Bill Conger

Two DeKalb West School students and one DeKalb Middle School student finished in the Top 10 at the 2025 Middle School Math Contest at Tennessee Tech. DMS 8th grader Carter Moore was number 2 out of 145 students in his grade division while DWS 8th grader Gabriel Blair placed 5th. DWS 6th grader Wyatt Bain placed 8th out of 145 students in his grade division.

Four hundred third-five students from 40 schools participated in the contest Thursday (April 10) at TTU.

DWS Math Contest students pictured front row left to right are Wyatt Bain, Paisley Avera, Turner Stanley, and Bella Gonzalez

Pictured back row left to right are Conner Robinson, Kaden Mullinax, Dakota Ferrell, Gabe Blair, Levi Reynolds, Bentley Martin, Joseph Grabovack, and Lucas Nokes.

DeKalb West School has announced the Students of the Month for March. Named to the honor were Bryce Grisham, PreK; Madilynn Tipton, Kindergarten; Landon Fuson, 1st grade; Madeline Hamlet, 2nd grade; Tristen Lynn, 3rd grade; Marley Pyburn, 4th grade; Kalynn Lattimore, 5th grade; Bradi Turney, 6th grade; Alivia Deyoung, 7th grade; Mia Hall, 8th grade.

Two teachers of the month were chosen for March. Principal Sabrina Farler and Assistant Principal Cindy Snow presented the certificates to longtime 5th grade teacher Jeanna Caplinger and one of the school’s newest additions, music teacher Hannah Bratton.

DeKalb West School has announced the Students, Teachers, and Employees of the Month for both January and February. The first of the year was kicked off with the following top students: America Thompson, Pre-K; Dawson Randolph, Kindergarten; Oakleigh Poston, 1st; Adaline Gibbs, 2nd grade; Kai’lyn Hopkins, 3rd; Kaycie Avera, 4th; Noah Hall, 5th; Oliver Bell, 6th; Alyssa Cecil, 7th; and Kaylee Womack, 8th. Mrs. Teresa Sullivan was named Teacher of the Month and Mrs. Donna Driver was selected as Employee of the Month.

In February the following were chosen as Students of the Month: Hadley Pierce, Pre-K; Reese Leiser, Kindergarten; William Young, 1st grade; McKenzie Nokes, 2nd; Jude Sebolt, 3rd; Kennedy Avera, 4th; Xavier Oyugi, 5th; Holden Leiser, 6th; James Upchurch, 7th; and Kaden Mullinax, 8th.

Mrs. Jessica Antoniak was named Teacher of the Month, and Mrs. McKenzie Dunaway was selected as Employee of the Month.

Angela Davis experienced an unspeakable tragedy in her life not once, but twice. The first loss occurred in 2010 when her husband died. She and her teenage son went to the Haven of Hope for grief counseling with therapist Kay Quintero.

“I felt like–and I think my son felt the same way when his father passed that—we were in a safe place and we knew that it was private,” said Davis, who agreed to share her experience for this story to help others. “We could just pour our heart out to her. It made us stronger to where we could move forward and talk about it with other people.”

So much so that her only son, Corporal Bryan Tyler Vanhoose used his trial to provide empathy to others grieving a loss.

“Whenever he joined the Marines, he was a strong advocate against suicide,” Davis says. “He would help certain people that was in the Marines, if they were having really difficult time, he would share his experience that he had, with his dad and addiction.”

In 2019, Davis’ son passed away suddenly and again, she returned for individual counseling. “I think you’re just so raw and you’re just so emotionally not good. You don’t want to live. I just felt safer with Kay for a while. I didn’t want to go talk about that with anyone else but her. She kind of got me back on my feet and got me to where I could plug through the day and head off to the next day.”

A few months after her son’s death, Davis and her second husband gave group counseling a try with Heart of the Cumberland in Cookeville.

“The group that I was in was mothers that had recently lost a child and that was really helpful. I guess it was six of us maybe in that small group and it was all women. There were some mothers that had just lost their child that month. One mother had lost her son and his girlfriend. They died in a car accident, and he had just turned 16. It really helped being with a group of individuals that are going through your same thing.”

Learning how to manage grief like Davis processed is something the Haven of Hope and Heart of the Cumberland would like to help with the people in DeKalb County. Later this month a workshop will be held on managing grief.

“This is for people who have suffered loss recently or in the past and would like to learn strategies and gain resources for coping with grief,” veteran therapist Kay Quintero said. “The Haven of Hope offer this comprehensive workshop featuring certified professional counselors from DeKalb County Haven of Hope. Sessions will be available for adults, teens, and children ages 4 and up.”

