Congratulations to the El Dorado School District Honorees of the Month from Barton Junior High School.
BJHS Student of the Month: Avelyn Chen.
She is an 8th-grade student and is the daughter of Yun Ying and Shan Sen Chen. Her teachers said “Avelyn puts her all into all assignments and strives for perfection on everything, even if it is not for a grade. She is always engaged, asks many questions for clarification, and helps other students when they are in need of extra direction.”
Assistant Principal Andria Gleghorn said, "Avelyn is a model student at BJH. She is conscientious, friendly, and always has a smile on her face. Her work ethic is evident in her performance in and out of the classroom. Avelyn is in all advanced classes where she excels at her classwork. She is always very respectful to her teachers and others at BJH. Avelyn also plays in the BJH orchestra and has been in the orchestra program for 4 years. She is enjoying our new Barton Bakes class where she is learning to bake all kinds of yummy goodies.
We are delighted Avelyn is a Barton Jr High Wildkitten! We are proud to have her represent our school as the Student of the Month for El Dorado School District! Congratulations, Avelyn!"
BJHS Classified Employee of the Month: Shalunda Montgomery.
This is her 6th year in the El Dorado School District. She worked as a paraprofessional at Yocum for five years, and this is her first year as the principal’s secretary at Barton Junior High. Her husband is Derrick, her son Jacobi is a senior at EHS, and Jaylon is an 8th grader at Barton Junior High.
There were many wonderful nominating comments from co-workers. Here are a couple of them:
“Shalunda is a welcome addition to the Wildkitten family. She quickly learned the ins and outs of a new campus with a very busy office. Her sense of humor keeps all of us on our toes! We are so happy she decided to become a member of our BJHS family!”
“Mrs. Montgomery does an awesome job of taking care of the students and staff.”
Principal Michele Henry said that when she hired Mrs. Montgomery as a paraprofessional for Yocum Elementary a few years ago, she had no idea what a great employee and friend she would become! "Shalunda is a quick and eager learner. She strives to do things correctly and make our job easier. She does it all with a smile on her face, which I know sometimes is not easy with some of the things that come her way!
We are thankful and appreciative of the work Mrs. Montgomery does each and every day. Above all, I am thankful that she decided to join me at Barton Jr High this year!"
BJHS Teacher of the Month: Kim Conner.
She received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Degree from the University of Arkansas and her Master of Arts in Teaching from Southern Arkansas University. She started working at Barton Junior High as a certified employee in 2015, and last year, she began her teaching career as a 7th Grade English Teacher.
She and her husband, Dave, have two sons, Cooper and Charlie, who are students at EHS. They are both members of the cross-country team. They also have one bossy dachshund and three tyrannical cats.
Her nominating co-worker states, “Mrs. Conner works really hard to connect to her students. She was also willing to help me with the grad school classes I am taking. She gave me advice and let me borrow a tripod to make filming my class much easier. You can tell she appreciates her students’ different personalities."
Principal Michelle Henry stated that "Kim Conner is a ray of sunshine at Barton Junior High. She is always smiling and displaying a positive attitude. She goes above and beyond in her classroom for her students. Her classroom displays a warm, inviting, and encouraging atmosphere for all students. Kim helps her co-workers and is willing to do whatever is needed for our school. A side note, Kim comes from a great teacher! Her mom, Carol Rankin, taught both me and my husband at Rogers Jr High! It’s no wonder Kim has turned out to be a fabulous teacher. I’m so glad Kim has continued the teaching tradition in her family and decided to do it in the El Dorado School District.
Kim is a true example of the teacher you want at your school and also the teacher you would want for your child. We are so happy she calls Barton Jr High her home."
