PatchCast

PatchCast: Chuck E. Robbery; Fatal Fire; Gingrey Town Hall; Top Teacher

Here are some of the top stories from Acworth and nearby Patches for Aug. 29.

For more on these stories, click on the links below:

• Videos (1)

From Ontario to Georgia: A Lifelong Passion for Teaching

Donna Anderson, Teacher of the Year at Pitner Elementary School, shares her story.

For Donna Anderson, teaching is not just something she does; it is her true passion for more than 30 years. Anderson, a kindergarten teacher who is originally from Hamilton, Ontario, won the Teacher of the Year award for 2010-11 at Pitner Elementary School. She said being the Teacher of the Year not only has been a great honor, but also has been an emotional experience for her. "It's amazing. I cried, I did," Anderson said. "I've been teaching for a really, really long time, and we find that kindergarten teachers are rarely even nominated. This means so much. I feel so grateful." Anderson started teaching in Canada at the age of 19. She moved to Georgia with her husband, who started a water treatment company. Pitner Elementary is something…

• Photos (4)

A Tech-Savvy Literacy Class

Saundra Watts, Teacher of the Year at Barber Middle School, shares her story.

Videography, movie editing and acting - might not be the typical scene in an eighth grade literacy class, but it is in Saundra Watts' classroom. Watts, an eighth grade literacy and yearbook teacher at Barber Middle School, has been voted as the school's Teacher of the Year for 2010-11. She said she was being the loudest person ever when the school announced the award. "I was so excited and happy," said Watts. "it's awesome to finally get recognized for doing something for the children after 14 years of teaching." Watts moved to Georgia from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Her sister, who teaches at another Cobb school, was the Teacher of the Year at that school last year. Watts described herself as a "techie at heart", and said …

• Photos (4)

'Miss Art' Paints Picture of Success

Laura Purcell, Pickett's Mill Elementary's Teacher of the Year, shares her story.

"Hi, Miss Art!" This friendly call can be heard from children through the halls of Pickett's Mill Elementary School. The youngsters are greeting the art teacher, Laura Purcell, who was named Pickett's Mill Elementary's Teacher of the Year for 2010-11. "The younger ones can't remember the name Purcell, so they just call me, 'Miss Art,'" Purcell says with a smile. Purcell has been at Pickett's Mill for all of its three years of existence; in all, Purcell has spent 10 years as an art teacher, shuffling between Blackwell, Acworth and Frey Elementary Schools before landing at Pickett's Mill. Purcell is a Cobb County native and a graduate of North Cobb High School. She was at West Georgia University studying to become an artists when she decided…

• Photos (11)