SMS Teacher of the Month

Contributed

Daiann Hughes, a graduate of Robert E. Lee High School and Auburn University, has been named Teacher of the Month at Southside Middle School for September, 2010.

Mrs. Hughes was recognized by Principal Dr. Kenneth Varner in the traditional bell presentation ceremony as a teacher who is "making a difference" at SMS, especially when it comes to math and science test scores. It was noted that in last year's springtime round of testing, some of the greatest improvements school-wide happened in Mrs. Hughes's classroom -- and those improvements helped Southside make AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress), the all-important measurement of No Child Left Behind.

Married for 28 years to Jim Hughes, a 29-year veteran of the Genpak plant in Hope Hull, Mrs. Hughes moved to Tallassee in 1989 after teaching for 13 years at Greengate School in Montgomery. While at Greengate, Mrs. Hughes worked with the legendary educator and television host of WSFA-TV's "Young World," Mrs. Marge Payne.

The Hughes family is represented well by three children: Rhoades, an electrical engineer for Techtronics, based in Portland, OR; Travis, graduating this year in Marketing and currently working for Brent Milner in Tallassee; and Emily, in her third year as an Industrial Engineering major at Auburn University.

Daiann was born in Montgomery, she says, "but also lived in Virginia, South Carolina, and Mississippi growing up." After graduating from Robert E. Lee High School, she attended Auburn University, played French Horn in the AU Marching Band, was in Delta Gamma Sorority, and was also a little sister in a fraternity.

Following her 13-year stint at Greengate, Daiann taught at The Learning Lodge. She then helped to establish and was the director for the Mother’s Day Out Program at East Tallassee Baptist Church under the direction of Rev. David Gill.

TEAM Math and AMSTI trained, Daiann teaches fifth grade math and science at Southside and is currently in her 8th year at the school. "I love my family, friends, students, and the great staff at SMS," Mrs. Hughes says.

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