Hill Selected as NKCPS Division Teacher of the Year
On Thursday, January 4th, division leaders, school administrators, and District 3 School Board Member Heather Mae Donbrosky surprised the New Kent County Public Schools’ 2025 Teacher of the Year winners. On Monday, January 8th, the NKCPS Division Teacher of the Year, Ms. Lori Hill of New Kent Elementary School, was announced and recognized. She will represent New Kent County Public Schools at the state level of the competition. See information about each of our winners below:
George W. Watkins Elementary Teacher of the Year: Ms. Rita Yarema
Left to right: Superintendent Dr. Brian Nichols, GWES Teacher of the Year Ms. Rita Yarema, and GWES Principal Ms. Tammy Krejcarek
George Watkins Elementary is proud to announce that Ms. Rita Yarema has been selected as our 2025 Teacher of the Year. Ms. Yarema is a special education teacher who works tirelessly every day to ensure that every student feels loved and accepted in our building. She has an unwavering calmness and radiant positivity, and she takes challenges in stride. She is collaborative, encouraging, and fiercely committed to the goal of doing what is best for kids. She advocates for her students and does above and beyond to ensure that they can access the curriculum and learn the life skills needed to be successful in the future. She makes a big difference daily in the lives of so many students and staff members.
New Kent Elementary and NKCPS Teacher of the Year: Ms. Lori Hill
Left to right: NKES Principal Dr. Therese O'Dea, NKES and NKCPS Teacher of the Year Ms. Lori Hill, and Superintendent Dr. Brian Nichols
New Kent Elementary School could not be prouder to introduce Ms. Lori Hill as our Teacher of the Year. Ms. Hill brings 20 years of Army experience—including a Purple Heart—to her role, infusing her teaching with resilience and dedication. She is not just an educator; Ms. Hill is an innovator and a passionate soul who supports her team endlessly. That’s not all: She is also a master crafter, a baking aficionado, and phenomenal dancer! Ms. Hill proves that there is no limit to what she can do, both in and out of the classroom, with her unstoppable spirit and diverse talents. She is a true inspiration to her students, our staff, and our community. New Kent County Public Schools is thrilled for Ms. Hill to move on as their representative in the state-level competition.
Quinton Elementary Teacher of the Year: Ms. Lauren Birkhead
QES Teacher of the Year Ms. Lauren Birkhead
Ms. Lauren Birkhead is an amazing teacher and colleague, and Quinton Elementary School’s selection for Teacher of the Year. Our staff have learned so much from her wealth of knowledge this year about Pre-K! Ms. Birkhead is an amazing team player. When the school was short staffed in the fall, Ms. Birkhead truly stepped up providing coverage, lessons plans, and assistance daily to Pre-K. She is always eager to help a fellow teacher, and she is flexible when necessary. Ms. Birkhead’s positivity and willingness to make learning great for Pre-K is unwavering. Her students benefit from her calm and caring attitude; she has so much patience for them! MS. Birkhead’s leadership has been top notch this year, and it shows in her relationships with her teammates, other staff members, and families.
New Kent Middle Teacher of the Year: Ms. Cathy Cederholm
NKMS Teacher of the Year Ms. Cathy Cederholm
Congratulations to Ms. Cathy Cederholm for being named the 2025 New Kent Middle School Teacher of the Year! Ms. Cederholm models excellence in all that she does and is an unwavering reminder of why teachers choose to serve in education. She is passionate about giving her students the tools to survive in the real world: budgeting skills, relevant math, self-reliance, and self-discipline. She serves her students with reasonable accountability, humor, and deep affection. Ms. Cederholm is in her element in the classroom and cultivates a learning community where all children find growth and success. Ms. Cederholm is a torch that lights the way for so many with her ambition, generosity, and initiative. She is heavily involved in numerous programs throughout the school and plays an instrumental role in the success of NKMS including serving as mentee/mentor coordinator, advisory committee chair, Veterans Day coordinator, Summer of More educator, and WATCH D.O.G.S. advocate. Since her retirement from the Navy, Ms. Cederholm continues to serve our community daily, and we are lucky to have her.
New Kent High Teacher of the Year: Ms. Sue Musselman
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NKHS Teacher of the Year Ms. Sue Musselman
New Kent High School has selected Ms. Sue Musselman as our 2025 Teacher of the Year. Ms. Musselman does so much for NKHS. She has been a dedicated teacher at NKHS for many years. She is supportive of her students and works hard to make sure they have both the instruction to build and improve their artistic processes and the practice to create unique and personal artistic pieces. She has her students focus on both creating unique works of art but also on considering and recording the creative process that the budding artists experience. In addition to teaching four blocks. Ms. Musselman is also the sponsor of BETA and the Art Society. She creates opportunities for teachers to participate in various social gatherings (plate painting, door signs, etc.) and engaging contests (Halloween costume contest, guess the number in the jar, etc.). Ms. Musselman goes out of her way to make NKHS a better place.