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Tullahoma City Schools was well represented when it brought home several awards from the Tennessee Arts Academy Summer Institute held at MTSU in July.

TCS had 10 staff members represent the district during the five-day summer institute. The district received three awards during the Bravo! Banquet, which honors and rewards the hard work and artistic talents of Tennessee Arts Academy participants.

Bel-Aire Elementary School received its Arts Rich School of Merit Award during the banquet. This honor is given to schools that are deeply committed to arts integration and provide students with regular, high-quality instruction in music, visual art, theater and dance.

“It was incredibly exciting, and honestly, such a proud moment for Bel-Aire to receive the Arts-Rich School of Merit Award,” said Sarah McVey, TCS Fine Arts Coordinator and Bel-Aire music teacher. “This recognition affirms the hard work our teachers, students, and community have put into making the arts a vibrant and essential part of our school culture. It’s about more than just performances; it’s about empowering students to think creatively, express themselves, and engage with learning in powerful ways.”

Additionally, the district had two teachers receive individual accolades at the Bravo! Banquet. West Middle School’s Kathy McMillan and Tullahoma High School’s Kelly Orr were recognized with a Teacher Hero Award.

“I want to firstly thank our Fine Arts Coordinator, Sarah McVey, for believing in me and nominating me for the award,” said Orr, who teaches media and visual arts at THS. “I feel truly blessed that our school district supports not only art education in the way they do, but furthermore, allows educators to grow with opportunities such as TAA and memberships to art education organizations like the Tennessee Art Education Association. This support has allowed me to become a better educator and provides an avenue for leadership in not only my community, but the state, which places Tullahoma as a leader in art education.”

McMillan, Orr and Tullahoma High School visual arts teacher Emily May-Ragland had their artwork on display as part of the Connections: TAEA Member Exhibition. Orr and McMillian both placed in the exhibition, with Orr taking first place and McMillian receiving an honorable mention.

“I have been invited to show my work for a few years, but to receive an honorable mention award is so exciting,” said McMillan, who teaches visual arts at WMS. “It was an extra special TAA Summer Institute for me this year. To also receive the June Teacher Hero Award at Tennessee Arts Academy in the same year was amazing.”

During the conference, Orr also taught an interlude class titled “Back to the Drawing Board: Providing a New Way of Drawing in the 21st Century Classroom.” Participants in this session learned about the necessary tools to prepare visual arts students for the 21st-century workforce in art and design. Attendees explored ways to fund the needed technology for a media arts program, and also gained basic skills for use of apps such as Procreate, Stop Motion Studios and more.

“It is easy to teach students, but when you are standing in front of your peers who have the same experience as you, trying to teach them something new feels like a daunting task,” Orr said. “I ended up loving every minute of it and am glad I pushed myself to go outside of my comfort zone and teach adults.”

TCS Director of Schools Dr. Catherine Stephens congratulated each award recipient and expressed her gratitude to all who attended the TAA Summer Institute.

“Our fine arts programs are some of the best in the state, and it’s because all our teachers go the extra mile for our students,” said TCS Director of Schools Dr. Catherine Stephens. “The Tennessee Arts Academy Summer Institute showcases some of the state’s best programs and presenters. Having several teachers and a school recognized further highlights our incredible fine arts programs throughout TCS. I am thrilled about the many successes our fine arts programs continue to achieve.”