CAMDEN, Tenn. (Sept. 15, 2023) – Camden Elementary School celebrates teacher Melissa Totty, who recently retired after 40 years of service to Benton County Schools. Totty was instrumental in the success of the Extra Special PreK program at Camden Elementary.
Totty earned her B.S. in elementary education at the University of Tennessee at Martin and her Master of Education in early childhood special education from Vanderbilt University.
“My first 14 years at Camden Elementary were spent teaching kindergarten and first-grade students receiving special education services,” said Totty. “Mrs. Lisa Bell was Benton County’s first full-time teacher for the Extra Special PreK program. We worked closely together those first few years before I joined her as the second special education preschool teacher in 1998.”
Camden’s Extra Special PreK program has provided students with disabilities, as well as other students, with opportunities to receive services and intervention for more than 30 years. The program fosters acceptance and friendships through inclusive teaching practices that prepare students and their families for kindergarten. Today, the Extra Special Preschool program is blended with Camden Elementary’s Voluntary PreK to serve students with and without disabilities in all preschool classrooms.
“So many students have been positively impacted by the dedicated service of Melissa Totty,” said Kristie Wilson, principal of Camden Elementary School. “She has been a mentor to many, guiding with patience and understanding.”
“Benton County Schools and Camden Elementary have been a great place to teach,” Totty said. “Through my 40 years, I always felt supported by great administrators, outstanding teaching assistants, and appreciative parents. But most of all, I’ve loved the time spent with my students!”
For more information about Camden Elementary School or more information about Totty’s impact on the community, contact Kristie Wilson, principal of Camden Elementary School, at (731)-584-4918 or email kristie.wilson@bcos.org.