Meet Kelly Payne: Dutch Fork High School
December 12, 2008
Representative Nikki Haley (R-Lexington) and Mrs. Kelly Payne (Dutch Fork High School)
This week I had the chance to visit with Dutch Fork High School students to talk a little about current events and SC politics. Taught by Mrs. Kelly Payne, this group of students certainly stays informed about what’s going on in the Palmetto State!
I’ve known Mrs. Kelly Payne for the past few years and she is certainly someone who is making a difference in our community – particularly the youth of our community.
Born and raised in New York/New Jersey, she graduated from USC with degrees in political science/history and a master’s in education/social studies/economics. She is definitely putting that experience to work and has been teaching Social Studies-World History for 9th and 10th grade and Current Issues 9-12th grade at Dutch Fork High School for the past five years.
If that schedule doesn’t keep her busy enough, she still finds time to be a member of the Lake Murray/Irmo Rotary Club (she’s a Paul Harris Fellow), be the Rotary Club Interact Advisor , AND Alive@25 District 5 Coordinator.
Last year her students were active in watching “Alive@25″ legislation work its way through the Senate chamber. This year, I hope to help them see their bill become state law.
Most politicos will tell you “if you’re running for public office in the Midlands, you must go to the Chapin Labor Day parade.” What they’ll soon be saying though is “you must visit Kelly Payne and her Dutch Fork High School classes too!”
Students and Mrs. Payne – thanks for letting me talk, listen, and learn during our visit.Will , I appreciate the advice and thank you for sharing it with us yesterday!
Comments
72 Responses to “Meet Kelly Payne: Dutch Fork High School”
Got something to say?
Mr. Ballentine,
Thank you so much for all you have been doing for our community. I was in the parade with you representing the Alive! At 25! Program for the Okra
Strut. You have been very sweet to us and our school and I’m very grateful you’re so caring. It’s great that you came to Dutch Fork High School to talk to Ms. Payne and her students.
Thank you again,
Rebecca
Mr. Ballentine,
Thank you for coming to visit with Ms. Payne’s classes. It was really nice of you to give up your time to come and interact with the community. You have been so sweet to us and everything you do for kids that are in need. I would like to thank you for sponsoring kids, and letting the have the chance to do alive @ 25. I am only a pretty busy and could not participate in the last one, sponsored by Ms. Payne (using her teacher of the year by Walmart money) to send kids though no cost to them. She told me that she would also use money to send me though. She is truly one of the best teachers I have ever had, and I am grateful you wrote this article about her. I want you to know she feels honored to have it written and posted on your website. I look forward to meeting you in the near future, being an active member of the Rotary and Interact clubs here at DFHS. With your help Ms. Payne really opened up a lot of doors for a lot of the students here at DFHS.
Thank you,
Jordan Riley
Mr. Ballentine,
Thanks for saying all the nice things about my favorite teacher. I appreciate all of the things that you have done for our community. You have been so good to all of Ms. Payne’s students and we are all grateful for it.
Thank you so much,
Stewart Ryall
Mr. Ballentine,
It was great to read this about Mrs. Payne. I have never had her as a teacher but I am always around her classroom and she does alot of the students at Dutch Fork. I have gone to the alive at 25 class and that has made alot of people think about the decisions they need to be making. But Mrs. Payne is an awesome person!
Thank you,
Jana
Mr. Ballentine,
I too am in Mrs. Payne’s class. I know that all the students enjoy having her as a teacher, and that she helps us learn while having fun. I love how she can do so much for us and the community. I’m planning on attending more of her classes and I’m apart of her Interact club. Mrs. Payne is the best teacher EVER! I have participated in the Alive @ 25 parade in the Okra Strut, I’ve just done Adopt a Highway. and I plan to do much more!
