The Anson County Partnership for Children recognized Dionnya Pratt as its 2017 Champion for Children on April 20.
Deborah Davis, the 2016 Champion, spoke before the awards were given. She said that she has enjoyed the responsibilities of being the Champion, tasked with such jobs as leading the children’s parade earlier this month and reading to children.
When she was named the Champion last year, Davis almost didn’t come since the event was soon after her mother’s death. She decided to attend anyway, and at this year’s banquet, talked about her experience having her mother as her first teacher. Her mother had them work on educational activities even when she wasn’t home, and would help when she was.
Davis said she held each of the teachers there in high esteem.
“You’re touching the future because you teach,” she said. “Each of you hold that title (Champion) every single day.”
Partnership staff and board members recognized several childcare providers and individuals.
Pratt, principal of Morven Elementary School, was named the new Champion.
She was nominated by Winnie M. Bennett, who said she was proud of Pratt’s achievements.
“I have had the privilege of knowing Ms. Dionnya Pratt for more than 30 years and I’ve seen her evolve from an intelligent, compassionate and caring high school student who left home to attend college to a proud Anson County ‘returnee’ — a person who went away but returned to her beloved hometown with the intent of using her education, skills and abilities to make Anson County a better place for all persons,” Bennett wrote in a document sent with the nomination form.
Pratt, the principal at Anson New Technology High School last year and assistant principal there from 2013-15, has come a long way from teaching at Wadesboro Elementary and Morven Elementary Schools, Bennett said. She included several examples of Pratt helping her community, including finding shoes and clothes for young men, working to add new programs at the schools and more.
Pratt said she was honored to receive the award, but agreed with Davis that all those in the room were champions for children. She said several of the students at her school regularly tell her what they learned at their daycare.
Elaine Scarborough, former director of the Partnership, was honored with the Visionary Lifetime Achievement award.
Dr. Fred Thompson, chairman of the Partnership board, said that Scarborough began and headed the Partnership from its birth until her retirement last year, and has spent years in the service of children and their families.
Scarborough said she has thoroughly enjoyed her retirement and has two grandchildren — one born immediately after her retirement and one less than two months old — that she now enjoys spending time with. Watching her 9-month-old grandson has given her a new respect for childcare workers.
“Now, not every day like you, but several days a week, I keep my grandson,” she said. “I try to remember the training: sing, dance, don’t watch TV. We have a great time together. But at the end of every day I am tired.”
She is now eager to babysit her new granddaughter.
“Now, I have a 6-week-old granddaughter,” she said. “I look forward to keeping her some days, but not every day. I’m not ready to keep both of them at once. I may need some tips!”
Bonnie Morgan, the Partnership’s literacy outreach coordinator, gave the Raising a Reader award to the Morven Head Start Staff — Johnie Pettiford, Vera Cash and Angela Johnson. The program allows children to take a bag filled with different books each week during the school year.
The Morven Head Start staff use the program “to teach children everything from personal responsibility to re-tell skills — from consistently having great parent involvement to also having creative parent involvement workshops year in and year out — from asking the Partnership for Children for additional books for their children to complement the Raising a Reader materials to inviting people in the community to become a special part of their classroom,” Morgan said.
“The quality that I admire most about this classroom, however, is that they teach parents that literacy, using Raising a Reader as the basis, provides the strong foundation that their children need in order to master all subjects that they study throughout the years they are in school, from Pre-K through college,” she continued.
Six childcare providers — Anson Children’s Center, Butterfly Explosion FCH, Day of Joy Childcare, Morven Head Start, Serenity FCH and Open Doors — were honored for being five-star providers from April 2016 to March 31, 2017.
Borden’s Day Care, Loving Care Day Care, Renee Peguese Day Care, Happyface Childcare Center, Sturdivant’s Day Care, C’s and T’s Childcare Center and Tiny Steps Childcare Center were all recognized for having four stars in the same time period.
Mrs. Bea’s Day Care and Angelia Phillips were honored for increasing their stars.
Debbie Smith and Tracy Harrington were recognized as the Volunteers of the Year who had helped with different events during the year.
The Shining Star award was given to Susie Holcombe, who staff said had worked hard to improve her childcare center.
The paraprofessional award was given to Tammy Timmons for her work helping her childcare or classroom, especially when the lead teacher had health issues.
Lashonda McClendon was named the Family Home Provider of the Year. She operates both a four- and a five-star facility.
The Child Care Center Teacher of the Year award was given to Ashley Maxwell, while the N.C. Pre-K Teacher of the Year award was given to Dayna Faw.
Reach reporter Imari Scarbrough at 704-994-5471 and follow her on Twitter @ImariScarbrough.
