New teachers transition

Published 9:04 am Wednesday, August 10, 2016

“I have been fortunate enough to come back home,” said Dominique Foster of her new position in the Charlotte County Public Schools.

Foster was recently hired as the assistant principal for Randolph Henry High School. Along with Foster, 17 new teachers were hired this year, according to Scott “Shep” Critzer, director of student services.

Foster will take the place of Jamie Brown, who now serves as principal of Phenix High School. Previously, she worked at Prince Edward County High School.

“I am a product of Charlotte County Public Schools,” she said. “I am looking forward to giving back.” Foster said, “Charlotte County has a warm spirit. It is very welcoming and brings out the best in all people.”

Critzer said the school system is “very excited about this year’s group of new teachers and administrators.”

“We had many excellent candidates for each of the positions, which is a testament to the quality of our schools and community,” he said.

Katlyn Hall is also an alumni of Charlotte County Schools. “It has always been a dream of mine to come back to the county I grew up in,” she said.

Hall plans to “educate and inspire the children just like my teachers did when I attended CCPS.” She will be fulfilling her dream as a second grade teacher at Eureka Elementary School, the same school she once attended.

Hall is transitioning from Bluestone Middle School in Mecklenburg County, where she taught for the past three years. 

“I absolutely love being apart of the CCPS team already,” said Hall, noting everyone has been welcoming and helpful during her transition. “It is so neat to see former teachers and former classmates,” she said of returning home to her former school system.

Anne Nichols, “needed a change after 21 years of teaching third grade.” She will transition this week to Beacon District Elementary School, where she will teach second grade.

Previously, Nichols taught at Sinai Elementary, located in Halifax County. “I love it so far,” she said. “Everyone has been so welcoming and friendly, including my new faculty and staff.”

Lisa Haertel came to Charlotte County because of her husband’s job in Keysville. They’ve lived together in Madisonville for three years.

Haertel is now an english teacher at Randolph-Henry High School. “This year, my classes include 10th grade and two dual enrollment English classes with Southside Community College,” she said.

This isn’t the first time Haertel has transitioned schools. She’s been teaching since 1991. She  first worked in Sweden and Finland as an ESL instructor for eight years before returning to the United States to teach high school english at Hargrave Military Academy, located in Chatham. After teaching at Hargrave for nine years, she transited to five years as an english teacher in Campbell County Schools. Now she’s in the midst of another transition.

Haertel said, “Randolph-Henry’s tightly knit community of faculty and student families fondly reminds me of my experiences growing up … (in) the small town of Gretna, in Pittsylvania County.”

Critzer said, “(the teachers) we hired will be excellent teachers and role models for our young men and women.”