Ashley
Ms. Payne is a great teacher. I really enjoy her class. And even though I am not in her current issues class, she still keeps us informed with the current issues and keeps us involves in the community. She has made a big difference in the community. The thing I enjoy most about her class is when we watch movies like Marie Antwanette and Anastasia. It really helps me learn better. I have really enjoyed having Ms. Payne as a teacher over the past 2 years and hope to take her current issues class next year.
hey nathan
sc needs more teachers like ms payne from dutch fork hs shell be going places would she be allowed under current law to serve in legislature while teaching scheduling might be a problem for her but she sure sounds like a human dynamo very interesting post keep up your good work man
drew
Something fun we have done in World History class was Greek Food Day. On that day, everyone brought in a Greek food dish and the whole class ate and watched a video about Greek life. I thought it was fun because it wasn’t the normal read out of the book and do an assignment kind of class, and it helped me to understand the Greek culture that much more.
I want to start off by saying that Miss Payne is a wonderful teacher to have, and I am honored to be in her Social Studies class. I am also privileged to have had her last year and this year as well. In her class we do a lot of great things she tells us about her experiences with the lesson that we learn which makes the lesson worth learning about, she tells us about things that you do, and all I have to say about you is that you are AMAZING. We had Greek Food Day, which was one of the best things we did in the class. Overall Miss Payne is and awesome teacher, and I’m blessed to have had her again.
The Alive at 25 classes and events that Ms. Payne offers the students in district five is a great way to enhance our knowledge on the safety of driving and the dangers that it can cause. The class offers many different things that can be very important to a student’s life, which is why it is essential that everyone should take the Alive at 25 courses. Nathan Ballentine has been a very huge support through all of this. He has donated so much time and money to assure that students like me are safe when they are out on the road. Thank you guys so much for everything the two of you do to assure that we understand the safety of driving.
History is a really fun subject because it happens all the time. We watch clips in here witch makes it a lot better. I took Alive @ 25 last year it informed me a lot. It told us how to be safe on the road and respect other drivers.
What I enjoyed most about this class were the clips because they gave me information in a fun way. They sometimes came from the History Channel. This was cool because I already watch the History Channel for Fun.
In January I am going to take Alive@25. It will help bring down my insurance prices and I will be able to get a parking pass here at Dutch Fork High School. I was going to take the course the previous time that it was offered, but I forgot to turn in my paper. I am looking forward to driving without my parents in the car with me. I also want to take the Alive@25 course because I want to be a better driver. I can not afford a wreck.
I like Mrs. Payne’s history class because we don’t only take notes we watch clips on what we are learning. We don’t have just the teacher that reads which helps to pay attention and learn more. I learned a lot this year on history. I hope to take alive @ 25 in the future and I would like to take interact club but I already do something out of school so I don’t have time.
Being in Ms. Payne’s classes for almost 2 years has been a great experience. A lot of things have occurred in this time period. I have done the read and romp at the state museum for little kids. This was exciting because I got to be Clifford the big red dog. Alive@25 was a great learning experience. It had awesome examples of how young people, like myself, get into terrible accidents. I think that the class was very helpful because I got to learn things about driving that I did not know. Going to DJJ was interesting too. The boys from DJJ said some powerful things about their lives. The most interesting part was when one of the boys told his story on how and why he was in DJJ. Job shadowing day was the best. I got to see how other people jobs were in a bank and their daily schedule. The Okra Strut parade was fun too. It was my second year being in it. Unlike last year we had t-shirts with Nathan Ballentine and Alive@25 printed on the front and back of them. Handing out candy was the best part of the parade. Sunday before thanksgiving this year at Ms. Payne’s house was delicious. All types of foods were brought in by students and cooked by Ms. Payne. We got to play guitar hero, football, watch movies, and jump on the trampoline. The feast gave everyone a chance to hang out and talk to everyone and some they did not know. The Interact Club meetings are every other Thursday after school in Ms. Payne’s classroom. I can’t wait to go to the hospital to get a chance to see what it is like for people who have been in terrible accidents and what they have to face in life afterwards. I hope to continue the Interact Club with Ms. Payne until I graduate.
I getting ready to graduate in December and I am going into the nursing program Midlands Tech… My experiences at DFHS in the Interact Club have prepared me to excel in the real world! I attend the Rotary Club meetings every Wed. morning and helped pilot the Alive at 25 program by helping on the Steering Committee two years ago. I want to thank Mr. Ballentine for helping get the safe driving message out during Okra Strut at the Alive at 25 parade. I love Ms.Payne she inspires me and also picks me up, drops me off, and makes sure I have a way to participate in all of the events that we are part of. The Alive at 25 program has changed my life and I always buckle up now. I know that it is the #1 cause of death in a traffic fatality. The thing I will remember most about my teacher/club advisor is her OCD, (super clean classroom) and how she dedicated herself to Alive at 25, and how she dressed up every day. I love you Ms. Payne from the bottom of my heart, my other “mother”.
