Veteran teachers honored

Nearly a century of experience will leave the halls of Dexter Schools at the conclusion of the school year this month. A Retirement Tea, hosted by the local Certified Teachers Association, honored four retiring teachers Thursday afternoon at the Bearcat Event Center.

One of the retirees, Carolyn Carroll, was unable to attend Thursday's tribute honoring her service.

Carroll is credited with having spent 26 years as a computer science instructor, all of which have been spent at T.S. Hill Middle School.

Dexter School Board President Herman Morse, who served as the principal at Central Elementary for several years prior to his own retirement, read the board's proclamation that honors each of the retirees.

Calling Betty Huffman's career to mind, Morse told the audience gathered at the BEC that Huffman had a spent a total of 35 years in the field of education. She first served as a teacher's aide, then a substitute teacher and finally a classroom teacher, with the last 20 years in the local district.

Huffman has taught Music at the elementary level, first and fifth grades, and for the past five years has instructed seventh grade English.

Vicky Jarrell was also among the honorees Thursday.

Jarrell has been a familiar face at Southwest Elementary since 1992, when she took over the role of elementary physical education instructor.

She taught for three years in Jonesboro, following by a two-year stint in Bloomfield Schools before coming to Dexter to teach PE at Southwest. She has a total of 25 years as an elementary teacher.

Maria Chamberlain also steps down at the end of the current school year. She has spent 11 years in the classroom.

Chamberlain entered the classroom following a long term of choral leadership at the local First Baptist Church. She has spent the past six years as an instructor of music for grades kindergarten through second grade at Southwest Elementary.

The four retirees represent 97 years of classroom instruction.

Also retiring this year is a non-certified staff member, Kay Rowe, who has served the district as a classroom aide for the past 23 years.