Duplin County Schools board honors students who won state and regional awards

The Duplin County Board of Education recognized dozens of students for academic and STEAM achievements at its April 1 business session.

"Tonight, we are honored to recognize some of our students for outstanding demonstration of talent and their STEAMA skills," Nicole Murray said as she introduced winners from county schools, noting the district’s students earned "115 top 5 awards, making them eligible to compete at the National Convention." Murray invited each winner to the stage and named multiple first-place finishers across grade levels and schools.

Murray listed winners from elementary through high school, including first-place awards in photography, health and physical education, cake decorating, science and technology categories. She said several students advanced from regional to state-level competition and some earned awards at the regional science and engineering fair.

Board members praised the students and the staff who supported them. "We often honor athletics, and we forget how important it is to honor these students that are working academically so hard in the classroom," one board member said. Another added that the district’s performance is "a good example" of the county’s education quality.

The board also presented "Beyond the Book" Best of Show recognitions for creative projects. Presenters asked award recipients to come forward and invited a round of applause from attendees and the board.

There were no votes tied to the recognitions; the segment was presented as an awards item and concluded before the board resumed routine business.

The recognitions came on the same evening the chair and other board members noted a walkthrough at Wallace Elementary with the state superintendent and staff from the Department of Public Instruction, which the board described as an "impressive" presentation by school staff and students.