Paris, Tenn.–Beloved Rhea Elementary School Teacher Kim McDaniel has been memorialized with a tree and wind chimes at the Outdoor Classroom and a plaque at a new art gallery wall that is dedicated to her memory.
The tree is called “Kim’s Tree” and staff frequently stops at the tree to spend a few moments and remember McDaniel, who was killed in April of 2021 in a car accident.
The Kim McDaniel Shining Artists Gallery wall was unveiled at Tuesday night’s Paris Special Schools District board meeting.
McDaniel was a first-grade teacher at the school and her husband and fellow teachers established the Kim McDaniel Shining Bright Foundation in her memory. It provides support for teachers, staff and students in both Henry and Benton Counties and has hosted activities over the past year.
Foundation officers said ‘Kim’s Tree…holds a special place to so many of us at Rhea. It’s our reminder that she is always with us.”
You can find out more about the Foundation on its Facebook page.
Photo: Kim’s Tree, windchimes and plaque at the Rhea Outdoor Classroom. (Kim McDaniel Shining Bright Foundation photo).