Welcome to 6th grade at Southside Middle School! 

My name is Mrs. Dawn Walker. I have an amazing family, including two sons at colleges in the Northeast (Yale & Vassar). I'm so excited to be in the new Southside building this year, teaching 6th grade Social Studies. 

I graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, GA in 1996 (pre-law- B.S. in Philosophy & Religion), changed careers and graduated from Coker College with a B.S. in Elementary Education (2008). I also earned a Master of Education (MEd) in Instructional Accommodations from Francis Marion University in 2011. My certifications include Middle School Social Studies, Middle School ELA, Elementary grades 2- 6, and Gifted & Talented (GT). I am an eternal student, learning from conferences, workshops, texts, teachers, students, and the world around me.

I was honored to be the 2012-2013 Timrod Elementary Teacher of the Year and Florence School District One Honor Roll Teacher (finalist to District Teacher of the Year). In addition, I was thrilled to be presented with the 2013 FMU Veteran Educator Award.

I have been a swim coach/ swim teacher for over 25 years and consider that to be my life-long hobby. I was a member of the swim team at Emory University, qualified for the 1996 Olympic Trials, and I love to escape into the water every chance I get!  Other hobbies include traveling, reading and photography. I recently discovered running... well, more like run some, then walk some, repeat. My students in 2013-2014 cheered me on as I completed my first 5K, 10K, half marathon and full marathon that school year.

My goal as a teacher is to help each student reach their fullest potential, having fun along the way.

The 2022- 23 school year will be my 15th year teaching in Florence One Schools. Prior to coming to Southside, I worked as the PYP Coordinator at North Vista Elementary, taught at Greenwood Elementary and Timrod Elementary, and I taught 8th and 11th grade English at a private school.

I encourage you to reach out if you have thoughts, questions, or concerns. I look forward to hearing from you! 

Email: Dawn.Walker@fsd1.org