Mr. Ballentine,
Mrs. Payne is probably the most amazing teacher I’ve ever met. I haven’t even had her class but you can tell when you watch her teach; she is so concerned about her students. In 2007 my friend Taylor Feda away during her struggle with ulcerative colitis. Mrs. Payne helped with a bike ride in her memory at Dutch Fork High School. Every time I have a bad day I come and talk to her and she makes me feel so much better about everything.
I have been involved with the Interact Club program. I went to some of the Wed. meetings. I helped support the Bond Referendum on Election Day with my club. I also went to Ms. Payne’s house for Thanksgiving. It was fun and I got chill with people I don’t normally chill with. I have learned a lot in my 10th grade World History class. I really enjoy it. I haven’t taken Alive at 25 yet but I am going to in January.
Thank you for creating this post Mr. Ballentine. I participated in the Okra Strut with thanks to you. I too attend the Rotary meetings whenever I don’t have football practice. Having Thanksgiving at Ms. Payne’s house was also a blast. I am looking forward to taking Alive at 25 soon. Thank you again for representing our community.
Through the Interact Club I participated in the Alive at 25 march during Okra Strut and the Thanksgiving Feast. Thank you for supporting us!
I live in Irmo, and I have always been impressed with Kelly Payne as a community leader. We need more teachers, or for that matter elected officials, who are as committed to making a difference as she is. Even outside the classroom, she has truly made the Dutch Fork-Irmo area a better place.
I met Ms. Payne at a parent-teacher conference to discuss my daughter’s performance. I couldn’t believe that my child had improved in school so much from last year so I went to the conference to see why. What a difference a good teacher makes! Looking at Kelly Payne’s classroom walls made it clear to me. When a teacher like her is excited about teaching, students get excited about learning. Thank you for not giving up on my child. She’s my pride and joy!
Thanks for going to bat for us. I’ve known you for years and know that you’re the real deal. We appreciate you Nate.
This Dutch Fork teacher sounds (and looks) pretty impressive. Don’t you wish we’d had a teacher like her when we were in school? She’d of been able to hold my attention lots better than Ms. Holdzclaw (sp?) or Ms. Terry ever did. Sounds like Ms. Payne really gets it. I understand why you go to speak to HER class! Can I go next time?
Dear Mr. Ballentine,
Dear Mr. Ballentine,
I have known Ms. Payne for 4 years. She has helped me out a lot. She is always a person I can go and talk to during the day no matter what is going on. She always takes time out of her busy day to talk to me. It is so great to have someone in a school so big to take the time to know you and truly cares. Thanks for everything you do Ms. Payne. Wouldn’t be who I was today without you.
I have known mrs. payne for while she is the greatest republican i know she has had a big impact on my life. she has kept me in check and out of trouble, she always keeps our tummy full and i will graduate because of mrs. payne we appreciate everything has done for us.
I am proud to live in a district led by a representative that truly cares about their constituents. I was also honored to meet this leader, Nathan Ballentine, last week in his visit to my current issues class at Dutch Fork High School. Thank you so much for all the work you have done for not only our community, but also for my high school in the Alive at 25 Program. I am a member of the DFHS interact club, attend the Lake Murray/Irmo Rotary Meetings regularly, and took the Alive at 25 class my sophomore year. My belief that politicians do exist that care about the people was confirmed by you and Rep. Haley’s strong fight for government transparency. Don’t give up the fight and you will have your constituents behind you the whole way.
I loved Nathan Ballentine’s visit with my class. He answered so many of my questions. I learned a lot about transparency and why he is fighting so hard to get it passed as a law. I found it intriguing that Nathan Ballentine and I both attend Rotary meetings. I participated in the Okra Strut Parade this year and have been elected as the media liaison for the Interact club. I have been on Dutch Fork Varsity Cheerleading since my freshman year and I am also an active member in the Junior Civitans.
