Three finalists were selected for the Alachua County 2024 Teacher of the Year award with the winner to be announced on Thursday.

According to an Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) release, the finalists for the annual Teacher of the Year honors include Metcalfe Elementary School music teacher Dwynette Smith, High Springs Community School reading teacher Sarah Rendek and Professional Academies Magnet at Loften High School science teacher Jenifer Knowles.

The Alachua County Teacher of the Year will be announced on Thursday at a ceremony hosted by the Education Foundation for Alachua County.

Smith has been teaching music at public schools and in private settings since 1998. She has been teaching at Metcalfe for nearly four years and spent six years at Buchholz High School.

“I love giving them that joy, that place where they can be successful,” said Smith in the press release. “Even when you have a child that’s struggling, to have that one victory, where they can play the notes you want, play their own melody or create something that they know is theirs, there’s nothing that can compare.”

Rendek, who has taught for 13 years with the last eight at High Springs, teaches reading.

“I want to be a light in their lives, their positive role model and their cheerleader,” said Rendek in the press release. “In class, I give them the freedom to express themselves, which allows them to grow as human beings, but also under the guidance of appropriate expectations.”

Knowles has been teaching science for 19 years in various locations, including New Zealand and Michigan. Since coming to Alachua County, she has taught at Oak View Middle School in Newberry and three years at Loften.

“I’m excited to share science with my students,” said Knowles in the press release. “It’s important for them to see how what they’re learning translates to life outside the classroom. Sometimes the content lends itself well to this goal and other times the less are in life, technology, collaboration or other soft skills.”

ACPS will honor the three finalists and 36 other nominees at the upcoming Robert W. Hughes Teacher of the Year ceremony. The Alachua County Teacher of the Year will represent the district in the state recognition program.

Buchholz High School teacher Karen Kearney was selected as the 2023 Alachua County Teacher of the Year.