At Lady's Island Elementary School in Beaufort, fifth-grade teacher Debbie Stickle Smith uses a variety of instructional and assessment practices in her classroom. A National Board Certified teacher who actively engages all of her students, Mrs. Smith is a leader in arts and technology integration. She is the lead educator for Project Whirl, a unique program in which students use Palm Pilots for mathematics and science studies. Mrs. Smith's belief in the arts-infused school concept is working well, as she produces some of the best Palmetto Achievement Challenge Tests (PACT) scores in the state, including all of her special needs, resource and LD students. Not one to stop at the classroom door, Mrs. Smith recently started a spelling bee to raise funds for a local child abuse prevention agency. She is the faculty meeting secretary, has written and received several local grants, and is the recipient of the Life Touch Curriculum Award.
