This week, two District Five teachers received an exciting surprise as they were named the 2024-25 Distinguished Literacy Teachers of the Year! Sydney Kurtycz, a 4th grade teacher from Reidville Elementary School, received the elementary honor, and Sunshine Furner, an English teacher from Florence Chapel Middle School, was honored at the secondary level.
District Five Superintendent Dr. Randall Gary personally delivered the news to both educators on Tuesday.
The Distinguished Literacy Teacher award is given annually by the Spartanburg County chapter of the Palmetto State Literacy Association. Each school district in the county nominates one elementary and one secondary teacher for the honor. Kurtycz and Furner were nominated by their schools and selected through a district-wide application process. They will now advance to the county-level competition, where they’ll compete with other teachers from across Spartanburg County.
Congratulations to Sydney Kurtycz and Sunshine Furner for this well-deserved recognition!