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Springwood School announced the addition of three new teachers to its 2020-21 faculty.

Kim Davidson, Alison Vinson and Elise Porter will teach kindergarten, fifth grade and second grade respectively.

Since 2014, Davison worked as the Director of St. Mark’s Kindergarten in LaGrange, Georgia, where she expertly led with her creative visionary mindset.

“We are thrilled to have Mrs. Davison who comes to us with years of experience in early childhood education and children’s ministry,” Brandi Drake, Springwood School’s fourth-grade teacher and Elementary Lead Teacher said in a press release. “We look forward to her sharing her love of children and the impact that she will have on our K5 program and Springwood families.”

Previously, Davison was the Director of Mid-High Ministries and Children’s Ministries at First United Methodist Church in LaGrange, where she organized many events for students and the surrounding community.

She also served on the Board of Directors as the financial officer at the Mosaic International Preschool in The Netherlands.

Davison graduated from Georgia State University with a bachelor’s in business administration and finance.

Davidson also spends time serving her community, earning several honors in leadership. She received the American Red Cross Hero distinction in 2007. She volunteered many hours with “Hope for a Day” cancer fundraising, and she was on the Board of Directors of the Harmony House in LaGrange. Kim chaired and co-chaired the winter fest, the book fair, and was on the PTO Board at Franklin Elementary School. She co-chaired the LaGrange High School registration, the Hollis Hand Elementary School PTO Committee and was Chairman and Co-chairman of the Gardner Newman Middle School PTO Committee.

“We are so excited to have a legend replacing a legend. With the retirement of Ms. Jennifer Jones, a 49-year veteran teacher at Springwood School, we are most excited to be bringing Kim Davison, another legend, to our kindergarten classroom,” Springwood Head of School Lowrie McCown said. Her passion, energy and enthusiasm for teaching our kindergarten will engage our students and parents alike.”

Vinson has 30 years of teaching experience at the elementary school level.

“The Springwood family is blessed to add such a treasure to our teacher roster,” Drake  said. “Mrs. Vinson is extremely knowledgeable and compassionate and will be a great asset to our school.”

An Auburn University graduate, Vinson has a bachelor of science and a master’s degree in elementary education. Additionally, she obtained an education specialist degree in elementary education from Auburn.

Vinson has an Alabama and Georgia teaching certificate for grades K-6. She has her national board certification, master teacher certification and gifted certification.

Previously, Mrs. Vinson was the fifth-grade teacher at Hollis Hand Elementary School, where she received the Hollis Hand Elementary Teacher of the Year Award.

Also, Alison is an online educator for VIPKID, which is an online educational platform for Chinese students.

In the past, Mrs. Vinson was also a gifted teacher for kindergarten through fifth-grade at Long Cane Elementary School and at Berta Weathersbee Elementary School in LaGrange.

“Mrs. Vinson brings a vibrant energy to her classroom that will ignite her students with a passion for learning. We are pleased to have her as a dynamic addition to our Springwood faculty,” McCown said.

Porter earned a post-baccalaureate dual certification in early childhood and special education from the University of West Georgia. She holds a bachelor of science in psychology from Point University.

“Ms. Porter brings such a genuine passion for the Valley and will engage her students to help them develop both personally and academically,” McCown said.

In her time before Springwood, Porter has demonstrated strengths in parent relations and community outreach in and out of the classroom.

She was a second grade and special education intern at Centralhatchee Elementary School in Centralhatchee, Georgia, where she led math groups and privately tutored students. She was a third grade ELA intern at Heard County Elementary School, where she also tutored third-grade students in reading and fifth-grade students in math. Porter also interned in kindergarten and first grade at Temple Elementary School in Temple, Georgia.

While attending Point University, Porter was an athletic student assistant and worked with Point University’s football and baseball teams. She also was an admissions counselor in the Point University Admissions Office. 

“Ms. Porter brings great energy to our elementary,” Springwood School’s Elementary Lead Teacher Brandi Drake said. “She’s already been hard at work to create a great start for her students and families. We are so excited to have her aboard. She will be a strong addition to the Springwood family.”