I have been involved in the community through Interact Club for three years and during this time I have participated in 2 Okra Strut walks, Alive @ 25!, many Thanksgiving dinners, Rotary meetings, and other projects. However, the current issues class taught by Ms. Payne allowed me to become more aware of local community issues that I either didn’t understand or care about before. Also having politicians such as Nathan Ballentine and Nikki Haley come to speak to us face-to-face made the problems seem more important. I realize now how much everyday people are affected by political disputes. I plan to keep up my awareness of local land global news after I leave this class.
Throughout my years spent in Interact Club, I have noticed a change in the way that I perceive my community. During my time in Interact Club with Ms. Payne, I participated in Alive @ 25!, the Okra Strut parade, many Thanksgiving banquets, Boo @ the Zoo, helping to pass the Bond Referendum, and many other things. I feel proud to have participated in many things that deal directly with my community, and I feel like I have made a contribution with my fellow Interact Club members. I want to thank Ms. Payne for all that she has done to help our community!
Thanks for coming to DFHS. Thank you for telling us about what actually goes on in the chamber. Thank you for also supporting the Alive @ 25 program. Everybody should take it. Thanks for your support and talking to us
Hey Nathan Ballentine, I just wanted to thank you for coming in with Rep. Haley and talking to us about what happened down at the state house. I also wanted to thank you for supporting alive @ 25. I plan on taking course next spring or summer. Thanks for your time and support.
in mrs.paynes class i learned alot. Like how your brain can make you hear sounds that cound real also how drugs can hurt you and can stop brain signles or slow them down to your body. in current issues the class wrote letters to my dad who is in iraq and he left last june and is getting back in august.
I have yet to be very involved in many of these programs; but, I intend to be. I have attended a Rotary meeting once on a Wednesday morning with a friend however, and that was a good experience. After the meeting I felt more involved with my community and i plan on going to at least one more meeting. Unfortunately, I have not yet participated in Alive@25, but I will because i know that a good program it is. It will help me to become more involved with my school as well as become a better driver- both of which are extremely inportant. I will tell my friends that have yet to take the class to attend it and i will make them come to the meetings iwth me. It is a great learning opportunity that I will not miss out on.
I’d like to start by letting you know how much i appreciate you and Nikki Haley coming to talk to our class. By signing up for Ms. Payne’s class she’s influenced me to become much more involved in what’s going on in our community. I’ve attended a few rotary meetings and gotten to speak with numerous politicians, like yourself and Richard Gantt. I feel much more informed about the way our government system is being run and many other current events like the presidential campaign. Once again i’d like to thank you for talking to us and answering my classmates and my questions.
Nathan Ballentine and Nikki Haley,
Thanks for coming to Dutch Fork the other day. It was really interesting to hear the story and information from a primary source not a courier figure. I look up to you and Haley. Especially for the way two are handling the situation. I think it’s really cool and that it shows who the bigger people are. But you have the people behind you so don’t give up this fight.
Dear Mr. Ballentine,
Thank you so much for taking the time to come and speak to our class, I really enjoyed it. I liked learning more about the issue that recently happened in the state house. Saturday, I worked with the Interact Club with Adopt-A-Highway. I had a lot of fun doing that. I have heard many things about you and Rep. Nikki Haley from Ms. Payne, and believe me, they are all good things. I have never heard anything negative that has come from Ms. Payne. Again, I really appreciate your visit to come speak with our class, everyone definitely enjoyed it!
Mr. Ballentine,
Thank you so much for stopping by. I was really proud to see that the work of a few students (including me) was able to make such a huge impact. I love the fact that you are not giving up. That makes me want to work harder to get the word out about transparency. As long as you continue to fight, we will continue to support. Don’t hesitate to contact us at Dutch Fork High School about rallies, forums, or even more letters. We are glad to help.
Thank you for coming to speak to us with Rep. Nikki Haley. I walked with you at the okra strut, and im looking forward to “Keeping it real” that’s coming soon.
