MILLSBORO, Del.- Arthur Henry of Millsboro Middle School has been selected as the Indian River School District’s Teacher of the Year for 2019-2020.
The announcement was made at the district’s annual Teacher of the Year celebration on Tuesday, April 30 at Georgetown Middle School. Henry was chosen as the district’s overall winner from a pool of 16 candidates, one from each school.
Henry has been an instrumental music teacher at Millsboro Middle School since 2015. He is responsible for instrumental music instruction in Grades 6-8 and teaches the flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone, baritone, tuba and percussion instruments. In previous years, he also provided
fifth-grade instrumental music instruction at East Millsboro and Long Neck elementary schools.
Before coming to the Indian River School District, Henry was a classroom instrumental music teacher for the School District of Philadelphia from 2012-2015. In at that capacity, he served as a vocal music specialist for Grades K-12 and an instrumental music specialist for Grades 3-8.
Henry holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia and a master’s degree in music education from Boston University. He also completed additional undergraduate work at Temple
University in Philadelphia. Henry also attended The Salvation Army School for Officer Training from 1999-2001, earning an associate’s degree in occupational ministries. He received a full ordination as a minister of religion and a commission as a Salvation Army officer with the rank of captain.
Henry is a member of the National Association for Music Educators and the North American Brass Band Association. Since 2014, he has been the director of music for the Valley Forge Presbyterian Church and is a former divisional director of piano instruction for The Salvation Army, New Jersey Division.
In the community, Henry has provided piano accompaniment for vocal concerts at schools in the Indian River, Cape Henlopen and Woodbridge school districts and for Sussex Academy in Georgetown.
“Mr. Henry has shown to be a dependable and conscientious staff member who has integrated himself into the culture at Millsboro Middle,” MMS Acting Principal Bradford Breasure said. “He can be nurturing a student
who struggling, playing multiple instruments in his classroom or working at concession stand to raise money. He commands respect from his students and colleagues. Mr. Henry will always bring solutions to any problems that he may encounter during the course of a school year.”
“Mr. Henry embodies what it means to be a teacher with the countless hours that he continues to perfect his own craft in music,” MMS Assistant Principal Christopher Costello said. “He models what he preaches for the students, always striving to have his students succeed. That’s how he measures success for himself.”
