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Two Guilford County Schools employees were recently recognized for being exemplary educators and advocates of art in their schools.

The Board of the North Carolina Art Education Association presented Samantha Parcells, who teaches at Western Guilford High School, with the Rookie Art Teacher of the Year award and Ralph Kitley, principal at Southeast High, received the Friends of the Arts award Nov. 7 at a luncheon held at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Asheville.

Parcells was honored for her work as an art teacher at Jamestown Middle School.

"It was really late one night when I received an e-mail congratulating me on the honor and I was so excited," Parcells said of the achievement.

"I have always had such a passion for art. No matter where I went, I used to always carry a sketch pad or a coloring book when I was little," said the graduate of Art Institute of Technology in New York and UNCG.

Kitley, who became principal at Southeast in October 2007, was able to get a second art teacher so more students could take art classes at the school.

"One of my teachers recognized me for recognizing the need for an additional teacher, so I am honored," Kitley said.

Kitley came from Middle College of Entertainment at GTCC, a program launched in 2005.

Not every student does well in every subject, Kitley said.

For some, the arts program serves as motivation to come to school every day, so he "really just wanted to re-establish a strong arts program at Southeast."

"We already have a strong choral group and band, and I just want to continue to grow from there," he said.

Contact Adria Hairston at 883-4422, Ext. 244, or adria.hairston@news-record.com