Hill is teacher of the year for R-I district, Kindergarten Center

Editor’s Note: This is the 10th of 12 stories highlighting Butler County Teachers of the Year.

Between taking an active role at the Kindergarten Center and caring for every student in her class, Tonya Hill is leaving an impact on the school.

Hill is the 2020-21 Teacher of the Year for the campus after joining the school in 2005.

Kindergarten Center and Poplar Bluff R-I teacher Tonya Hill teaches her students.Photo provided

Hill earned a bachelor of science in social work from Missouri State University and a masters in elementary education from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. She spent 15 years teaching in Alaska before coming to the Poplar Bluff R-I school district.

She now serves on a variety of teams directed to help the campus and students including as the PBKC Bright Futures liaison, lunch buddies coordinator, fun Friday committee, report card team, curriculum loft, kindergarten STEM club and assessment team.

“Mrs. Hill is also a leader in our building,” Rebekah Hager, kindergarten center counselor, said. “She helped take a struggling Bright Futures committee and turn it into an amazing student-centered team.

“She helped organize our lunch buddies program. Each month she coordinates more than 15 different community volunteers who come and eat lunch with our students.”

Hill works to take care of the students at the school, even those who aren’t in her class, paraprofessional Tammy Reid said.

“She is always willing to help students from other classrooms that may be struggling with behaviors,” Reid said. “She works with the students and their teacher to help the student make better choices by providing an additional safe place and kind face for them to come to when they need it.

“This positively impacts their outlook on school and their relationship with their teacher. These students will come by with thank you notes and pictures they have made for her.”

Reid told the story of when Hill found out one of her student’s family wouldn’t be able to provide a birthday treat, so she made cupcakes and treats for the student to share with his class.

Parents Brittany and Joey Woodruff said Hill blessed their family twice by being the kindergarten teacher for both of their kids.

Their daughter, Natalie, recently finished cancer treatment when she started kindergarten in Hill’s class.

“Mrs. Hill made the transition into kindergarten so easy and joyful for us,” they wrote. “Mrs. Hill took a few minutes every single morning when we walked Natalie into class to talk to us about how she was doing, things she observed about her or put forth extra care because she knew our situation.

“That was true, but I soon realized it had nothing to do with our unique situation. It had everything to do with the type of teacher, the type of person, Mrs. Tonya Hill is.”

Their son, Jacob, went into Hill’s class three years later. Both are now A honor roll students, the Woodruffs wrote, members of the National Beta Club and strong athletes.

“Of course, as their parents, we would like to take all the credit for this, but a large portion of it goes to Mrs. Hill and the foundation she helped us lay and the life lessons she taught them in the very first year of school,” they said.

Students said they enjoy going to Hill’s class because she makes learning fun and motivates her students to learn.

“She made every day wonderful,” Chase Hillis wrote. “I always looked forward to going to her class. She always greeted me with a high five.”