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…
Andrew Harrison
Articles
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…
Golden Apple Award: Orchard Knob Middle’s Sarah Roberson
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - Sarah Roberson is a tutor, a coach and grade A Science teacher at Orchard Knob Middle School. After six years on the job, the Boston native also looks quite comfortable…
What’s Right With Our Schools: The Pursuit of Happiness
CHATTANOOGA. TN (WDEF) - The Pursuit of Happiness is on a mission is to restore hope by alleviating the drivers of poverty. One way they are doing that is by working with…
Golden Apple Award: Heritage Middle’s Dillon Crowder
CATOOSA COUNTY, (WDEF) - 8th Grade Social Studies can be a Middle School rite of passage. It's a serious subject, but there is room to have a little fun. Dillon Crowder uses his keen sense…
East Ridge Police Chief to Retire
East Ridge, TN (From the East Ridge Police Department) – After a distinguished 38-year career in law enforcement, East Ridge Police Chief Stan Allen announced that he is retiring. Local officials, co-workers, and invited guests attended a special reception at…
Golden Apple Award: Katy Vaughn, Davis Elementary
TRENTON, GA (WDEF) - Positivity can be contagious. That's one of the lessons that Katy Vaughn passes on to her young students at Davis Elementary. They love her for it. Charity Barton is…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Harrison Bay Future Ready Center
OOLTEWAH, TN (WDEF) - You won't see the Harrison Bay Future Ready Center on Touchdown Friday Night. They don't have a football team. Instead, students have trained their laser like focus on engineering.…
Child Death Investigation in Hamilton County
Hamilton County, TN (WDEF) - Hamilton County authorities are investigating the death of a child. Around 7:00 Friday (9/16/22) night officers were called to the 1200 block of Beck Road in Sale Creek to look for two missing kids. The…
Golden Apple Award: Susan Royal, Fairyland Elementary School
Lookout Mountain, GA (WDEF) - Susan Royal has a heart for service and gift for teaching. She's been in the classroom for more than 25 years, and a generation of students is…
What’s Right With Ours Schools: Hamilton County Schools eLabs
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - It's a sign of the times, eLabs are a vital part of education at all levels these days. Thanks to PEF and Volkswagen Chattanooga, Hamilton County Schools has cut…
What’s Right With Our Schools: CSLA Construction
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - CSLA is about to pass a milestone more than 30 years in the making. Their upper and lower school campuses are coming together like never before. This brick and mortar progress is a rock solid example…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Barger Academy of Fine Arts
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - Creativity is an essential part of the curriculum at Barger. Talented students can pursue their passions in dance, drama, music and visual mediums. Juana Wilson-Roberts…
What’s Right With Our Schools: OLPH 85th Anniversary
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - For 85 years Our Lady of Perpetual Help has lived up to its name. The school and church are getting ready to celebrate that milestone this (8/26-8/28) weekend!…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Tango Flight at Cleveland High
CLEVELAND, TN (WDEF) - What's the neatest project you ever worked on in high school? Did you take apart a carburetor?Maybe snap together a bird house? Well, students at Cleveland High are building…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Catoosa County Students Learning with TN Aquarium
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - The written word takes on a whole new meaning when you can actually reach out and touch your subject matter. Students in Catoosa County earned new respect their local…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Tennessee Aquarium Mad Scientists Week
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - Summer learning can be a fluid situation at the Tennessee Aquarium. For Mad Scientists week, campers created rockets fueled with water and Alka-Seltzer. Learning really…
What’s Right With Our Schools: UTC Tech Symposium
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - At its most pure, technology should be used to improve our lives. To that end, UTC's College of Engineering and Computer Science hosts a Technology Symposium. Bright local minds…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Battlefield Elementary Ben Carson Reading Room
FORT OGLETHORPE, GA (WDEF) - Young scholars have a great place turn a few pages at Battlefield Elementary School. The Ben Carson Reading Room is now open. Candy Carson is a…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Grundy Center
For 60 years, the old Grundy County High School educated students in and around Tracy City. It closed 25 years ago but now the building is enjoying a remarkable second act.
What’s Right With Our Schools: Tennessee Stem Explorers Television Show
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - News 12 is delighted to be a partner with Tennessee Stem Explorers for an exciting new program that will air right here this Fall. Student hosts will be doing…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Rossville Middle School Chorus
ROSSVILLE, GA (WDEF) - Rebuilding a school's chorus program can be a difficult challenge, but at Rossville Middle School the rewards far outweighed the risk. Macy Swanson is the Chorus and…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Ringgold High Performing Arts
Ringgold, Georgia (WDEF) - It was a dazzling year for Performing Arts at Ringgold High School.From scholarships, to state honors to a very famous visitor, they pull back the curtain on What's Right With…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Middle Valley Elementary E-Lab
Hixson, TN (WDEF) - A strong background in Computer Science is essential as our world becomes more tech driven. Hamilton County is a global leader in training the coders of tomorrow.…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Heritage High Teacher Appreciation
Ringgold, GA (WDEF) - Heritage High School has turned teacher appreciation into an art form. The many ways students show their gratitude is a great example of "What's Right With Our Schools." Michelle…