Thank you to all everyone who participated in our Teacher Appreciation Giveaway! We have been reading some wonderful stories. You all are wonderful human beings, and we’re so happy for those of you who shared your stories with us to help us better understand how to appreciate you and to be encouraged to show our appreciation for all those who play a special role in our lives.

As a small token of appreciation, a $100 Amazon gift card will be sent to each of the randomly-selected participants.

Our 2022 teacher appreciation giveaway winners are

1) Carrie G.

2) Karina C.

3) Jackie Lynn B.

4) Amber S.

5) Steven S.

6) Patsy F.

7) Jessica M.

8) Amy J.

9) Katherine B.

10) Taylor B.

 

 

Here are a few of the stories submitted:

• “Mrs. Tucker is one of the best teachers I’ve ever had in my life. She is kind, understanding, and loving. She makes every student feel special and loved. I feel connected to her and truly feel like she cares about me. She is everything I could want in a teacher. She’s fun and easygoing, but we get work done and we learn a lot. I have a great time in her class. We’ve studied lots of cool texts, and she makes them both interesting and easy to understand. Mrs. Tucker makes me feel safe and cared about. She values kindness and character. At the beginning of class, we take a minute or two to relax our minds by answering riddles and doing journal prompts. Then we get to work. Mrs. Tucker is fair and if you follow instructions and try your best, her class is easy to pass. I think she deserves so many awards for what she does in our school. I love Mrs. Tucker and I’m so excited to be in her class again next year for tenth-grade English.”
• “Mrs. Jennings is a wonderful teacher!! Her commitment and dedication to our daughter’s Christ-centered education are very much appreciated! She has also been a rock for our family the last 2 years through some very difficult health challenges with my husband’s health and when our daughter was sick and hospitalized. We are eternally grateful for all she has done for our family.”
• “Mrs. McCleary is one of those A+ teachers you see in movies and tv shows. She is SO involved with our kids and treats them like they are her own. Her kind spirit, love for God, and patience have her on the top of my list for what makes an amazing teacher! 4th grade has been SO amazing because of her!”
• “Starting in kindergarten this year was a big step with our first child, Elle, being in “real” school. The year started great but eventually, there was a big slip in our daughter’s mastery of important skills, mainly reading. Katie came alongside our family with so many helpful first steps and we discovered that Elle needed glasses. This is something I truly believe we would not have realized until much later without her keen eye and experience. We all noticed some improvement but there were still some worrying gaps in her reading skills. Katie met with us more and helped our family lay out a plan to get Elle additional help and head off these potential learning issues. We started extremely worried about what this would mean for Elle and how her learning challenges would impact her school career, which had just begun. Again, Katie was right there with us and after talking with her and other school employees she brought in we have such peace about the direction Elle is headed. We strongly believe that God placed Katie in our lives for this year and she has impacted our family and Elle’s future as a student beyond words. Her dedication and insight have been invaluable!”
• “Mrs. Campbell is hands down the best teacher ever. So much so that words can describe it. I’ve been going to foundation academy for 9 years now and I have never stumbled across cross such a caring, authentic teacher, with a burning passion to teach and get the lesson across. Mrs. Campbell is most famously known by students as Mama Campbell due to the way she’s not afraid to treat her as her child. You will never catch her, talking down to her students. Instead, she makes you feel cared for. When I ask a few students to describe her in words they some words to describe Mama Campbell these were the following: loving, caring, passionate, Christian, smart, authentic, fun, unique, and my favorite mother-like. As the end of the year is nearing I think it’s safe to say that Mama Campbell is by far the best teacher that I will and have ever had. And I’m exhilarated to nominate Mrs. Campbell for this Award. As a thank you for making me want to learn. Please check out her Instagram which is which includes videos of her interacting in the classroom- clipboards and lesson plans”
• “Mrs. McCleary is one of those A+ teachers you see in movies and tv shows. She is SO involved with our kids and treats them like they are her own. Her kind spirit, love for God, and patience have her on the top of my list for what makes an amazing teacher! 4th grade has been SO amazing because of her!”
• “Ms. Schefstad is always encouraging to all of her students and fellow teachers. She prays for us and her students. She is full of joy and always has a smile on her face! She lost her father this year but remained steadfast and kind throughout that difficult time in her life. So proud to be her coworker!”
• “Ms. Patsy F. has exhibited the heart of a Lion this year. Since my daughter’s first day at Foundation, she has helped us acclimate ourselves to new schedules and uniforms and answered all the questions that come with being a new student on campus. She made my girl feel connected and comfortable for her first days of school. I know that she is just the “kind” of person who looks for opportunities to be a light to others. Patsy is seen on campus as a quiet leader, always smiling, nurturing, and friendly to those who are in her path. She has helped with aftercare, tutoring, and I’m sure many other capacities that I don’t even know. We would love for her to be honored with this special giveaway, We are so grateful for how she cares for others!”
