CCSD Honors 2024 CCSD School Nurse of the Year, Zone Winners
Cherokee County School District 2024 School Nurse of the Year Dawn Beasley of Tippens Education Center, center, is congratulated by, from left, Janet Read Welch, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta community development officer; Superintendent of Schools Mary Elizabeth Davis, School Board Chair Kyla Cromer, School Board member Kelly Poole and Dr. Debra Murdock, CCSD chief school leadership and operations officer.
The Cherokee County School District celebrated school nurses today with the presentation of the fourth annual CCSD School Nurse of the Year Awards!
The awards program was developed with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a CCSD Partner. As part of National School Nurse Appreciation Day and National Nurses Week in May, a top school nurse from each CCSD Innovation Zone (a high school and its feeder schools) is announced. The Zone winners advance to the CCSD School Nurse of the Year Award judging, with the winner selected by a panel of nursing professionals and retired educators.
Superintendent of Schools Mary Elizabeth Davis today presented the 2024 CCSD School Nurse of the Year award to Dawn Beasley of Tippens Education Center, which is part of the Cherokee Innovation Zone. The presentation was made before her colleagues from across the school district at the annual back-to-school professional development event for school nurses held at Cherokee High School. Ms. Beasley received prizes including a $500 Visa gift card, engraved plaque and honor banner, sponsored by Children’s Healthcare.
An LPN with 24 years of experience, Ms. Beasley joined CCSD in 2009 as a substitute nurse and began in her current role as the school nurse for Tippens in 2010. Prior to joining CCSD, Ms. Beasley worked as a nurse in pediatric practices and centers with a focus on supporting medically fragile children. She earned her nursing certification from Point Loma Nazarene University and has additionally earned CPR instructor and Stop the Bleed instructor certification.
“I believe that every single nurse who works for CCSD is deserving of this award. We all work so extremely hard every day to care for the students and treat them as if they were our own,” she said. “My goal at Tippens is to help the students, show love to the students and help them feel safe and heard while at school.”
Principal Kim Barger said Ms. Beasley, known to students as “Nurse Dawn,” provides “unmatched care and concern” to students and her colleagues. In addition to routine school nurse duties, Ms. Beasley’s job calls for additional expertise and patience, as Tippens serves students with emotional and behavior challenges.
“She has established a good rapport with students and parents and goes above and beyond for our staff. She is an angel with hidden wings, and our school would not function without her strong and steady presence,” Principal Barger said. “She is most deserving of this honor.”
As one parent shared, Ms. Beasley is “every parent’s dream” for a school nurse.
“My son is not an easy child to deal with, but she does it with such grace,” she said, noting her son needs additional care for diabetes and Ms. Beasley excels in communicating with her. “She is the sweetest school nurse I have ever met.”
The School Nurse of the Year Innovation Zone winners, who each received a $100 Visa gift card and an honor banner at today’s event, are: Creekview Zone: Andrea Hamm, Creekview HS; Etowah Zone: Joy Harrison, Clark Creek ES STEM Academy; River Ridge Zone: Chelsie Stehlik, Little River ES; Sequoyah Zone: Maria Hicks, Indian Knoll ES; and Woodstock Zone: Ashlee Odom, Woodstock MS.
Janet Read Welch, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta community development officer, spoke at the event, and treated all of CCSD’s school nurses to breakfast and presented them with gifts.
Ms. Beasley and the Zone winners also received gifts from Chick-fil-A of Cherokee County, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, Riverstone and Nothing Bundt Cakes Woodstock.
Cherokee County School District 2024 School Nurse of the Year Dawn Beasley of Tippens Education Center, center, is surprised by the announcement she is the overall winner.
From left, Etowah Innovation Zone winner, Joy Harrison, Clark Creek ES STEM Academy; Sequoyah Innovation Zone winner, Maria Hicks, Indian Knoll ES; Creekview Innovation Zone winner, Andrea Hamm, Creekview HS; River Ridge Innovation Zone winner, Chelsie Stehlik, Little River ES; Woodstock Innovation Zone winner, Ashlee Odom, Woodstock MS; Cherokee County School District 2024 School Nurse of the Year Dawn Beasley of Tippens Education Center, also the Cherokee Innovation Zone winner; Janet Read Welch, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta community development officer; Superintendent of Schools Mary Elizabeth Davis, School Board Chair Kyla Cromer and School Board member Kelly Poole.
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