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KM teachers pumped
up for new school year
DAVE BLANTON
dave.kmherald@gmail.com
For fourth year teacher
Meredith Alexander, the
novelty and excitement of
returning to the classroom in
August a few weeks before
kids show up for their first
day certainly hasn’t worn
off. The third grade teacher
at North Elementary has
been busy buying supplies,
decorating her room and
otherwise gearing up for
school, which begins Mon-
day across the county.
“You’re tired but you
can’t sleep,” said Alexander,
whose room is covered
nearly wall to wall with
posters and pictures that
evoke tropical, surf and jun-
gle themes. “It’s a stressful
time for (teachers). But I'm
excited.”
Alexander’s “Wall of
Fame” is empty now, but
that will change come the
first week back to school be-
cause each student will get
their picture posted there.
Throughout the year — as
achievements, birthdays and
other milestones mount —
the board will be updated
with fresh snapshots of the
kids. On the other side of the
See TEACHERS, 6A
Meredith Alexander, a 3rd grade teacher at North Elementary, readies her classroom for the start of
school. She and other teachers say August is the most exciting time of the year.
New leadership, counselors
at KMMS, KMHS for 2014-15
DAVE BLANTON
dave.kmherald@gmail.com
Although David Smith
has just begun his first year
as principal of the Kings
Mountain Middle School,
he’s not exactly a stranger to
many on the faculty. As a
math teacher, coach and
later an executive assistant
at Burns Middle School, he
was already on a first-name
basis with some of his new
co-workers. And’ being
picked to lead the Home of
the Patriots fit in with an-
other professional connec-
tion he had: the school’s
previous principal, Mickey
Morehead, was a mentor to
him as he rose from teacher
to administrator.
“I’m very impressed with
the work of the teachers
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Smith
said last
week in
his of-
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school,
adding
that he’s still in the process
of meeting the entire staff,
most of whom were getting
back to their jobs in the last
week or two after the sum-
mer break. The first day of
school for students is Mon-
day.
In the last year, Smith
was the assistant principal at
Crest Middle School. Smith
has wasted no time embrac-
ing Patriot Pride, noting that
KMMS has placed close to
the top relative to other mid-
dle schools in the county in
end of grade testing for sev-
eral years now.
“We want to continue
with that success,” said
Smith, who lives in his
hometown of Casar with his
Dr. Stephen
Fisher
wife
Mea-
gan, a
math
teacher B
at Burns
Middle.
Jill Cruise
“This is the third year in
a row that there’s a new
principal in this chair ...
with regard to the great test
scores we’ve seen out of this
school, that’s a testament to
how strong the staff is.”
Morehead, who left an
administrative job at the
high school before joining
the middle school staff in
2013, was over the summer
named the Burns Middle
School principal.
Smith graduated from
Appalachian State Univer-
sity with a bachelor’s in
Middle Grades Education.
He earned a master’s degree
in Executive Leadership
from Gardner-Webb
See NEW LEADERSHIP, 6A
DA .
Berm en
Volume 126 ¢ Issue 34 ¢ Wednesday, August 20, 2014
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| REFURBISHED CROSS -
Mountain Rest Cemetery workers have refurbished and repainted the
stucco cross and landscaped the surrounding area at the city-owned cemetery. The cross, which
centers the cemetery in Veterans Park, was built in the early 1970s. From left, Mayor Rick Mur-
phrey, Tommy Painter, Paul Swink, cemetery supervisor, Daryl Dixon, construction supervisor,
and Mike Gaffney. Not pictured: Rick Ford.
Photo by ELLIS NOELL
Post 155 to join in Legacy Run
me ELIZABETH STEWART
lib.kmherald@gmail.com
The American Legion Legacy Run will
traverse 1,336 miles through eight states be-
fore ending up in Kings Mountain Thursday
at 2:45 p.m. at American Legion Post 155 on
E. Gold Street.
Legionnaires of Post 155 will welcome
hundreds of riders and serve barbecue with
all the trimmings about 4 p.m.
Mayor Rick Murphrey and KMPD Chief
Melvin Proctor will greet the riders, which
will include Kings Mountain riders led by
Rick Hamrick, at Highway 161 and a police
escort will accompany the riders to the Post.
The mayor will bring greetings at the
Post where a large tent will be set up with
tables and chairs to accommodate at least
300 while others can also enjoy the meal in-
side the Post home. Members of the Ameri-
can Legion Auxiliary will help serve the
meal.
Murphrey has issued a city proclamation
proclaiming Thursday as American Legion
Riders Day in Kings Mountain. It says in
part: "currently 106,000 American Legion
Riders meet in over 1,000 chapters in every
domestic department and in at least three
foreign countries and have escorted military
units returning home from combat tours
overseas, conducted massive cross-country
fund raising events for wounded warriors
from all services, raised millions of dollars
for countless local, state and national chari-
ties and participated in the Legion Legacy
Run to annually raise scholarships for chil-
dren of US Military personnel killed since
Sept. 11,2001."
See LEGACY RUN, 6A
All invited to prayer walk
Kings Mountain people
will be putting feet to their
prayers Sunday at 5 p.m.,
praying as they walk for
about 30 minutes through
their neighborhoods for
school opening Monday and
all those associated with the
2014-15 term of school.
Prayer leaders will be at
all schools in the county.
In Kings Mountain and
Grover, prayer leaders will
be at East, North, West,
Bethware Elementary
Schools, Kings Mountain
High School, Kings Moun-
tain Middle School, Kings
Mountain Intermediate
School, and at Grover Ele-
mentary School.
“This is one of the sim-
plest way for us to get to-
gether in a body and pray for
our schools," said Buford
Burton.
Prayer Walk
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