Rhoades of the teachers.  “Each of you work magic every day in your classrooms, and it’s really awesome what you do. We just can’t thank you enough for what you do.”

The Board of Education also,

• Approved an out-of-state field trip to Orlando, Fla., for Pelham High School’s band.
• Approved the science textbook adoption committee.
• Approved a bid awarded to Specialty Turf Supply for athletic field maintenance.
• Approved a list of bus substitutes, and authorized the superintendent to add qualified bus substitutes to the approved list.