The stars came out to shine at the Reynolds Auditorium on Wednesday night for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools’ 2025 CORE Awards.
Sponsored by Caudill’s Electrical, Dagget Shuler Attorneys at Law, the WS/FCS Education Foundation, and the Forsyth Educator Partnership, the CORE Awards recognize employees of the district in various positions who have gone above and beyond to serve students and families. These employees embody the district’s core values of student-centeredness, accountability, collaboration, equity, high expectations, and integrity in everything they do.
The awards panels narrowed down 350 nominations across all of the district’s schools to just five finalists in each of six categories ahead of the ceremony. As always, the event was a testament to the incredible volume of talent and dedication WS/FCS staff offer, and while not every nominee brought home an award, they are all indispensable to the district’s mission of enriching students.
“Whether you’re in the classroom, the cafeteria, the front office, the bus lot, or behind the scenes keeping everything running smoothly, your dedication, compassion, and tireless work make a difference in the lives of our students every day,” said Board of Education Chair Deanna Kaplan. “You are the mentors, the role models, the problem solvers, and the champions for every child who walks through our doors.”
The organization of the event was also a celebration of talent throughout the district. The Carver High School Academy of Hospitality and Tourism welcomed guests to the theater while the Reynolds High School Popular Music Ensemble played for the crowd. The ceremony featured student performances from the Ward Elementary School Drumming Squad, the Lewisville Middle School Chorus, Glenn High School’s cast of “Sister Act”, and the Carver Concert Band.
Culinary students at the Career Center offered guests take-home bags of fresh-baked cookies. Even the awards themselves were designed by Glenn Art Teacher Sydney Hinkle, whose design was chosen from a diverse array of excellent submissions through the new “WS/FCS Art Teachers Got Talent” contest earlier in the school year.
The following winners were awarded during the ceremony:
- Assistant Principal of the Year – Jamille Rhodes, Konnoak Middle School
- Certified Instructional Support Personnel of the Year – Jessica Schaefer, Cash Elementary School
- Classified Employee of the Year – Chasity Jones, Central Office Legal Department
- Principal of the Year – Robert Ash, Speas Global Elementary School
- Judy Mountjoy Volunteer of the Year – Heather Hosey, Reynolds High School
- Teacher of the Year – Cristofer Wiley, Reynolds High School
The North Carolina Association of Educators also made a surprise appearance at the event to recognize Superintendent Tricia McManus as their Superintendent of the Year. NCAE representatives lauded her innovative leadership and ambition in spearheading initiatives like implementing the Portrait of a Graduate, starting the Student Advisory Council, and opening up high schools to the public with the See for Yourself program.
While McManus will retire at the end of this school year, she emphasized that public education remains extremely important to her and thanked everyone in the district who has worked and will continue to work to make WS/FCS a great place to go to school.
“We are so fortunate and blessed to be part of the most amazing profession there is,” McManus said. “Teachers in every school, classified employees, everyone who we’ve recognized tonight, you all deserve so much thanks… there is nothing more important than the work we do here.”
The work these winners do covers very different responsibilities, but they’re all united by a drive to do right by students. Whether it’s through teaching, administration, volunteering, or student services, they all want to see a future where today’s students thrive as tomorrow’s leaders. In that sense, they feel like winners every day.
“I don’t feel like I’m working – I feel like I’m living my purpose,” said newly minted Assistant Principal of the Year Jamille Rhodes. “I feel like I’m doing what I was put on this earth to do, which is to work with kids and influence them to make better decisions and have good productive lives.”
WS/FCS is honored to recognize our incredible educators, and we say thank you in advance for all of the good work that’s still ahead.
“I’m thankful, and I’m very humbled,” Teacher of the Year Cristofer Wiley said. “Back at it tomorrow.