Maryville City Schools Spotlights lives of service

Maryville City Schools Spotlights lives of service 

Daily Times 

February 17, 2026 

By: Mathaus Schwarzen 

Maryville City Schools’ entire staff took a field trip Monday morning, Feb. 16, congregating at Sevier Heights Baptist Church in Knoxville for the school system’s annual Spotlight event. The program, intended to celebrate and shine the eponymous spotlight on school employees, included speakers, games and recognition for service. 

Maryville City Schools Director Mike Winstead said he feels MCS is unique in the fact that it brings all its staff together for such a day, stressing how complete the gathering is every year. 

That means everyone from teachers and coaches to school resource officers and custodians came together Monday morning. Staff ate food, wore their MCS-branded shirts, competed for prizes and heard from alumni in a break from regular coursework. 

 

In the church auditorium, Winstead reminded teachers and staff alike of the “rich heritage” MCS brings to each of its schools. 

“We’re only able to do what we do today because of those folks who came before us. We’re just building on their shoulders as we go about our business,” he said. 

Their business, he said, is to be “the best we can be.” 

Monday’s theme was all about focusing on the past, the present and the future of Maryville City Schools — and that meant paying attention to decades of service as well as celebrating the present. Winstead used the example of former MCS teacher Pam Jarvis, who died in late 2025, to demonstrate the lasting effect a mentor can have on students. Many people in the auditorium, he said, had learned under Jarvis and continued the influence she began in the 20th century. 

Others recognized among the congregation had taught multiple generations of students and family members. 

Winstead praised staff’s dedication to meeting a range of students’ needs — academic, social, emotional, behavioral, mental and physical. He lauded the system’s ability to adapt to students’ changing needs, including a recent rise in students with behavioral issues and students who may not necessarily wish to pursue a college degree. 

The schools’ duty, he said, was to set every student up for success, and that means adapting to the shifting field of education. 

“What an incredible opportunity we have to give hope where there is nothing; to mold, to model optimism, to paint a picture of a future for those kids that’s worth chasing,” he observed. “We have the power to do that.” 

School administrators also recognized 14 employees Monday for accruing more than 25 years of service each: 

Penny Garrett, John Sevier Elementary, 25 years 

Jenny Hatten, Montgomery Ridge Intermediate, 25 years 

Andy Howe, Coulter Grove Elementary, 25 years 

Greg Judkins, John Sevier Elementary, 25 years 

Susan Long, Foothills Elementary, 25 years 

Natasha McMurray, Maryville High School, 25 years 

Kim Nizinsky, Maryville Junior High, 25 years 

Randy Stanley, Maryville Academy, 25 years 

Alisa Rathbone, John Sevier Elementary, 30 years 

Libby Hurst, Coulter Grove Elementary, 30 years 

Tracy Luttrell, Montgomery Ridge Intermediate, 30 years 

Ashley Porter, Maryville High School, 30 years 

Shelly Rang, Montgomery Ridge Intermediate, 30 years 

Robin Tucker, Central Office, 30 years