Congratulations to Ms. Covey Denton. She won the NC Science Teacher Association award this year for District 3. These Awards are presented to recognize excellence in science teaching in North Carolina, to teachers who exemplify excellent, creative, innovative teaching of science. The award is open to teachers at the elementary, middle and high school grade levels. District 3 serves Durham, Granville, Wake, Vance, Warren, Johnston, Wilson, Nash, Edgecombe, Halifax, Franklin, and Northampton counties.
During the presentation, NCSTA commented about their selection of Ms. Denton based on her performance in the classroom and beyond. “Ms. Denton shows dedication in planning, implementing, and assessing science lessons that are hands-on, interactive, and fun with preschoolers through 7th graders. Her students are excited and can't wait for class to start every day. Ms. Denton is the science teacher for the lower school as well as the middle school science classes at Greenfield School. Ms. Denton makes full use of the green space surrounding the school as a resource. When studying pollution and habitats, she took the fifth grade class to a nearby creek to take samples of the water. When they got back to class, they looked at their samples under the microscope to identify and compare the life they found there. From there, they had the chance to infer why one would not want to drink stagnant water. She also implemented with her class stations and simulations about animal adaptations where students explored and drew conclusions about how birds' beak shape and size might impact their ability to survive in environments with limited food sources. Ms. Denton’s love for science extends beyond the classroom. She planned and implemented a school wide activity making a pumpkin explode. Safety was stressed and she clearly explained how she performed each step. She also hosted students from the Eastern NC School for the Deaf. They spent a morning on campus doing hands on experiments and watching fun demonstrations.” Congratulations Ms. Denton!