Poca High School’s Joseph Kincaid Receives Arch Coal Achievement Award

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (March 9, 2010) – Joseph Kincaid’s choice of the teaching profession is closely related to his love for music. “As people learn music, they also learn to understand, express and communicate their emotions more fully in a dynamic, creative way,” he explains. “Music is an individual and collective experience, engaging and enriching both the performers and the audience.”

Today Kincaid received an ovation of sorts for his eight-year performance in the teaching profession. He was one of only 12 teachers statewide to receive a 2010 Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Award. Steven F. Leer, Arch Coal chairman and chief executive officer, made the announcement during a presentation ceremony at the Clay Center in Charleston. He was accompanied by West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin, West Virginia Education Association (WVEA) President Dale Lee and Dr. Steven Paine, state superintendent of schools.

“Joseph Kincaid fully realizes the value of music in enriching the lives of students through the thoughts and emotions that music engenders,” says Leer. “In fact, he believes music education could also be labeled the education of feelings.”

A Scott Depot resident, Kincaid teaches piano, chorus and music theory at Poca High School. “I believe all students are capable of learning within their abilities; all students are unique in their abilities, temperament and personality; and every student deserves the opportunity and personal assistance to enhance their learning,” Kincaid says. “More specifically, I believe music education provides a vehicle through which we can explore and more fully understand our human nature.”

“Joe is one of the most popular and effective music instructors in the state of West Virginia, and his choral groups have earned many awards,” notes Cheryl Jividen Barnett, who met “Joey,” as he was then known, when he was a kindergartner in her elementary school music class. “Joe is a master of all the ingredients of successful teaching – dedication, loyalty, reliability, knowledge, energy, enthusiasm and selfless giving, but especially the ability to inspire,” she adds.

Kincaid earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Charleston. He has achieved National Board Certification (NBC) and is on schedule for completing a master’s degree in 2011. Kincaid annually attends the West Virginia Music Educators Association (WVMEA) State Music Conference and serves as an officer of the WVMEA. He also has served as WVMEA State Show Choir chairman for the past three years and is a nominee for 2010 West Virginia General Music Teacher of the Year. Kincaid mentors teachers pursuing NBC, helps students obtain music scholarships for college and further serves the community through involvement in church, community and civic initiatives.

In addition to recognition, awardees receive a $3,500 unrestricted cash prize, a distinctive trophy and a classroom plaque. The West Virginia Foundation for the Improvement of Education, a foundation of WVEA, makes a $1,000 award to each recipient’s school, for use with at-risk students.

The teacher recognition awards are underwritten by the Arch Coal Foundation and supported in program-promotion by the West Virginia Department of Education, the WVEA and the West Virginia Library Commission. The Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Awards is the longest running, privately sponsored teacher-recognition program in the state. Nominations are made by the public, and selection is made by a blue-ribbon panel of the teachers’ peers – previous recipients of the award.

The Arch Coal Foundation also supports teacher-recognition or grant programs in Wyoming, Utah and Colorado, as well as a number of other education-related causes.

Arch Coal is the nation’s second largest coal producer. Through its national network of mines, Arch supplies the fuel for approximately 8 percent of the electricity generated in the United States. In West Virginia, Arch Coal subsidiaries operate the Mountain Laurel and Coal-Mac complexes. The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ACI) and maintains its corporate headquarters in St. Louis, Mo.