The Selma City School Board meeting Tuesday focused on recognizing faculty and staff members for their hard work during the school year. 

The I Make a Difference Award was given to classified and certified Selma City Schools employees at Tuesday’s Selma City School Board meeting. The honor recognizes individuals who are committed to making a difference in the lives of the students they serve. Awardees were nominated by their school’s principal.

Superintendent Mangum said the recipients are focused individuals who impact the lives of all of the students they reach. She said she wants to continue to identify the good in the school system.

“Often times we focus on the negative, but we don’t take time to recognize the positive things,” Mangum said. “We want to accentuate the great things going on in our school system.”

Board members and principals spoke honorable words about each nominee and winners were given a certificate and coffee mug for their work.

Mangum said the descriptions of all the winners made her feel great about the work that has been done.

Chief Administrative Officer of the Selma City School system Larry DiChiara said the awards presentations and nominations were divided into four quarters. Each quarter represented a quarter of the school year. He said the school system brought the program in this year.

“We didn’t have any recognition programs for our teachers or classified employees,” he said. “We brought it in, and the teachers love it.”

The public recognition is what makes the ceremony and honor special, he said. DiChiara said some people don’t always hear positive words come out of their supervisor’s mouth, but the ceremony was an exception.

“When they come here tonight they hear board members speak highly of them,” he said.

“They hear the superintendent speak highly of them. Sometimes that means more than a bonus.”

Sophia P. Kingston Elementary School’s instructional coach Tamara Smith was one of the over 20 instructors and employees who received the award.

“We all work together for the betterment of our students and that’s the main thing,” she said. “It’s nice to be rewarded, but everything we do is for our students.”