2018 Teaming Up with Teachers: Round 2
At Centra, we believe that our teachers are one of the most influential keys to growing a strong community. In 2017, we made the decision to start Teaming Up with Teachers and gave $6,400 to nearly 100 local teachers. This gift keeps on giving. These teachers reach future generations and research proves a supportive teacher is 2-3 times more impactful on a students future than any other external factor at home. All of us can imagine that one teacher who made us feel important, smart, and kind. It is because of this and many other reasons that we continued the contest, Teaming Up With Teachers Round 2!
This year, we had 91 teachers send in entries from 17 counties in Centra’s footprint. On Facebook, the teachers entries were posted in an album and voters were encouraged to like the teacher that they wanted to win. Teachers and friends shared each picture and increased our Facebook fans by almost 1,000. 4 teachers with the most likes were awarded $500 Centra Visa Gift Cards and all other teachers received a $50 Amazon gift card for their participation.
Many teachers expressed how they don’t have the typical seating arrangement in their classrooms and that their students chose where they can be the most successful. Alex Zaring, has been a teacher for 6 years and in her 3rd grade classroom at Seymour-Jackson Elementary School she opted for this classroom setting. Students can use tables, bouncy balls, yoga mats, spin chairs, scoop rockers, and many more. We are excited to gift $500 to Alex, so that students can continue to sit comfortably while they learn!
We are pleased to be able to gift $500 to Katherine Lombardo from River Valley Middle School for her to be able to impact the lives of lower income special needs students. With this, we hope she can provide more tools to allow students to feel like leaders and learners preparing for the future.
At Children’s Morning Out, Joanne Letts leads a classroom of 2-year old’s beginning their first steps in Preschool. She is hoping to be able to use her $500 to purchase toys that will help promote creative learning and social development. We are so excited to be able to help out this special program!
One of the best parts about school is going on field trips with all of your friends from class. With $500, we hope that Lee Anne Hahn can take her students at Austin Middle School to many community based instructional outings so that they can create life long memories and improve daily life skills!
“Thank you Centra for all you do for our teachers, students, and communities.
Congratulations to the winners and all the teachers who participated. Also, thank you for the $50 gift card. You are amazing!”- Mandy Sullivan.
“Eeeeekkkkk!!!!! Thank you SO MUCH for supporting our students!!! 91 teachers….that’s a LOT of students you just made an impact on. Amazing!”- Kathy Lombardo.”
“Thank you for providing this opportunity to so many hard working and dedicated teachers! And thank you for the consolation amazon cards! Super sweet and pleasant surprise!”- Elizabeth Smith.