Terri Elvington’s passion has always been working with children. When she began her career in education, she worked with teens and then moved into early childhood education. As her son entered elementary school, she decided working as a teacher assistant was the perfect fit. 

Now, Elvington is a 14-year veteran teacher assistant with CMS and the Central 2 Learning Community finalist for Teacher Assistant of the Year. “I was completely surprised and deeply honored to be named Teacher Assistant of the Year at Beverly Woods Elementary and a finalist for my learning community,” she said of the recognition. “There are so many dedicated and deserving teacher assistants who work in CMS.” 

The spotlight is out of Elvington’s comfort zone, but accepting the nomination has allowed her the opportunity to reflect on her personal and professional growth. Beverly Woods Elementary principal Andrew Bell described Elvington as “the type of assistant you wish you could duplicate 10 times.” Bell said Elvington is extremely reliable and rarely misses a day of work. “Mrs. Elvington takes the initiative to make sure she knows current reading and math strategies so that she can help in small groups or when she is covering an entire class,” said Bell. “Her co-workers appreciate her friendship and reliability, as she will make sure to check on other TAs, substitutes or teachers to offer bathroom breaks or assistance whenever she has a moment to spare. Beverly Woods Elementary is extremely grateful to have Terri Elvington on staff.” 

Elvington is grateful for all the support she has received from staff at Beverly Woods, its students and families. “This recognition means I am surrounded by fellow educators who support each other and believe in the dedication we put forth each day,” she said. “I am proud to be a part of Beverly Woods Elementary and the CMS community.”