Thank u for coming to our class last week. I learned that you guys have a very tough job trying to please everyone at once. Nathan and Nikki’s jobs are made even harder when people that they work with backstab them and try to screw everything up. Mr. Nathan and Mrs. Nikki are doing very well at their jobs and I thank both of them.
Thanks Mr. Ballentine for coming to speak with my current issues class on last Thursday. Besides the fact that your visit exempted us of your daily quiz, it was nice to know that you were actually listening and I wasn’t writing letters to, and supporting someone who wouldn’t even notice.
Hey Nathan, i wanted to thank you for coming to my current issues class at Dutch Fork High School with representative Haley. Also i wanted to thank you for answering all the questions we had for you and explaining what happened at the state house. And thanks for supporting Alive@25. So thanks again!
Hello, Mr. Ballentine I wanted to say thank you because you gave the opportune to see us students at Dutch Fork High school. It shows that you are fighting your at the top to become a great leader. I want to say thank you for helping cooperative members sponsor and pass legislation important to their constituents. Also I want to say thank you for helping out the community. I hope that your vote on transparency will increase. I support you, Nikki Hailey and your family.
I’ve really enjoyed having Ms. Payne and taking her current issues class. She has gotten me really involved in what is going on in our state and around the world. She has been able to introduce our class to many important people such as yourself, Representative Haley, and Richard Eckstrom. Also I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a Lake Murray Rotary Club Meeting with her which was really exciting and I was able to learn alot.
Hello Mr.Ballentine I am a student at Dutch Fork High school. I am very sorry about what happened to you. I do not believe what the Speaker of the House did was fair to you. I do hope that you get enough support, so that hopefully you can get your committee position back. Or at least have some justice served, when the Speaker of the House is fired. And thanks again for coming to Dutch Fork High School.
I am happy to be one of Ms. Payne’s students once again. I was in one of her classes last year and all the time that I known her she helped me come out of my shell and helped me get involved in the community and alive@25 and now with what’s going on in our world. She is an inspiration to me and thousands of other students in my school and maybe even other schools in our district. I love the current issues class that I am in because I am learning things I never knew.
Dear Ms. Payne,
Ms. Payne was a wonderful teacher my freshman year. She was very patient for our class, since we were freshman. I did many things with ms. payne. Like a bike ride, a parade, gandhi salt march, and even thanksgiving at her house. I would like to say that my favorite teacher has to be Ms. Payne.
Thanks Ms. Payne
for a wonderful freshman year
Ms. Payne made my freshman year very enjoyable and she always was filled with energy she was my favorite s.s. teacher
and her all of her activities were fun.
thank you ms. payne
To whom it may concern:
Ms. Payne has been one of the best teachers that I have had throughout my time at Dutch Fork, and hasn’t been closed to new ideas or ideas that confront what she thinks (I had quite a time with explaining her that there is no Al Qaeda–Saddam Hussein connection). She is definitely the most energetic teacher that I have ever had, but probably the most energetic person that I have ever met. She uses this energy to try to help her students. She even won a teacher of the year award, and used the proceeds to put some of her students through Alive @ 25 for free. I have often been told to come back later because she is busy trying to figure out something interesting for her class to do. She is definitely a level above 90% of the teachers in the district which is the best in the state, which is a true testament to her body of work.
My only complaint is that she needs to involve the computer more in her lessons, but I am teaching her…
Dear Nathan Ballentine,
I want to honestly thank you for your help and support of Interact club. Interact club is one of the best clubs here at Dutch Fork thanks to Ms. Payne. It has many opportunities that I have taken advantage of such as Boo at the Zoo, and of course, Alive at 25. The deffensive driving program is, as you know, a wonderful opportunity for our students. Thank you for your support of Interact and Alive at 25. We could not have done it without you. Ms. Payne is one of my favorite teachers here at Dutch Fork. She has been very supportive of me durring my three years. She helped me when I came from home schooling to get on my feet and by having a safe place for me to come to.
Thanks Nathan Ballentine and Ms. Payne!!!
Dear Nathan Ballentine,
Thank you so much for everything that you have done for Alive @25 and all that you have done for the our generation of youth. I hope that there will be more people like you throughout my life. Thank you so very much.