• “Mr. Sardone is an outstanding teacher! He has taught my daughter in two separate classes and she has thrived in both of them. As she is deciding on where to go to school to further her studies, he has been instrumental in helping her (since he has had a similar career path that she is looking at.) He even went on a college visit with us. He encourages students to turn to God for answers when they are unsure of what their next steps should be. I can honestly say he has made such an impact on her life and I am forever grateful!”
• “Ms. Scarlett is a hero among her fellow workers! She is a true servant with a happy heart! Our school would shut down without her!”
• “Ms. Oskeria goes above and beyond for her high school students. She demonstrates a Christ-like love in all that she does and says. She is a hugger, encourager, and prayer pal. She is available at any time for her students. Giving them her cell phone number if they ever need her. She is their friend but also sets a very high standard of achievement for them to reach. She attends their sporting events, and church activities and even volunteers to do hair and make-up for prom. She is a blessing to my daughter and all of her students!”
• “Ms. Melendez is a pure soul. She has molded me into a better person in the 3 years we had been my teacher. Because of her, I am more confident, my faith in the bible and god has grown stronger. Her genuine love for teaching has helped my grades rise because she is patient yet stern in her teaching. All of my classmates love Ms. Melendez because she is always there for us. She has gone through so much in her personal life this past year but she never let that affect her or her amazing work. Her faith in god still stayed strong and it motivated me to stay strong as she did. She has guided me in drama to the point I won 1st place in the drama contest that she motivated me to compete in. She is also responsible for my winning 1st place at the science fair. What better person to have as my teacher than someone who took me a shy low confident girl and turn my attitude around to excel in ways I didn’t know I could. I love and appreciate her for this she will always have a place in my heart. As I complete my last year with her I want her to always know how much I appreciate what she has done for me and my entire class. Thank you we can never repay you!”
• “I love how Mrs. Birt teaches history. She has an on-hand approach that students grasp. Every year she gives her time away from her own to give to others. That alone she sets a great example in life for our students. My son has never been so excited about history until he crossed paths with her. She plans a trip that ties into her classroom teaching but takes the students to places they are studying or going to study that year. When they can visualize that what’s in the history book is real-life places that do exist. Even if you don’t choose Mrs. Birt for the giveaway we are so lucky to have her at HERITAGE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY OF ROCKWALL TEXAS as a teacher and friend to all of us here.”
• “Ms. Mosley has been an unbelievable gift to our family this year. Our senior-year son has struggled with severe and debilitating depression, and she has bent over backward to work with him and with us. While most teachers see seniors as independent and separate from their families at this point, she has looked at the situation that we are in and understood that, right now, he is not able to do the same things that other seniors are because of his diagnosis. She doesn’t see him as “needing help” so much as she sees him as “needing understanding.” I love that perspective! She has demonstrated a true concern for his well-being, mental health, and educational growth. I have said it many times to many people: without her, we would probably not have our son at that school this year to graduate. In addition to the way that she has worked with our neurodiverse son, she is a great all-around teacher for neurotypical students. She is creative in her approaches to learning, and she scaffolds assignments so that they are both doable and challenging. She gets to know her students and what makes them tick. She finds readings and assignments that they can relate to and have fun doing, which helps even the most un-English-y students flourish in her class.”
• “Mr. Morton is a very dedicated, hardworking teacher. I think he deserves to win because he helps so many kids without complaint and his help benefited them. I am a personal example because there are countless times I have approached Mr Morton for help and he has helped me and I end up passing. There are so many times he stays behind after school for at least 30 minutes just to tutor me free of charge, many times I have just shown up in his classroom without any notice and he has still dropped everything to help me. Even tho he isn’t my math teacher, I label him as mine. That’s why I think Mr. Morton deserves this giveaway.”
• “I would like to nominate Mr. Cornils. I believe he put extra time & patience with my Grandson, Jacob Lane is not always easy to deal with but I believe Mr. Cornils went the extra mile to help mold Jacob into being a better individual than he already is.”