The adult seminar will include understanding the grief process, normal emotions for grief, coping strategies, meeting others where the common denominator is grief, differences in men and women grieving, what adults need to know about children grieving, and available resources for help. Licensed counselors will lead these classes with age level grief activities.

The grief workshop will be Saturday, February 22, 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at Smithville First Baptist Church in the activities building, located at 101 West Church Street. Pre-registration is required . To register or for more information about costs, call the Haven of Hope at (615) 597-4673.

DeKalb West School has announced the students who made all A’s (Principal’s List) and earned A’s and B’s only (Honor Roll) for the second nine weeks of school.

Named to the Principal’s List from Mollie Bratten’s 8th grade classroom are Gabe Blair, Malachi Gaither, Halia McDaniel, and Kaden Mullinax and on the A/B Honor Roll are Jaretzy Aguilar, Dakota Ferrell, Katelyn Fry, Ezzy Moore, Kylie Pierce, Isaac Scott, and Miley Tays.

Earning all A’s in Dwayne Blair’s 8th grade room are Grant Brown, Cryslan Cecil, Joelle Cool, Mia Hall, Tori Harbaugh, Caroline Neal, and Kaylee Womack and on the A/B Honor Roll are Adam Brown, Kayla Checchi, Levi Cripps, Bella Gonzalez, Yesica Gonzalez, Makenna Lomas, Allie Pedigo, and Kate Pistole.

Making the Honor roll in 7th grade from Leslie Moore’s homeroom: Maks Austin, John Byrd, Landon Holmes, Abram Maynard, Averie Winchester. The Principal’s List recipients are Christian Cripps, Charley Prichard, Emily Roberts, Grady Thomason, and Preston Williams.

The Principal’s List in Wade Dunaway’s homeroom included Lucas Nokes, Levi Reynolds, Bentley Martin, Brylee Key, Masen Hamlet, Zane Griffith, and Alyssa Cecil and on the A/B Honor roll are Sophia Caraway, Jackson Dunaway, Curtis Fox, Joshua Grabovac, Hannah Harbaugh, Kayliegh Ramirez, and Alexandria Vincent.

Named to the Principal’s List in Kayley Curtis’s 6th grade room are Paisley Avera, Wyatt Bain, Oliver Bell, Taelyn Cork, Zara Fox, Caison Grisham, Cash Hancock, Sawyer Hendrix, Cainnan Humphrey, Karlee Pierce, Bradi Turney, and Kensley Womack and on the Honor Roll are Jameson Carter, Samson Chittwood, Jack Fakes, Chase Groshong, Luke Johnson, Bailey McDaniel, Hailey Medrano, and Isabella Scott.

Named to the Principal’s List in Melissa Sliger’s 6th grade room are Leah Chittwood, Jace Davis, Holden Leiser, Karson Mullinax, Jaxson Murphy, Conner Robinson, Turner Stanley, and Honor Roll: Hayden Caraway, Tyler Clemons, Kynlee Griffith, Nixson Hale, Sylar Hickman, Ivy Melton, Zadah Miller, Colton Saso-Varble, Kayla Sebolt, and Lexie South.

Principal’s List honorees from Jeanna Caplinger’s homeroom are Maddison Baratta, Shaniya Bates, Katy Bowen, Jaritzy Camacho, Aniston Cox, Asher Desimone, Harper Hale, Maggie Hendrix, Jonah King, Riley Martin, Carson Maynard, Mary Moore, Cammi Neal, Aler Organ, Mabry Organ, and Savannah Stanley; Honor Roll students were Keiton Adams, Colby Dailey, Xavier Oyugi, and Braylyn Rice.

Principal’s List honorees from Rachel Desimone’s homeroom are Abram Bratten, Eden Donnell, Lila Driver, Waylon Ellis, Annalyn Garrett, Noah Hall, and Molly Reynolds; Honor Roll students were Rylan Bennett, Jordyn Janecke, Kalynn Lattimore, Lileigh Smith, and Emma Thomason
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Making the Principal’s List from Samantha Woodward’s 4th grade room are Ripley Barnes, Jacob Blair, Claire Cripps, Vaylee Ellis, Jett Nokes, Marley Pyburn, Auna Starnes, and Joey Stoner; Honor Roll recipients are Mason Checchi, Bryer Dickson,

Leyla Garza, and Jameson Gleaves.

Making the Principal’s List from Cathleen Humphrey’s homeroom are Josee Cripps, Axle Janecke, Everly Keith, Katie Jo Prichard, Andrew Savilla, and Ty Vickers; Honor Roll recipients are Deacon Arnold, Kaycie Avera, Kennedy Avera, Aliat Brown, Adella Gibbs, Kayla Hamlet, Addyson Hatfield, Madilyn Kitts, Addison Silcox, and Gavin Tyree.