This article is part of a series by The Vicksburg Post, in partnership with the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce, featuring each of the nominees for teacher of the year honors.

Wes Moore is aiming to teach his students the importance of responsibility.

Moore, Vicksburg Catholic School teacher and band director, said he teaches his students that their actions do cause an effect. 

“I constantly work with the students to understand that in band, just like real life, their actions do not affect just themselves,” Moore said. 

Moore is a finalist for the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce’s Educator of the Year award. The chamber will select and announce one elementary and one secondary teacher of the year at the chamber luncheon, which has been rescheduled to Mar. 1. The winner of each award will receive $1,000 from Ameristar Casino and the runner-up for each award will receive $500 from Mutual Credit Union. 

Moore began teaching as a band director in 1985 all throughout the state of Mississippi and at Marion High School in Marion, Ark. In 1996, he served as a part-time faculty member at Merdian Community College in Meridian, Miss. Starting in 2020, Moore became a teacher and band director at Vicksburg Catholic School. 

In 1986, Moore received a Bachelor of Music Education from Mississippi State University. He also earned a Master’s degree in music from Mississippi College in 1988. 

“Every student has other people depending on them in many ways,” he said. 

Because of that, Moore said he wants his students to adopt responsible habits in their everyday lives. Some of these habits include arriving on time with a pleasant attitude and being prepared for both rehearsals or any extra work that may come along the way. 

“Each student must give their best effort the entire time while working together,” Moore said.