Warrior Ridge Elementary teacher Milissa Greene and district administrative assistant Lucy Swailes were recently recognized with district honors. 

A special education teacher at Warrior Ridge Elementary, Greene was named the district’s Teacher of the Year. Greene is in her 15th year in the Warren County R-III school district. After working previously as a fourth grade teacher and kindergarten teacher, Greene has worked as a special education teacher at Warrior Ridge for the past seven years. 

“As a family, we thought we were moving,” Greene said. “So I had given up my kindergarten position. And then obviously, the move didn’t go through. And so when I came back, they had a special education position available.”

Greene noted the switch to special education was not foreign to her. She has an adult special needs daughter and has been involved with the Special Olympics. While it was an easy fit with her experience, she did stress there are differences in teaching in special education. 

While she saw her students for one year while teaching a specific grade, she now works with special education students over the course of their time in elementary school.  

“We tend to work with our kids for a longer amount of time,” Greene said. “So you see those kids. You really can see their growth from when you first get them until they leave elementary. That’s really different being able to watch them grow each year and staying with them all of their elementary career.”

Prior to being named the district’s teacher of the year, Greene was nominated for and chosen as the Warrior Ridge teacher of the year. She was honored just to be chosen by her colleagues. Greene was overwhelmed and surprised to be chosen as the district’s teacher of the year. 

“I’ve put a lot into my job but that’s just your work ethic,” Greene said. “The students here, the community, the district, it all means a lot to me. To be recognized for that, it’s amazing. I just feel like I’m in a great district with a lot of outstanding teachers. So it was quite the honor to be chosen as the one to represent the whole district."

 Swailes named Support Staff of  the Year

Lucy Swailes was named the district’s Support Staff of the Year in recognition for more than two  decades of work and the wide array of tasks she currently carries out to keep the district’s Central Office running. 

Swailes works as administrative assistant for the superintendent and secretary for the R-III School Board. To hear her tell it, she only plays a small role in the school district’s administrative office. But ask what’s on her agenda throughout the school year, and the list might include managing textbook supply orders, reviewing district payroll, assisting with accounting, organizing meetings of the school board, updating the district website, and maintaining the district’s records and policies — and whatever else happens to come up any given day.

“It doesn’t sound like a lot … but I’m busy all day,” Swailes told The Record.

Swailes started work for Warren County R-III in 2002 as a paraprofessional after starting out her adult life as a stay-at-home mom. Over the next couple years, she took on jobs in different district offices, and continued until she was hired at Central Office in 2011. She noted that her entire adult career has been with the R-III district, and she plans to keep it that way until she retires sometime in the distant future.

“I love helping people, and I love being able to point people in the right direction if they need help or assistance. I like interacting with the public, I like interacting with the staff,” Swailes commented. “This job has been very fulfilling for me, and that’s why I’ve stayed with the district almost 22 years. “I would like to be a positive influence on people in the community, to help them see how wonderful the district truly is,” she added.

Outside of her job duties, Swailes is also a volunteer for Care to Learn and Operation Backpack, two donation-driven programs that provide students from low-income families with food, supplies and support they need to live healthy lives. Swailes was one of the original volunteers for Operation Backpack when the program was brought to Warrenton 11 years ago.

“I loved being part of the beginning of that. It really gives me joy that we’re able to feed students,” Swailes said. “This community is very generous and very supportive. … It’s amazing, the care that people in this community have for each other.”

Adam Rollins contributed to this story.