Brenda Stanley of Pleasant Grove Elementary School is named
            EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR

  

Mrs. Brenda Stanley was named Educator of the Year at the Jefferson County PTA Banquet.  Mrs. Stanley has been a 5th grade Social Studies teach for years at Pleasant Grove Elementary School.  This past year, Mrs. Stanley took the position of Writing Coach/Mentor.  Along with mentoring new teachers, she is still very involved in the classroom.  Mrs. Stanley goes to all grades and teaches writing.  She also holds many training classes for teachers.  She has been such a blessing to PGES.  New teachers say that it has been so nice to have someone right there to hold your hand and show you the ropes.  The students love it when Mrs. Stanley comes to the classroom and teaches writing. 

Mrs. Stanley is a resident in Pleasant Grove.  She and her husband, Jeff attends Pleasant Grove First Baptist Church, along with their daughter Layne, who is a student at The University of Alabama.  Mrs. Stanley teaches Sunday school and is very involved in the Youth Department.

Pleasant Grove Elementary School PTA President, Kelley White, said, "Mrs. Stanley will do anything for anybody.   When my daughter was in the 5th grade, Social Studies became her favorite subject.  Mrs. Stanley would dress up in colonial clothes and talked in different accents.  She also had a Boston Tea Party for the class.  One day, Mrs. Stanley had the office announce over the intercom that there were some new rules and their Social Studies teacher would explain.  Well as the kids came in class and they were given rules of how school was in the olds days.  Also, Mrs. Stanley dressed up like a Viking and a colonial school teacher.  She knows how to make learning fun."

Every year, the 5th grade puts on a Patriotic Program written by Mrs. Stanley.  It is complete with a slideshow and pictures of the student's grandparents who served in the armed forces.  Every student has a part, whether they are a soldier, a railroad worker, the Statue of Liberty or Abraham Lincoln.  The 5th Grade Program is the highlight of the school year.