Sarah Smith Honors Retiring Teacher Betty Conley

Retiring Sarah Smith Elementary teacher Betty Conley was honored Sunday by former students, parents, friends and family, fellow faculty members and administrators and community representatives.

School Principal Dr. Sidney Baker announced at the reception at Sarah Smith's Intermediate Campus buulding that the school's media center will be named the Helen Elizabeth "Betty" Conley Media Center in her honor.

"Not only is she a caring human being but a professional educator in every sense of its meaning," Baker said.

Music director Neil Thompson, who conducted Conley's class in a spirited rendition of "I Just Had the Time of My Life," estimated that she's taught 1,000 students in her 39-year career, with her first classes now in their early 40s.

She's known for her annual Shakespeare festivals in which one of the bard's plays is produced by her class, and in her honor, a portrait of Shakespeare will hang in the school's media center.

The event started end of the year activities at Sarah Smith and othe Buckhead APS schools. The last day of school is Tuesday.

Sarah Smith's fifth graders will graduate Monday night at the intermediate school. Fifth grade graduating ceremonies were also scheduled at Warren T. Jackson, Garden Hlls and Morris Brandon. E. Rivers will have graduation Tuesday.

Graudation for eighth graders at Sutton Middle School will be Tuesday, and North Atlanta High School's graduation will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Atlanta Civic Center.