Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year honors for Beaufort County Schools went to schools south of the Pamlico River.

The awards were presented Oct. 4.

Alicia Vosburgh, principal of Chocowinity Primary School, took the title as top administrator. Lisa Staats, who teaches seventh- and eighth-grade math at Chocowinity Middle School, was named Teacher of the Year.

Vosburgh, who has been principal at Chocowinity Primary School since January 2009, joined Beaufort County Schools as a half-time reading teacher and half-time assistant principal in August 2002.

“Alicia leads her school by example,” said BCS Superintendent Don Phipps. “She has a strong team in place and never fails to appreciate the talent and dedication put forth by her staff. There are many best practices being put to work every day at Chocowinity Primary School, and she plays a crucial part in the success of Chocowinity Primary School.”

Phipps explained Vosburgh is a “true instructional leader” who understands data and makes the time to be in the classroom with her students and staff.

Vosburgh, a graduate of UNC-Wilmington, holds a master’s degree in school administration from East Carolina University.

Lisa Tate, principal of John Small Elementary School, was named this year’s runner-up in the Principal of the Year selection process.

Staats, who joined Beaufort County Schools in 2000, has been teaching for 14 years. Chocowinity Middle School has been her first and only assignment in Beaufort County since arriving from Pitt County.

“She is very much a student-centered teacher,” said Dale Cole, Staats’ principal. “Her lessons are designed based on student needs. She works hard to provide support structures for struggling students.”

According to Cole, Staats, who also served as the schools’ eighth grade-level chair, is a member of the CMS School Improvement Team and School Climate Team.

“She has a willingness to go the extra mile to meet her student needs,” Cole concluded.

Staats is a graduate of East Carolina University and holds a master’s degree in mathematical education.

Amanda Cooper, a fourth-grade teacher at S.W. Snowden Elementary School in Aurora, was tapped at the Teacher of the Year runner-up.

Vosburgh and Staats will represent Beaufort County in the regional selection process toward state recognition.