Three teachers have been selected as finalists for the 2010 Teacher of the Year recognition program for Floyd County Schools. The three finalists are: Judy Myers, a third-grade teacher at Armuchee Elementary School; Mary John Hendrix, a sixth-grade earth science teacher at Pepperell Middle School; and Janda Kaye Canalis, a healthcare science teacher at the Floyd County Schools College & Career Academy.

Judy Myers currently teaches third-grade students at Armuchee Elementary School. She has been a teacher since 1998 and has taught at Armuchee Elementary since 200l.  Mrs. Myers started her career at Armuchee Elementary in 1998 and then taught for two years at Cave Spring Elementary.  Mrs. Myers holds a masters degree in Early Childhood Education and a Reading Endorsement from Berry College.

Mary John Hendrix has taught sixth-grade earth science at Pepperell Middle School since 2006.  She has also taught math, reading and social studies during her teaching career.  Mrs. Hendrix has worked in Floyd County Schools and at Pepperell Middle School since she began her career in 1997.  Mrs. Hendrix holds a bachelor degree in middle grades education from Shorter College and a masters degree from Berry College.

Janda Kaye Canalis has been a healthcare science instructor at the Floyd County College & Career Academy since 2007.  During her career she has taught science to second through sixth-grades at the elementary school at Berry College and also taught in Scotland County Schools.  She has been a teacher since 1989.  After high school, Canalis pursued a career in nursing and worked for ten years in cardiac critical care.   She holds bachelor degrees in nursing from Kirkwood College and in education from St. Andrews College.  She has a masters in education from Berry College.  Canalis also holds Gifted Education Certification K-12 from St. Andrews College and Middle Childhood Generalist Certification.

The finalists were selected by a review committee from the Northwest Georgia Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA). The committee made the selections from written applications submitted by the "Teacher of the Year" representatives from each school in the Floyd County School System. Questions asked in the application were taken from the Georgia "Teacher of the Year" application form.

The three top teachers will now begin the final phase of the selection process to select the 2010 Floyd County Schools "Teacher of the Year." The process will include a personal interview of each finalist and classroom observations of the teachers working with students. The interviews will be held on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at the Floyd County Board of Education Office on Riverside Parkway. The selection will conclude on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 with classroom observations.  The selection process will be evaluated by a committee made up of members of the Floyd/Rome Retired Teachers Association. 

The 2010 Floyd County Schools "Teacher of the Year" will be announced on October 15, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. during the regular monthly meeting of the Floyd County Board of Education.