• “Mr. Dr. Sorensen is an amazing teacher. He wears many hats and devotes himself to each one. He leads our History department and while doing that has become a published author and completed his doctorate. He also leads our forensic team, travels to forensic matches, and leads high school trips. He is dedicated to his work and yet finds time to be a leader in his church and dedicated to his family as well. One recent memory showing his dedication was during our humanities trip to the UK. He lead the trip, kept all details, sent out numerous reminders and completely prepared our group to travel. It was an amazing trip because of his dedication. But it did not stop there. Upon returning to the States one of our party had misplaced their passport. He was able to maintain his calm and composure throughout the ordeal with customs and when the rest of our group was allowed to go through and head out to our families he stayed and advocated for the student. Following through until a resolution was possible. He was tired and ready to be home with his family, but he never put that before his students and the needs of those around him. He is the definition of work-life balance and what it means to be a servant-leader. I would love to see him recognized for all the unseen acts he does for others every day.”
• “Ms. Ferrel goes above and beyond with her choir classes and concerts. She does many responsibilities as a Senior Class Sponsor but what I like about her perhaps the most is that she pursues excellence. Just a high-quality person who cares about her students.”
• “Mrs. Salva teaches 5th grade. When my daughter entered her class, she was behind from some challenging years Covid left. She was behind. Mrs. Salva is full of joy and expresses her belief in the students regularly. She challenges them with quite a bit of work and writing. Well, by January we told Mrs. Salva it was all too much, and my daughter was crying many nights under the pressure to keep up. Mrs. Salva could have responded in a few ways, but she chose compassion and sacrificed more of her time to help my daughter one-on-one through the 3rd & 4th quarters. My daughter grew in knowledge and confidence! Now, a year later, my daughter was just awarded a gold medal (first place) from LCS (League of Christian Schools) for her first-person essay! My husband and I know this award strongly reflects Mrs. Salva’s teaching, kindness, and extra time. I would LOVE her to be acknowledged and blessed! SO deserving;)”
• “Ms. CenaThis teacher strives to do her best in everything! She has taught sixth grade, seventh grade, eighth grade, and even high school! She subs in any class that she is needed in, and always does her best!”
• “Mrs. Schreiner has now taught both of my children. She exudes kindness, patience, and love for her students. She is quick to encourage and help when called upon. Her creativity in teaching is above and beyond. She will dress up for the country she’s teaching in social studies. She also does a “room remix” to surprise the kids. This is a decoration of the classroom to reflect the country she’s teaching, currently Greece! All the senses are touched through her teaching. The children thrive under her care! Would LOVE to see her blessed! I know that Amazon card would go to great use!”
• “Ms. Bowman has been teaching at The King’s Christian School for years and has kept her passion for teaching. She has been recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and is unfortunately in critical condition. We don’t know how long she is going to live.”
• “Mrs. Byrd has been a Christian School Educator for over 40 years, and has been a teacher here at our school, Sherwood Christian Academy for 35 years. She has impacted and poured into the lives of countless students and has a passion for her kids. Mrs. Byrd has taught middle school history for decades with a passion to impart God’s story to her students. She is also my mom, and her influence and love for teaching students have played a major reason in my decision to pursue Christian Education as well! We have now worked together at Sherwood for the past eleven years, the same school that I was an alumnus of. I taught high school history for ten years and am now the high school guidance counselor. It won’t be until we are in glory to be able to measure Mrs. Byrd’s impact on the Kingdom! She will always be my favorite teacher!”
• “Mrs. Varner is my daughter’s 7th grade Bible teacher. She has enlightened my daughter’s knowledge and made her love learning about the Bible! Cira’ lights up as she tells me about the meaning of the scriptures and how God loves her! Mrs. Varner is an amazing person and Cira’ will miss her next year.”
• “I am nominating my Spanish teacher Mrs. Gomora, who has invested in my life for 5 years. She recently took us to Costa Rica for a language immersion trip. She does so much for our school and student body, and she is one of the most encouraging, christ-like examples I know. “
• “Mrs. Gomora or Profe as we call her teaches Spanish at a small Christian school. She is the most reliable and caring teacher. She also started the Spanish department at our school and took us on an amazing trip to Costa Rica with the help of Joshua Expeditions.”
• “Mrs. Ford has been instrumental to the growth of our son in this last year. The first week of school he told me that his teacher is the best teacher he’s ever had referring to Mrs Ford. This was a rather quick assessment I thought, but it hasn’t changed 9 months later. I recently saw the effort he put into writing her a card for teacher’s appreciation week. It was important to him that everything he wrote was neat and spelled correctly. As parents having Mrs. Ford was everything and more than we had hoped for in a school year. We are grateful for the many experiences this year and recognize Mrs. Ford as our teacher of the year!”
• “Mrs. Marvin has helped me to understand a lot about ELA. I write stories and Mrs. Marvin has helped me to understand how to write better stories and make everything I know about ELA amazing. Not to mention Mrs. Marvin makes learning fun, she helps me to pay attention during the class and I love her a lot.”