Students at Thomas County Upper Elementary and Thomas County Middle School now have two new options for exploratory courses.  The new courses being offered are Family and Consumer Science and Dance.

Mrs. Megan Palmer, originally from Toccoa, Georgia, is the new Family and Consumer Science teacher.  She previously taught at Bainbridge High School and is in her tenth year of teaching.  She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Family and Consumer Sciences, Consumer Journalism from The University of Georgia.  She also holds a Master’s degree in Workforce Education with a focus on Marketing from UGA and a Specialist degree in Leading and Learning from Georgia Southwestern State University.  Mrs. Palmer chose to work in Family and Consumer Sciences after spending time as a state officer for the Future Homemakers of America (FHA) while in high school.  She continued her work with FHA (which is now FCCLA) while in college and spent many hours working along Family and Consumer Science teachers throughout the state.  She always knew she wanted to be a teacher, so Family and Consumer Science just seemed like the perfect fit.  Mrs. Palmer believes that, “the relevant information studied in Family and Consumer Sciences is so important for families today” and she also loves the opportunity to positively impact others. Mrs. Palmer’s husband, Ashley, is the new technology teacher at TCUE/TCMS.  They have one son.

Ms. Ariel Balla is the new dance instructor at TCUE/TCMS.  She is a graduate of Valdosta State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance.  She has been teaching dance classes for five years and dance camp for the past four years.  She also teaches ballet to Step Up and at the Boys and Girls Club through South Georgia Ballet.  She also has experience teaching tap, jazz, and hip-hop at South Georgia Ballet Conservatory.  Mrs. Balla enjoys developing an interest in dance and the fine arts with students.  She says, “I enjoy watching students discover their abilities to put their emotions into a dance or movement format.”  The dance classes at TCUE/TCMS are already full!  Students interested in taking the dance class should sign up for the exploratory in the second, third, or fourth nine weeks.