THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Friday, September 1, 1995              TAG: 9508300175
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS      PAGE: 07   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   47 lines

CITY HONORS ITS BEST SCHOOLS, TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Last school year, they were the schools that dug the deepest to produce the best crops - yielding everything from higher test scores to improved attendance rates.

The district honored them - a total of 11 - at its annual back-to-school assembly for employees Monday. I.C. Norcom High chemistry teacher Cynthia Buck, Portsmouth's teacher of the year, also was honored.

Here are the 1994-95 award winners:

Most-improved elementary school: Douglass Park Elementary

Bonus: $5,000 check for school initiatives, flag, plaque, engraved clock

Principal: Gordon Ellsworth

Most-improved high school: Woodrow Wilson High

Bonus: $5,000 check, flag, plaque, engraved clock

Principal: Lindell Wallace

Most-improved special center: Mt. Hermon Elementary Education Center

Bonus: $1,000 check, flag, plaque, engraved clock

Principal: Valerie Brown

Note: Although the center was converted to a regular elementary school, the current Mt. Hermon staff will use the money for initiatives at the elementary school.

Schools that met all of their school-improvement team objectives:

Bonus: Plaque

Churchland Elementary

Churchland Primary

Highland-Biltmore Elementary

Lakeview Elementary

Olive Branch Elementary

Port Norfolk Elementary

Shea Terrace Elementary

Westhaven Elementary

Teacher of the Year - 1995-96

Cynthia Buck, Norcom chemistry teacher

Bonus: $1,000 gift; engraved music box.

KEYWORDS: PORTSMOUTH SCHOOLS by CNB