February’s Teacher Feature Winner: Leah Yost

MATOAKA, W.Va. (WVVA) - February’s Teacher Feature Winner for WVVA and Cole Chevy’s Teacher Feature Contest is Leah Yost. Yost began her career in education at Lashmeet/Matoaka Elementary School in 2020.

She teaches reading to fourth and fifth graders. Now with three years down, she’s already established her own ways of helping her students. Each year she’s helped provide her class with Christmas gifts, Thanksgiving meals and hygiene bags.

“I’ve noticed down in this area, it’s lower income and some students may not have what other students do and I’d like for them to have whatever they need so,” said Yost.

Last semester, Yost secured free publishing materials for her class to write and have the stories published in a book.

“Both of my fourth and fifth grade kids were able to write stories about winter in general or Christmas. So that was really lovely and they had a great time with that. They got them published and it’s like a hard back book and it’s really nice,” said Yost.

Yost also helps out with fundraising. Right now she’s working to collect money to take some of her students on a special field trip to Greenbrier County.

“This year we’re going on a fourth grade field trip to the Lost World Caverns in Lewisburg. I’d like for my kids to not have to pay to go so I ask for donations or fundraisers throughout the year so everybody can go whether you have the money or not,” said Yost.

Yost says she can’t take all the credit for the work she does in the classroom. She says without support from community organizations and school staff, she wouldn’t be able to be the teacher she is today.

Yost says she comes from a family of teachers and says they have also played a big role in her career this far. If you would like to help Yost with fundraising for her classes field trip, you can contact the school to make a donation.

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