While all of the teachers in the Mineral Ridge School District were honored through Sam's Club's Teacher Rewards Program, only 20 could receive the $50 gift cards provided for the purchase of classroom supplies.
''We put all of their names in a basket and just pick them at random,'' said Seaborn Elementary School principal Cindy Mulgrew.
Sam's Club / Walmart Teachers Rewards Program has been recognizing Trumbull County teachers in kindergarten through eighth grades for the past five years, said Niles' Sam's Club Marketing Representative Mary Ann Nicholas. This year the honors went to the Mineral Ridge School District.
Article Photos
Photos by Kathleen Evanoff / The Niles Times
Twenty teachers from the Mineral Ridge school district were recognized last week with flowers and $50 gift cards from Sam’s Club / Walmart’s Teacher Rewards Program. Ten of the teachers were from Seaborn Elementary School. Pictured front row, from left, are Michelle Meyers, Lori Reigle, Marianne Knight, Danielle Riccitelli, Cathy Guerra and Andrea Kopta. Second row from left are: Carrie Sankovich, Diana Wrataric, Dawn Hamilton and Megan Ghizzoni. Back row, from left, are Sam’s Club Marketing Representatives Mary Ann Nicholas and Diane Horn.
''Normally we only give out 10 awards to a school district, but this year we're giving out 10 to each school,'' Nicholas said.
On Oct. 5 representatives from the Niles Sam's Club went to Seaborn Elementary School where students in kindergarten through fourth grade assembled in the auditorium to cheer for their teachers. Waiting with anticipation to see if their teacher would be chosen, students cheered for each one as their names were pulled randomly from the basket. Each teacher chosen received a $50 gift card to Sam's Club to be used for the purchase of educational supplies for their classroom and a bouquet of flowers. Seaborn teachers chosen were: Michelle Meyers, Lori Reigle, Marianne Knight, Danielle Riccitelli, Cathy Guerra, Andrea Kopta, Carrie Sankovich, Diana Wrataric, Dawn Hamilton and Megan Ghizzoni.
Ten teachers from Mineral Ridge Middle School were chosen in the same manner prior to Friday's pep rally at the school by principal Robert Martinko. The Mineral Ridge Middle School band not only played a drum roll prior to the selection of each teacher's name, but they also played the drum roll for their own band instructor, Leslie Core, who was chosen among the 10 winners. In addition to Core, teachers chosen were Trisha Kusiowski, Terri Baer, Matthew Blair, Darren Garris, Heather Ault, Joe Stevens, Nick Spanos, Dianne Seifert and Jen Stith.
The Teacher Rewards Program provides funds to teachers across the U.S. with classroom supplies and nutritious food for their students. The reward cards are redeemable at Walmart stores, Sam's Clubs or walmart.com or samsclub.com.