Sherry Layton is an instructional aide at Brewton Elementary School, a job that she said she enjoys very much. She teaches computer science, but she has a unique way to get the attention of her students.

“I work in an inside room at school and it has no windows,” she said. “Because we are always using the computers, we don’t use the blackboard any more. I thought I could bring some of the outside in to the windowless room.

“I love to draw and paint and have since I was a child,” she added. “I got some colored sidewalk chalk and filled the blackboard with murals. I did one of wintertime and one of summer. It caught the attention of the students and every morning they would come into the classroom and search for anything new that I might have added. They all seemed to like the drawings so I sneak new things into the drawings all the time.”

The summer drawing shows a small stream of water with frogs, fish, bugs, lizards, and any number of other things. The winter scene has a snowman, birds and other things all peeking out of their snowy cover. It is certainly eye catching.

“Another thing that I enjoy is putting puzzles together,” she said. “I have several of those scattered about the room. Once they are together, I frame them and hang them where the students can see them.”

Layton downplays her talents and is just happy she is able to do something that catches the attention of her students.

Layton was born and raised here. She attended McCall Junior High School and graduated from Flomaton. She then attended Jefferson Davis Junior College and earned her associates degree in science. She met Mike Layton through her brothers, and they were married in 1980. They have two daughters, Rebecca (Tyler) Grissett and Donna Layton. They also have one grandchild and another one on the way.

Layton started subbing at Brewton Elementary School and later got the offer of a full-time job in 1998. She worked at T.R. Miller High School for a while and in 2014 came on to work full-time as an instructional aid at Brewton Elementary School.

“I really love what I am doing,” she said. “I never had any lessons in art. I just always liked to draw and I learned by doing. Any extra time that I have, I spend in my garden or playing with my grandchild. Soon I will have another grandchild and I am looking forward to it.

“I am involved with my church at Catawba Springs Baptist Church,” she added.

She is also a member of the McCall Volunteer Fire Department, which her husband, Mike, helped to found. She was selected as EMT of the Year last year.

“We got involved with the fire department after our house caught fire and almost burned down,”she said. “I realize how important the volunteer firefighters are to the communities they cover.”

Layton is never bored with life. She tends to find the time for the things that are important to her. Her chalk and board are her biggest “canvas,” but she also loves to work with all mediums, including pencil. One of her favorite pieces done with a pencil is a door sign for the resource officer’s room at school. It is a very good replica of the officer’s badge and is beautiful.