I again want to thank you for taking the time out of your always hectic schedule to come to Dutch Fork High School and share what an awesome school Dutch Fork really is. Mrs. Payne is all of what you said, on top of being a teacher, a mom, a wife, interact leader, rotary member, and coordinater for alive at 25, she still seems to be able to fit in the time to do service around the community, and also just change the mind and life style of many teens. Being part of interact, and Fundraiser leader for Alive at 25 i know how hard she works to keep her students along with everyone else informed, and do all the other things she does. I know how much everyone here appreciates what you do for the community. Mrs. Payne was so excited when she saw this thank you so much for recoginzing her and what she does.
- Jessie
Mr. Ballentine,
I appreciate the positive things you’ve said about our teacher and I want to thank you for supporting Alive@25.
Sincerely,
Daniel
you rock man
love what you’re doing with the educational system
i can’t wait to take alive at 25 and i’m glad that you suport it
Mr. Ballentine,
I want to thank you for coming to Dutch Fork High School. Also to be with Mrs. Payne’s current issues class Mrs. Payne is a very awesome person she is the best teacher there is here. She is very involved in many things here at out school, like Alive @ 25 that hit big here at Dutch Fork all the kids are taking that class. Mrs. Payne is a very active person. I think everyone needs to spend one day with her once again thank you for coming to Dutch Fork in hopes to meet you in our current issues class the second semester.
Thanks,
Maranda
Mr. Ballentine,
I just wanted to let you know, that I greatly appreciate the kind things that you said about Mrs. Payne’s current issues class. I believe that everyone needs some sort of motivation to get them to keep doing what they like to do. You gave Mrs. Payne and all her classmates, some motivation to, stay alive at 25, do better in school, and help others that are around us. Thanks again for all of your support
Lawrence Blackmer Jr.
(Was Ballentine elementary named after you?)
Thank you for saying all of those nice things about Ms. Payne. She is my favorite history teacher. She has really done a lot for this school and I am sure it meant a lot to her about what you said. Also thank you for supporting “Alive at 25” program. My sister took it and I think it helped her to be a safer driver. Thank you for all that you have done. It means a lot to us all.
I’ve been lucky enough to be in Mrs. Payne’s World History class. She often tells us about Alive@25. So one time I went to the free session. I went to the class. It was a lot of fun. I learned a bunch of things. State Farm provided us lunch. They also provided us with shirts and other goodies. I’m glad I got a chance to go to that class.
Mr. Ballentine,
Mrs. Payne is a great teacher who taught me in my freshmen year. She helped me learn many skills that have gotten me through school. Her current issues class was interesting and fun. Mrs. Payne is always there to help me if I need it. She has helped me improve as a student and a person.
Jonathan
Mr. Ballentine,
Thank you for coming to Mrs. Payne’s class and saying many nice things about her. Mrs. Payne is a great teacher who taught me in my freshmen year. She helped me learn many skills that have gotten me through school. Her current issues class was interesting and fun. Mrs. Payne is always there to help me if I need it. She has helped me improve as a student and a person.
Jonathan
Mr. Ballentine,
Thanks for coming to our class with Rep. Haley it was really cool meeting you both. Also it was amazing to meet Reps. who haven’t forgotten why they are in the House in the first place. Seeing someone who really cares about the people they represent was unforgettable and I hope that Rep. Haley’s bill is passed and more people like yall get into the House
Josh
A wise person once said, “The cause is everything, the credit is expendable”. The thing that impressed me the most about the time we got to spend with Reps Haley and Ballentine last week was that they really just want this cause to pass and aren’t worried about who gets the “credit” for it at the end of the day. Rep. Haley said that if someone else wants to “claim” the fame when it passes she doesn’t care; as long as it does the public can have completely transparency in the Chamber.
Not only do I agree with 100% on the record voting, I also believe that our Legislatures should make a taxpayer’s addendum as a required addition to every law. My class discussed how this could further increase fiscal transparency. Every time a legislature co-sponsors a spending bill, they would be obliged to affix their signature to an addendum reading:
I __________________ , in sponsoring/co-sponsoring this bill, do hereby affirm that I believe it is more important that the South Carolina government seize the money appropriated herin from the taxpayers to fund this bill, than to allow the taxpayers who actually earned this money to retain it for their own needs.
