2023 Staff Awards

The 2023 Golden Anchor Awardees

Each year we recognize five outstanding educators at Farragut High School with the Golden Anchor Award (GAA) and a $1,000 grant. To be eligible for a GAA, an educator must dedicate a significant amount of time and effort over and above their regular teaching duties to enhance student learning and development. This year’s awardees are:

Ben Collins (Social Studies)

“Mr. Collins makes learning Tennessee History even more exciting than it already is due to his fun and friendly personality and the way he teaches his lessons on our state.”

“When the name Mr. Collins pops up, you automatically hear positive things about him. He is definitely a teacher that you can look up to. Before I had him I would ask people if Mr. Collins was a good teacher and everyone had the same answer…yes! After I took his Tennessee History class last fall, and even while taking it, I would tell all my friends about the class. I loved it and I told everyone they need to take Mr. Collins’ class. “

“He involves many students in fun and engaging games that are relatable to the students and relevant to the class material being taught/discussed.”

Jeffrey Gatwood (Social Studies)

“Always there for his students and always adapts what we learn so we can understand better. He is also always trying to connect with us by understanding our generation, he is the best and funniest teacher I have ever had.”

“He is the most caring, dedicated, funny, kind hearted, and nice teacher I have ever had! He always likes to spend time with his students and the connections he made with each of us individually is truly remarkable. He is definitely a teacher that I will never forget he has helped me grow into the person I am and the adult I am becoming. I am truly grateful to have had him as a teacher.”

“He is engaged in every students and helps everyone.  He tries to keep up with w everyone and their hobbies. He also goes to most of his students games which makes students have a better connection with the teacher. “

Holly Kelly (Science)

“She is extremely understanding and sweet. She pushes each student to be the best version of themselves. Honors Anatomy and Physiology is my hardest class, but it is still the class I look forward to everyday. “

“Mrs. Kelly is one of the most caring, and influential teachers I have ever had. She shows up everyday with a smile and new activity to take on and one’s I truly learn from. She doesn’t just provide information, she teaches it and relates it to real life situations.”

“She is a teacher that is unlike many other teachers. She is passionate about her subject and she has found a very interesting way to teach it.”

Kelly Loveday (World Languages)

“She uses a lot of her own time to do things that are not required to as a research teacher such as going through each persons paper and writing comments that highly contribute to their overall understanding.”

“I've had Madam Loveday for 3 classes (French 3,4, and AP) and I can confidently say that she is one of the smartest teachers and people I know. She is SO GOOD at what she does (for me teaching french, for others teaching AP research) and I genuinely marvel at the expanse of how much she knows.”

“Mrs. Loveday has some compassion and care to her students and has found ways to make them all feel included and loved while also teaching her students in a way everyone understands.”

Dennis Tabisz (Social Studies)

“He makes learning more fun. As someone who hates history, I looked forward to his class. He put a lot of work into what he taught us and spent multiple nights just making stuff for us to learn.”

“He is there for his students not just academically but personally. He notices if a student is having a ruff day and goes out of his way to see if they are okay.”

“He embodies the Admiral spirit, Mr. T represents this schools values and creates a positive environment with his students.”

2023 Binnacle Awardee

The Binnacle Award is awarded to a staff member and is chosen by school administrators. This year’s awardee is Cindy Lindsey.

"Cindy has been the backbone of Farragut High School for years. Her hard work and dedication have been vital to the success of our school. As she is retiring, she will be sorely missed."

~Dr. Bartlett

2023 Tyler Duke Awardee

The Tyler Duke Award is given to an outstanding educator for their dedication to the teaching profession and for their positive impact and making a difference in the lives of their students. This award is given in memory of FHS graduate, Tyler Duke. This year’s awardee is Valerie Cagle.

“Ms. Cagle helped make our first Freshman Academy a success. She supports her colleagues, is devoted to our school and to all FHS students.”

~Beth Duncan, FHS Parent & Community Involvement Coordinator/College and Career Mentor