Golden Apple Award: Joann Hellmann, Brainerd Baptist School
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - From Pre-K, to Sunday School, to YMCA fitness, Joann Hellmann has a heart for service. The Brainerd Baptist Community is truly blessed to have…
Andrew Harrison
Articles
Lifeforce Helicopter Crashes in Macon County, North Carolina
MACON COUNTY, NC (WDEF) - News 12 is following a developing story out of Macon County, North Carolina. According to a Deputy with the Sheriff's Office a Lifeforce…
Golden Apple Award: Allyson Dunbar, Bess T. Shepherd
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Learning to read is the most important brick in the foundation of lifelong learning, but not every child learns the same way or at…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Skyuka Hall’s New Campus
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Skyuka Hall has come a long way in 9 years. When it was founded, there were only a dozen students. Now, it's a…
Golden Apple Award: Maggie Caruso, Skillern Elementary
SODDY-DAISY, Tenn. (WDEF) - Skillern Elementary School is proud to offer a different kind of educational experience for students. A healthy dose of outdoor activities and a holistic approach…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Howard Students Get Lessons in Finance
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - If you start investing at an early age passive income can really add up! Students at Howard High got a timely…
Golden Apple Award: Jori Day, Trion Elementary
TRION, Ga. (WDEF) - For most of us, education begins in Pre-K. Jori Day has helped generations of Georgians get off to a strong start in the classroom. Parents…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Notre Dame High School 60 years of Integration
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - These days schools throughout the Tennessee Valley are integrated, but it wasn't that long ago, when that was not the case. Notre Dame High…
Golden Apple Award: Hixson Middle School’s Brian Ailey
HAMILTON COUNTY, TN (WDEF) - Music is a fun and important part of a well-rounded education. At Hixson Middle, Brian Ailey hits all the right notes by making…
School closings for February 15
POLK COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Due to a major water line break and the possibility of water being off all day, West Polk County schools will be closed tomorrow, Wednesday February 15. This includes Benton Elementary, South Polk Elementary, Chilhowee…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Polytech Academy at Chattanooga State
All too often kids head off to college without any real idea of what they want to do. A collaborative effort between Chattanooga State Community College and Hamilton County Schools helps students get jump start on their career and college.
Teen Mom Actor Arrested in Hamilton County
HAMILTON COUNTY, TN (WDEF) - You might remember him from M T-V's teen mom, but at last check, Ryan Edwards is in Silverdale facing several charges. His latest brush with the law started Thursday (2/9/23) when Hamilton County Authorities served…
Golden Apple Award: Amber Hicks, Skyuka Hall
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - Teaching math is no problem for Skyuka Hall's Amber Hicks. Her approach starts with being a good listener. Factor in trust and kindness, and the…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Chattanooga Valley Middle Robotics
FLINTSTONE, Ga. (WDEF) - When it comes to learning, reading, writing and arithmetic are the traditional three "R"s, but Chattanooga Valley Middle School has added a fourth, robotics. Four…
Golden Apple Award: Boyd Buchanan’s Bonnie Ray
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - The best teachers are interested in their students' lives outside the classroom. Boyds Buchanan's Bonnie Ray has been known to show up at her kids'…
What’s Right with Our Schools: Lana’s Love Foundation at Boyd Buchanan
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Lana's Love Foundation is a on mission to help families fighting cancer, one cup of lemonade at a time. Lana was…
Golden Apple Award: Michelle DeVilliers, Notre Dame High School
CHATTTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - If you ask a student what their favorite subject is in school, art is a very popular answer. Having a good art…
Golden Apple Award: Dr. Lindy Blazek, OLPH
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Despite spending four and half decades in the classroom Dr. Lindy Blazek has never lost her passion for teaching. The latest stop in her stellar…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Get Future Ready
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Hamilton County Schools recently teamed up with the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce to help students Get Future Ready! It was a networking that more…
Golden Apple Award: Kate Campbell, Soddy Elementary
Soddy Daisy, TN (WDEF) - Long division is no problem for students in Kate Campbell's fourth grade class at Soddy Elementary. Through kindness and patience, she makes sure every…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Morning Music at Chattanooga High Center for Creative Arts