Seriously, every time a member of the Legislature votes to spend one dollar of taxpayer funds, that member is in essence saying that the South Carolina government has a greater need for that money than did the person who earned it.
Dr. Mr. Ballentine,
Thank you so much for helping with the community. I have had Ms. Payne for my first two years of high school and she is an awesome teacher and I have learned so much! Thanks for saying such nice things about her because she really is an amazing teacher. She interacts well with her students and I always learna a lot when I go to her class. Last year I became a member in the Interact Clug that Ms.Payne set up and I love being involved in it. I have gone to most of the events such as Adopt A Highway and I went a few times on Wednesday morning to the Rotarty Club Meeting. I personally have not gone to Alive at 25 but I know it is a really good thing that Ms. Payne did because it is helping high school students stay safe.So I have been involved in a lot of things with the Interact Club and I really enjoy helping out with it.
Dear Mr. Ballentine,
Thank you for speaking to our class. Thank you for donating money to the Alive @ 25 scholarship fund. It is really cool that you give all your Legislative salary back to the community. We heard you even helped the Dazzlers this year. We appreciate all that you have done for our community.
Where’s Reggie? Working on the closing argument?
Reggie2010!
Mr. Ballentine
Ms. Payne is the one of the greatest teachers that I have ever met. She is the one hardest people and takes countless hours out of schedule to help. I was involved in the Alive @ 25 commity when she first bought it up.. I have been involved in Alive @ 25 since my junior year of high school. I participlated with Nathan Ballentine in the Okra Strut every year since then. I have also attented some of the events that was started Ms. Payne. One of my greatest moments was the Valet Day that we launced at the high school. It was the day that we picked students up from their cars and gave them a ride. It is a way that we showed our appreciation. Around October 2007.. I had the privlege of running for Homecoming King for the club. I won Homecomnig King and put the club on my back. I try to come and participate when I can now that Im in college. I would like to think you Mr. Ballentine for all you have done with Ms. Payne. Thanks again
Mr. Ballentine, I agree 100%!
Ms. Payne is “hands-down” the most wonderful, inspirational teacher this world has to offer. My definition of a teacher is someone who can be kind and courteous while giving advice to students. Not only does the teacher need to be able to give advice, they also need to follow the wise rule “practice what you teach”. Ms. Payne does this everyday. She teaches us how to be good citizens by giving back to the community. Ms. payne sponsors the Interact Club at Dutch Fork High School. I have first hand experience on just how dedicated she is to the community because I am the president of Interact Club. The club is all about giving back to the community and “service above self”. I greatly appreciate anyone who can get a bunch of high schoolers together and clean up trash off the roads one Saturday a month,
or someone who can use their networking skills to come up with projects that get their students involved in helping campaign for politicians. This club is often featured in the Irmo News for the community work with Okra Strut and Homeworks project. These activities get the students involved on a personal level. The interact Club has also helped pilot Alive @ 25, which shows students how to be aware of all the dangers of driving. Ms. Payne has put together a handful of events that get students participating around the school to be apart of Alive @ 25. She has an Alive @ 25 wall in her room, which has some of her students’ hand prints all over it. That is the kind of teacher that has an open heart and mind, who believes that anything is possible with love and hope. Who wouldn’t want a teacher like that?
Mr ballentine,
thank you so much for Recognizing mrs payne for all the great things she has done for her students and for this school. mrs payne is a great person and a great teacher, she has tought me alot over the years and has helped me get involved in the community. also, thank you for the things you have done in our community as well and thanks you for coming into mrs paynes class to talk with her students.
thank you so much!
[...] this year Representative Nikki Haley and I stopped by Mrs. Payne’s class and soon after that, SC Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell paid a visit. [...]
[...] High School teacher Kelly Payne’s civics class. Most recently, Representative Nikki Haley , myself , House Speaker Bobby Harrell , Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom and also Attorney General [...]
[...] prominent SC political figures over the past few weeks and also have many more visits scheduled. Ms. Kelly Payne civics classes have already spent time with me, Representative Nikki Haley (R-Lexington), House [...]