Belvedere educator known for patience, skill

When a troop of middle-schoolers arrived at Belvedere Elementary School in Arnold on the first day of school last fall, Principal Susan Errichiello's inner alarm went off.

But there was no need to worry - they just wanted to see their first-grade teacher, Ruth Norment.

"They said, 'We want to tell her how great we've done,' " Errichiello said. "She has a following that goes back two, three generations."

Colleagues at Belvedere said children adore Norment, a petite brunette with a shy demeanor, 39 years of teaching experience and endless patience. Recently she was named the county's...