| Lauderdale Middle School 309 Griggs Avenue
Ripley, TN 38063
Phone – 731-635-1391
Fax – 731-635-0028
Principal: Greg Billings is beginning his 20th year as a
professional educator. He has a wealth of experience in both the
rural and urban educational settings. He is serving his first
year as principal at Lauderdale Middle School. He served as a
band director in the Tipton County School System for 11 years.
He served the Memphis City School System for eight years both as
a band director and administrator. Mr. Billings’ most recent
tenure was as an administrator at Overton High School, the
“School for the Creative and Performing Arts.” Beyond his
teaching experience, Mr. Billings has served as the president of
the Tipton County Education Association, Memphis City Schools
Diplomat, Quadrant Leader/Mentor for Band Directors, Chairman of
the West-Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Association’s Honor
Band Clinic, and many other leadership positions.
Interim Assistant Principal: Latonya Jackson (ljackson@mail.lced.net)
Mrs. Latonya Jackson is a graduate of Dyersburg State Community
College and the University of Memphis with a degree in
elementary education. She holds a master’s degree with a focus
on school counseling from the University of West Alabama, and
she has completed coursework in educational leadership through
Trevecca Nazarene University. A native of Lauderdale County and
a Ripley High School graduate, Mrs. Jackson has taught seventh-grade English and science in Tipton County, and before coming to LMS, she served as the school counselor for Brighton Middle
School.
Assistant Principal: Vanessa Spoon
 (vspoon@mail.lced.net
)
Vanessa Spoon was chosen to serve on the Lauderdale Middle
School’s administrative team at the beginning of the 2009-2010
school year. Spoon worked in the Trenton Special School District
for 10 years as a kindergarten and second-grade teacher. She
joined the Lauderdale County School District in 2002, teaching
first and second grade and serving as project LEAD tutor for
four years before joining the administrative team at Ripley
Primary School as Curriculum Coordinator. She holds an Associate
of Science Degree from Jackson State Community College, a
Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from Union
University and a Master’s Degree in Leadership from the
University of Memphis. She is a member of the Alpha Delta Kappa
Honorary Teacher Fraternity and the Lauderdale County Education
Association.
 Curriculum Coordinator: Michael Shirley
(mshirley@mail.lced.net)
Michael Shirley currently serves as Curriculum Coordinator at
Lauderdale Middle School. Prior to this position, he taught
eighth grade English at LMS for 12 years.
Shirley grew up in the small town of Johnston City, Illinois. He
holds an Associate’s Degree from John A. Logan College, a
Bachelor’s Degree from Murray State University, and a Master’s
Degree in Education from Union University. He and his wife,
Ashley, have two children.
LMS acknowledges Walmart as a partner
in education
LMS Sixth Grade
Counselor Lynda Cliff and Ripley Walmart manager Christopher
Stanback Walmart recently presented students with a Walmart gift
certificate. “We appreciate Walmart,” said Cliff. “And all the
other sponsors who contribute to our schools throughout the
year.”
Verbs!
Sixth graders
in Ms. Tammy Pipkin’s English class at Lauderdale Middle School
recently created lap books filled with pictures, graphic
organizers, writing samples, and everything about verbs.
The students
worked very hard as they collected several weeks worth of
activities to paste inside their “books.” Each project can be
used as a verbs study guide for years to come.
Lowe’s Toolbox provides quick fix for
LMS science lab
Lauderdale Middle School was recently awarded a check to help
provide the right tools for science skills through Lowe’s
Toolbox for Education grant. The $5,000 grant will be used to
update the school’s science lab. Pictured are LMS Principal Greg
Billings, Nate Johnson, David Burnham, Jimmy Turnbow, Greg
Bontrager, Lori Halliburton, Carole White, Kathy Cox, Assistant
Principal Vanessa Spoon, Theresa Pennington, Don Meacham,
Dewayne Dunn, Steve Littlejohn, Assistant Principal Latonya
Jackson and Curriculum Coordinator Michael Shirley.
The
Lauderdale Middle School science department was recently awarded
$5,000 from the Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grant to update the
school’s science lab. This grant will help LMS educators provide
a more state-of-the-art lab, where students are actively engaged
in the learning process through cooperative/interactive learning
experiences.
Much of
Tennessee’s “new” science curriculum standards for middle
schools require a tremendous amount of hands-on learning. The
new LMS lab will provide room for microscopes, triple beam
balances, beakers, and much more. Students will complete earth
science, physical science, and life science experiments in this
environment.
Jackson to serve at LMS
Lauderdale County Schools Superintendent Joey Hassell recently
announced that Mrs. Latonya Jackson is the Lauderdale Middle
School Interim Assistant Principal. Mrs. Jackson is a graduate
of Dyersburg State Community College and the University of
Memphis with a degree in elementary education. She holds a
Master’s Degree with a focus on school counseling from the
University of West Alabama, and she has completed coursework in
educational leadership through Trevecca Nazarene University. A
native of Lauderdale County and a Ripley High School graduate,
Mrs. Jackson has taught seventh grade English and science in
Tipton County, and she currently serves as the school counselor
for Brighton Middle School. Mrs. Jackson will join Mr. Greg
Billings, principal; Mrs. Vanessa Spoon, assistant principal;
and Mr. Michael Shirley, curriculum coordinator, to complete the
instructional leadership team at Lauderdale Middle School for
the remainder of the 2009-2010 school year.
“Mrs. Jackson is a leader who exhibits dedication,
organization, dependability, and a ‘focus’ on the needs of all
students. She will be an asset to the school and great support
for our faculty and staff,” Superintendent Hassell said.
Two LMS students are top
yearbook ad sellers
Lauderale Middle School wishes to
congratulate Ambria Platzke and Danielle Oswald for earning the
title of Top Sellers for 2009-2010 yearbook ads. To reach the
top, each girl each sold over $1,000 worth of yearbook ads.
Yearbook ads help offset the cost of the yearbooks. Way to go
girls!
Mitchell earns Top AR Points
for sixth grade
Nathan Mitchell, a sixth-grade
student at Lauderdale Middle School, recently earned the most
Accelerated Reader Points for the second nine weeks of the
2009-2010 academic year. He was top sixth-grade reader with 250
points. Nathan, the son of Billy and Stacy Drew, received a $25
gift card for his accomplishment.
Teachers honored for perfect
attendance
Lauderdale Middle School recently
honored faculty members achieving Perfect Attendance for the
first semester. From left, Kelly Thompson, Theresa Pennington,
Patricia Ford, Hattie Chaney, Greg Bontrager and Kathy Hodge.
LMS hosts school-wide spelling
bee
Lauderdale Middle School recently
held its 2009-2010 Spelling Bee competition, with three students
from each grade level competing for not only the LMS
championship, but also for an opportunity to move on to the
Lauderdale County Spelling Bee.
Representatives included sixth
graders La Shell Dawson, Marquaveon Gray and Michael Korszoloski;
seventh graders Jamonte Balton, Chad Culbreath and Lindsey
Stovall; and eighth graders Justin Brown, Elizabeth Edwards and
Peter Glass.
Elizabeth Edwards, daughter of
Jeff and Tina Edwards, won first place in the competition;
Jamonte Balton, son of Ella Balton, earned second place; and La
Shell Dawson, daughter of Kenyatta Jarrett and Derrick Dawson,
placed third. The runner-up/alternate was Chad Culbreath, son of
Charles Culbreath.
The LMS faculty and staff wish to offer congratulations to all
of these fine young people.
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