Cheryl Vandagriff Finds Her Niche as Teacher (VIEW VIDEO HERE)

February 28, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Fourth in series of five stories. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Cheryl Vandagriff has found her niche in life as a classroom teacher and the journey she took to get there has brought her full circle to where her career began at Northside Elementary School.

For the last four years Vandagriff has been at Northside where she teaches fifth grade English, Language Arts, and Social Studies and its for her outstanding performance in the classroom that she has earned this year’s Teacher of the Year honor at the school.

IMG_4459 from dwayne page on Vimeo.

Northside is a special place for Vandagriff because its where she first started teaching fifth grade fifteen years ago fresh out of college. But after two years, Vandagriff left to join the staff at Dibrell Elementary School where she spent the next ten years of her life teaching third grade, before returning to Northside.

Although Vandagriff loves her job today, there was a time earlier in life when Vandagriff wasn’t so sure of her career path until she experienced a spiritual awakening.

“I had been working as a teacher assistant at Dibrell where my son attended school. After my first year of doing that I tried working in insurance and a couple of other things and never felt like I had found my niche in life. Then one morning I just woke up and it was like God speaking to me saying go back and get your degree. That very next day I went and signed up for my classes and never looked back. I graduated in 2004 with a Bachelors Degree in Education and I have a Masters Degree in Education from Tennessee Tech. I feel like it’s a true calling and what I need to be doing,” she said.

Vandagriff is happy to be back at Northside Elementary and enjoys working with the students and her fellow teachers.

“I love it here. I work with some exceptional teachers and they make me the teacher that I am. Without them I don’t think I could do what I do every day as well as I am able to do it so the team we have here at Northside is why I drive thirty minutes each day to come and teach these children. It makes me a better teacher,” she said.

When asked about being named Teacher of the Year at Northside Elementary, Vandagriff said “I am honored but also humbled. Of course I never feel like I am doing enough as a teacher and I always want to do a better job but it is an honor”.

How would she feel if named DeKalb County Teacher of the Year? “ That would be a great honor too. The other teachers (nominees) are so exceptional I don’t feel like that would happen but it would be a great honor,” she said.

In addition to Vandagriff, this year’s honorees are Justin Nokes, seventh grade World History teacher at DeKalb Middle School; first grade teacher Vicky Hawker at Smithville Elementary School; Linda Parris, a family and consumer sciences/culinary arts teacher at DeKalb County High School; and Jessica Antoniak, a sixth grade math and science teacher at DeKalb West School.

The overall DeKalb County Teacher of the Year winner will be announced during the twelfth annual Teacher of the Year banquet next Tuesday, March 5 at the Smithville First Baptist Church Life Enrichment Center.

WJLE will be featuring each of the five Teachers of the Year at the school level through next Tuesday. Features on Justin Nokes, Vicky Hawker, and Linda Parris already appear further down this page under local news.

February 28, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The Trustee’s Office will be a busy place today (Thursday) as taxpayers rush to beat the February 28 deadline to pay their 2018 county property taxes.

As of Monday, Trustee Sean Driver said more than 80% had been collected of the $9,127,983 in 2018 DeKalb County property taxes to be collected by February 28, 2019 which includes property, residential, commercial, personal, and public utility taxes.

For budgeting purposes, the county expects tax collections each year to be at least 94.75% with a 5.25% delinquency.

Property taxes are now due and payable through today (February 28, 2019) before any interest becomes due on March 1, 2019.

The Trustee’s office offers up to 6 different options to pay your property tax:

( 1.) Come in person to the office to pay. The Trustee’s office is open from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

( 2.) Mail in your payment

( 3.) Pay online at www.tennesseetrustee.org, then select DeKalb and follow the instructions to the next screens. The Vendor (Business Information Systems) accepts Discover, MasterCard, Visa, or American Express. The Vendor convenience fee of 2.75% on the total tax bill will apply and fees are subject to change for using credit/debit cards. Also, a $2.75 fee will be assessed on an e-check payment of any amount. Business Information Systems collects the fees, not DeKalb County.

(5.) A dropbox is located on the outside of the building at the County Complex (County Offices Section) for your convenience after hours or on weekends. Remember on the last day, February 28 if you can’t make it to the post office to postmark your payment, the dropbox is available. If you choose to make use of the dropbox on February 28, the mail will be gathered on Friday, March 1 and no interest will be applied your 2018 tax bill.