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Talent takes center stage early and often at the Chattanooga High Center for Creative Arts. In fact, beautiful live music is part of the morning routine at…
Collegedale Police Seek Attempted Murder, Aggravated Rape Suspect
COLLEGEDALE, TN (WDEF) - Collegedale Police need your help to track down an attempted murder and aggravated rape suspect. Kenneth McKenzie Junior was already out on bond for…
WRWOS: A survivor’s story
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) - Holocaust survivor Lore Stoll Tinney talked to students at Skyuka Hall about her family's experiences. "When I came to this country I become a citizen of United States..…
Golden Apple Award: Rhonda Wells, Calhoun Middle School
CALHOUN, GA (WDEF) - Calhoun Middle School is home a teacher who's lovingly referred to as Mama Wells. That's because she treats every child in her class as if they were one of her…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Howard’s Connect Program
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - Students in the Howard Connect Program wanted to see what life is really like in a television station. Naturally, News 12 welcomed them right in. Lorissa Canon is…
Golden Apple Award: Matthew Brady, Brown Middle School
HARRISON, TN (WDEF) - Corporate America's loss is Brown Middle School's gain. In less than 2 years, Matthew Brady has transformed into a dynamic young teacher with a knack for problem solving. His…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Richard Hardy Memorial School Formal Closet
SOUTH PITTSBURG, TN (WDEF) - Getting all dressed up can be the first step in an enchanted evening, but tuxedos and formal gowns are often accessorized with an expensive price tag. Richard Hardy Memorial is home to a closet where…
Golden Apple Award: Janie Shelton, CSAS
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - Patience and kindness are job requirements for any good kindergarten teacher. Janie Shelton magically blends those qualities in her classroom at CSAS. Setting a solid foundation for a lifetime…
Golden Apple Award: Sonjia Norman, Blythe Bower Elementary School
CLEVELAND, TN (WDEF) - One days she's an astronaut. The next day she's a soldier. Sonjia Norman digs deep into her costume closet to make lessons come to life for her 3rd graders…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Ringgold High Performing Arts Program Wins State
RINGGOLD, GA (WDEF) - The award-winning tradition continues for Ringgold High School's Performing Arts Program. This year students mixed a "Spoonful of Sugar" into their State Championship recipe. Jane’ Ellis is…
Golden Apple Award: Abby Fortner Lookout Valley Middle High School
Chattanooga, TN (WDEF) - Abby Fornter teaches English and Social Studies at Lookout Valley Middle School. She also gets in plenty of kicks coaching soccer. At least one of her students calls Fortner…
Golden Apple Award: Debbie Aytes, Hickory Valley Christian
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - Most classrooms are filled with students of all different abilities. Whether they need a little extra help or a more challenging assignment, Debbie Aytes has a knack for reaching each…
Golden Apple Award: Kiely Dowell, Red Bank Middle School
RED BANK, TN (WDEF) - Teachers need to be clear communicators and strong motivators. Kiely Dowell checks both those boxes and many more in her Red Bank Middle School Social Studies class. She's also highly creative and a good listener.…
What’s Right With Our Schools” Notre Dame Students Build Beds
CHATTANOOGA, TN - (WDEF) - A good day usually begins after a good night's sleep. Some students at Notre Dame have been busy building beds that will be given away free…
Golden Apple Award: Gerome Smith, Copper Basin Elementary
DUCKTOWN, TN (WDEF) - Gerome Smith spends his day cultivating young minds at Copper Basin Elementary. After the last bell rings, Mr. G digs in with the Gardening…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Skyuka Hall Library and Resource Center
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - Even as technology continues to evolve, it's hard to find a more effective learning tool than a good book. Skyuka Hall's…
Golden Apple: Ashley Frogg, Rossville Elementary
ROSSVILLE, GA (WDEF) - Ashley Frogg has a gift for connecting with some of youngest students at Rossville Elementary. She lays the foundation for a life-long love of learning. That lesson is not…
What’s Right With Our Schools: OLPH Lessons in Cyber Safety
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - What you post online today can come back and bite you tomorrow. That's true, even if you were a kid when you posted it.…
Golden Apple Award: Annaliese Cope, Chattanooga Valley Elementary
FLINTSTONE, GA (WDEF) - Students at Chattanooga Valley describe Annaliese Cope as pure sunshine. She routinely goes above and beyond to make her classroom a fun and loving place for students to grow.…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Juanita Foster
ROSSVILLE, GA (WDEF) - When Juanita Foster began her teaching career, Dwight D. Eisenhower was in office. Her love of children kept Foster coming back year after year. That kind of dedication is is…