Meet Our Kindergarten Teachers
Dianne Bettis has been teaching for 30 years. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Education at Valdosta State University and her Masters of Education at the State University of West Georgia. This school year 07-08 will be Mrs. Bettis’ last year to teach. She plans to retire and move to Lake Hartwell. She will miss Burch Elementary very much! Mrs. Bettis is a charter teacher at Burch Elementary. Mrs. Bettis and her husband, Barry, have been married 27 years. They have three sons. John, the oldest, is a graduate from Georgia Tech. Michael is a graduate from Georgia State University and Brian, the youngest son, is a sophomore at Gordon College. All three of her sons attended Burch when they were younger.
Mrs. Bettis’ philosophy of education is “To reach a child’s mind a teacher must capture his/her heart. Only if a child feels right can he/she think right.”
Marcia Glass has been teaching for 18 years. She graduated from California State University in Pennsylvania with a Bachelors Degree in Education and completed her Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education at Piedmont College. Mrs. Glass has two sons one of whom graduated from Auburn University and the other graduated from the University of Georgia. Her house is truly divided. Mrs. Glass’s philosophy of education is “if you believe in children and love them, they will learn!”
Did you know that Mrs. Glass loves attending the Atlanta Falcons and the Atlanta Hawks games?
Robyn Henry has taught for 14 years. She completed her Bachelor of Science Degree in Education at Troy State University, Master of Education in Early Childhood at State University of West Georgia and Specialist Degree in Early Childhood Education at State University of West Georgia. Mrs Henry is an avid Georgia Bulldog fan. Go Dawgs! Albert Einstein stated, “The purpose of education is to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” Mrs. Henry believes teaching and learning should be enjoyable for both teacher and student.
Did you know that Mrs. Henry was born in Hawaii and is an avid runner. She is currently training for her first half marathon.
Kathy Mitchell is originally a California girl and has been teaching for 23 years. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Art and Fashion Design from Utah State University. She completed her teaching certificate at Georgia State University. Mrs. Mitchell has taught first grade, second and fourth grade. She was a Special Instructional Lead Teacher in Clayton County and an Early Intervention Program teacher in Fayette County. This is her 7th year teaching at Burch Elementary and her first year teaching kindergarten. She loves having her own classroom again. She has been married 31 years and has two sons 26 and 23 years of age. Her first son has been married five ½ years. Last January in 2004 she became the grandmother of a beautiful granddaughter. Her philosophy of teaching is a student doesn't care what you know, until he knows that you care.
Did you know that Mrs. Mitchell used to be a United Air Lines Flight Attendant?
Andrea Mueller has 13 years teaching experience in Fayette County with 11 of those years being at Robert J. Burch Elementary in Kindergarten. Mrs. Mueller is a Florida State Seminole fan with her Bachelor’s in Early Childhood having come from Florida State University in 1994. While at Florida State, Mrs. Mueller performed with the FSU Flying High Circus. She earned her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the State University of West Georgia in 1998, followed by her Specialist’s degree in Early Childhood from SUWG in Spring 2002. Mrs. Mueller has been married twelve years and has four children (Madison, Delaney, Maddox, and Braxton). Mrs. Mueller’s family has two pets, a Golden Retriever (Boomer) and a cat (Louie). Mrs. Mueller’s philosophy of education is that learning is a never-ending journey; the path we take, the pace we set, the things we learn along the way will be unique for each of us. Mrs. Mueller hopes that the students in her kindergarten class develop a love of learning and that they become life-long learners.
Did you know that Mrs. Mueller is a native of Fayette County? She graduated from Fayette County High School in 1990 after attending Fayette County Schools from first through the twelfth grade, and Mrs. Teat (our very own Assistant Principal) was Mrs. Mueller’s fourth grade teacher.
Kindergarten Paraprofessionals
Lynette Elder is enjoying her first year as a paraprofessional at Robert J. Burch Elementary School. Prior to working at Burch, Mrs. Elder was a kindergarten paraprofessional at Hood Avenue Elementary School for five years and taught preschool for eight years. Mrs. Elder and her husband Mike have been married for 31 years and have two children, a son and a daughter. They also have 2 cats and 3 grandpups! Mrs. Elder loves being at home and spending time with her family and pets.
Did you know that Mrs. Elder attended Clayton State College and Georgia State University and majored in music?
Lisa Manthey has worked in the Fayette County School System since August 1995. She has been married to Terry for 24 years. They have 3 daughters: Andrea is in the Air Force and married with a son Ethan, Terri is a senior at GA State University and Katie is a junior at The University of GA. Mrs. Manthey loves her 3 dogs and 2 cats and cares for the Burch atrium fish pond and media center lizards.
Soo Seal has been a paraprofessional in Clayton County and at a DODDS system in Belgium before joining the Kindergarten Team in 2004. Mrs. Seal and her husband Lonnie have been married for nineteen years and have two wonderful girls and three very overweight cats. Mrs. Seal loves working in Kindergarten helping the children and watching them blossom.
Did you know that Mrs. Seal was born in Korea and came to the United States when she was nine years old?
Ericka Seay is from Birmingham, Alabama. She has lived in Tyrone for the past two years. Mrs. Seay has been married for 10 years and has one son. Mrs. Seay has a Bachelor’s Degree in Textile Engineering from Auburn University. She is working on her Master’s Degree in Education for grades Pre-K through the fourth grade. Mrs. Seay worked part-time last year with kindergarten students as a Title I paraprofessional. This is Mrs. Seay’s first year as a Kindergarten Classroom Paraprofessional. She looks forward to a great year with the students.
Did you know that Mrs. Seay has lived in five cities in the last ten years? Did you know that she has lived in four houses and three apartments in the last ten years? Mrs. Seay likes to move!
Aidan Simpkins has been a paraprofessional at Robert J. Burch Elementary since it first opened in 1990. Mrs. Simpkins and her husband Todd have been married for seven years and have two children. They also have a family pet, Ben, a chocolate lab. Mrs Simpkins enjoys working in Kindergarten.
Did you know that Mrs. Simpkins enjoys scrap booking in her spare time?