(6.) Partial Payments are accepted in any amount but portions unpaid after the February 28 deadline will accrue a 1.5% interest per month starting March 1, 2019.

Driver further explained that any 2017 property taxes still owed after February 28 will be turned over to the Chancery Court on April 1, 2019 for collection. The Trustee’s office can still accept partial payments on 2017 delinquent taxes through March 31, 2019. The Trustee will make one more notice on the unpaid 2017 delinquent property taxes on February 1, 2019.

Eligible taxpayers may also qualify for the Tennessee State Tax Relief Program.

This program was implemented in 1973 and it has a few changes every year. For the 2018 tax year, you can qualify for Tax Relief if:

(a.) Your DeKalb County home is your primary residence,

(b.) You are 65 years old (or older) as of December 31, 2018, or totally and permanently disabled as by the SSA or another qualifying agency, and

(c.) Your 2017 Annual Income of all persons on the deed and their spouses did not exceed $29,270.00.
“If the State of Tennessee qualifies you for a Tax Relief, then you can receive a rebate up to $118.00 for 2018. You must pay your 2018 tax bill IN FULL to start the application,” Trustee Driver explained.

The State of Tennessee also offers Tax Relief for Disabled Veterans and the surviving spouses of a disabled veteran.

“You must provide proof from the Veteran’s Administration that you have a 100% service-connected disability. You or your spouse will NOT have to report any income to apply as a disabled veteran or the widow or widower of a disabled veteran. If the State of Tennessee qualifies you as a disabled veteran or the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran, then you can receive a rebate up to $745.00”
“The Trustee’s office is accepting applications for the Tax Relief Program through April 5, 2019.

If you would like to inquire more about a possible tax relief, come by the County Complex in the Trustee’s office at 732 S Congress Blvd-Room 103, Smithville, TN 37166 or call us at 615-597-5176,” Trustee Driver concluded.

February 28, 2019
By: Bill Conger

With a megawatt smile and a twinkle in her eyes, DeKalb West School teacher Sheila McMillen walks into the cafeteria to a group of adoring fans. “Mrs. Sheila! Mrs. Sheila!” gush a group of young children as they run up to the second grade teacher and embrace her with hugs.

“I have always loved working with children,” McMillen says. “They may not realize this, but they bring such joy to my life. I think that feeling of joy gets greater each year. They bless my heart every day.”

Her loving nurturing spirit is one of the reasons peers selected the 26-year teaching veteran for February Teacher of the Month.

“My children and I both love her very much,” says Coach/P.E. teacher Kelly Pyburn. “She is so kind and thoughtful. She always puts in extra time to make our students feel loved, cared for and pushed to be their best. Mrs. Sheila is the best!”

“She always has a smile on her face and genuinely loves her students,” says 5th grade teacher Nadina Martel. “She is always on the list when students are talking about their favorite teachers.”

“Mrs. Sheila’s love for her students and her job shows each and every day!” adds Librarian Amanda Mullinax.

Born in Smithville, Mrs. McMillen graduated from D.C.H.S, but she waited before going to college.

“I have always wanted to be a teacher,” McMillen said. “I can’t remember a time that I didn’t. When I graduated from high school, I didn’t go straight to college to be a teacher though. I got a good job right before graduation and went to work while taking a few classes at night. God kept opening doors though and kept that desire burning in my heart. I finally finished college, and I am so glad that I did.”

“Mrs. Sheila is one of those teachers that you can honestly say is living her calling,” 3rd grade teacher Rachel Desimone said. “She is not only a natural educator, but so much more to her students. She goes above and beyond to make each student feel special and loved. Mrs. Sheila was one of the first friends I made professionally here at DWS and one of my daughter’s first teachers here that made a lasting impact. She is so deserving of this February’s Teacher of the Month.”

McMillen graduated from MTSU in 1993 and earned her Masters from TTU three years later. A resident of Alexandria, Mrs. McMillen has taught one year in 4th grade and 14 years in 1st grade before switching to 2nd grade where she has remained for 11 years.

“I love 2nd grade the best,” McMillen said. “This is the year their little personalities start to blossom. They make me laugh so much! They are eager to learn, and they are so loving!”

While Mrs. McMillen has devoted time tirelessly to helping children learn the foundations of education, she knows she’s left a mark in their lives outside academics too.

“When you see students that you had a long time ago, and they take the time to talk to you and give you hugs, that’s when you know that you have made a difference,” she says. “People may not always remember your name, but they do remember how you made them feel.”

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