Anderson School District Two’s 2008 Teacher of the Year is Lorena Newton. Lorena Newton represents Belton Elementary School as Teacher of the Year. Lorena is the Reading Teacher at Belton Elementary School.

HONEA PATH — The Anderson School District 2 Teacher of the Year for 2008 is Lorena Newton.

Newton also is the 2008 Belton Elementary School Teacher of the Year. She is the reading teacher at Belton Elementary.

Newton works closely with her peers to improve reading instruction in the school, according to a District 2 news release. She also sponsors the Panda Book Club at the school and a group that discusses South Carolina Book Award nominees in summer months. She facilitates the author of the month program at the school, organized the Student and Faculty Poet Tree and serves as host of the spotlight on poetry segment during the Belton Elementary morning news broadcast.

She serves on the District 2 Reading Team, according to the release. She is the Literacy Night facilitator and organizer of the Beginning of the Year Faculty Fun Celebration. She also is involved with the Sunshine Club and makes instructional fair presentations.

Newton is married to Randy Newton, and they have three children, according to the release. Lorena Newton has worked in the field of education for 14 years, with nine of those years spent in Honea Path-based District 2. She was an honor graduate from Clemson University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in special education and a master’s degree in reading education.

She sets high standards for all students, according to the release. As she attended elementary school, she witnessed the efforts of a teacher who worked with a person who had cerebral palsy. The teacher set high standards for all those she taught, including those with disabilities, and taught students to work to meet challenging expectations, according to the release.

“I am always aware of the effect teachers can have in their students’ lives,” Lorena Newton said.