The end of the school year signifies a lot of celebration for teachers. Not only do they celebrate the months of hard work they and their students have put in, but there are honors, awards and, for some, retirement to be gained.
For one Cabot family, there were multiple reasons to celebrate after the end-of-year district meeting for the Cabot Public School District. Just before Angie Frizzell was honored for her retirement from teaching, her daughter, Lindsey Duncan, was recognized as the district’s Teacher of the Year. Both teachers taught at Southside Elementary School.
Duncan teaches fourth-grade literacy, and Frizzell taught second grade. This was Duncan’s 10th year teaching and her fourth at Southside, and Frizzell retired from a 38-year career, the last 27 of which were at Southside.
“I came here when [Lindsey] started kindergarten here,” Frizzell said.
Duncan said she practically grew up at Southside, both during and after school hours.
“I lived up here,” she said of the school. “When I was little, [my mom] was a special-education teacher, and this was before computers were big, so she would be up here at 6 or 7 several nights a week.”
Both women spoke of Southside as a family. Duncan said her decision to transfer to Southside a few years ago was partially impacted by the fact that she wanted her son to be “a Southside kid,” she said.
“Cabot’s a great district, and Southside is a family,” Frizzell said. “The staff cares for one another. We’ve had health issues, we’ve had deaths, we’ve had babies, and we go through it all together. The kids are amazing; the parents are very supportive here. It’s just a great place to be.”
Southside Principal Stacy Allen echoed the sentiment.
“The incredible thing about Southside is that it’s a place that people want to be,” Allen said. “Once you’re a part of Southside, you’re always a part of Southside. It’s a blessing to me to serve alongside these people.”
Allen said she was thrilled when Duncan was announced as the district’s Teacher of the Year. The principal got the news with everyone else at the districtwide meeting May 24.
“I think I screamed. I was so proud because she has worked so hard to meet the needs of all her students,” Allen said. “She had a diverse group of students this year, and she absolutely goes above and beyond. She’s a treasure.”
Being chosen as Teacher of the Year for the district is a process, Duncan said. First, she was chosen as the Southside Elementary Teacher of the Year; then she was recognized as the Elementary Teacher of the Year across all elementary schools. She was then chosen for the districtwide honor.
“We get to see our nominations after they are processed,” Duncan said. “That was emotional because some of my kids who I didn’t have a clue nominated me. Reading from their perspective what was important, the things that stuck out to them and were important to them, was very meaningful.”
As the district’s Teacher of the Year, Duncan is now eligible to compete for Arkansas Teacher of the Year. This honor comes with a year of service, during which the teacher is out of the classroom to work with the Arkansas Department of Education and to serve s an ex officio member of the state Board of Education to speak on behalf of the state’s educators.
Duncan is a successful communicator who intentionally partners with families to make sure her students succeed, Allen said. Duncan also works on service-related activities with her students and is concerned with her kids growing both in and out of the classroom.
“She is a dynamic teacher who is very innovative and is always looking for ways to encourage and engage her students so they can be the most successful they can be,” Allen said. “She’s always looking for opportunities for her students to shine and to grow.”
Allen said the relationship between Duncan and Frizzell was always positive and supportive. Mother and daughter taught on different halls, so their interaction was not constant throughout the day, but Allen said they made the most of their professional and personal relationship.
“It was always very loving,” she said. “They were always a good ear for each other and each other’s biggest cheerleaders.”
Even though Frizzell is retiring, Allen said, she expects to see her at the school often.
“She is retiring, but she very much will be at Southside, and we will love every moment of having her,” Allen said.
Frizzell has already envisioned some of her post-retirement trips to the school. Duncan has one child at Southside and another one on the way, so Frizzell is excited to fill her time with Nana duties.
“I love, love my job,” Frizzell said. “I want to be able to have lunch with my grandson. I so look forward to bringing my Brick Oven pizza and having lunch with him. We see grandparents do it all the time, but our schedules didn’t work out where we could eat with him.”
Duncan said her mom is leaving big shoes to fill, but it is obvious by Duncan’s Teacher of the Year title that she is as well-loved and respected as her mother.
“People go to her for advice, and I will try to live up to that standard. It’s wonderful,” Duncan said.
“She shines in her own light,” Frizzell said of her daughter.
The Arkansas Teacher of the Year will be decided in the winter.