Lynchburg, VA (May 30, 2019) — To celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, we asked you, our guests, to nominate educators who have made an impact on you or our local community. Today, we announce our winner at our Lynchburg location. Congratulations to Ms. Caren Bowling of Tomahawk Elementary School, who was chosen as an Outstanding Educator in her community.

"Mrs. Bowling will stay after and tutor her students if needed," said nominator Jamie Michalides. "She makes special goodies and activities using her money to help get topics across to the kids and help them learn. The kids have her respect and she makes learning fun!"

​Ms. Bowling is awarded a $50 McAlister's gift card and a certificate as well as tea and cookies for her class. Thank you, Ms. Bowling, for all you've done for the students in your community!

Pigeon Forge, TN (May 30, 2019) — To celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, we asked you, our guests, to nominate educators who have made an impact on you or our local community. Today, we announce our winner at our Pigeon Forge location. Congratulations to Kellyn Adams of Pigeon Forge Middle School, who was chosen as an Outstanding Educator in her community.
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"Ms. Kellyn Adams is one of the best people around," said nominator Madison Ward. "She goes above and beyond for them to help them achieve their academic goals, whether it's staying late after school to tutor, or even tutoring on the weekends. If her students are in need of something, she goes out of her way to help them and get what they need to the best of her ability! I have never seen a teacher as good as her."

Ms. Adams is awarded a $50 McAlister's gift card and a certificate as well as tea and cookies for her class. Thank you, Ms. Adams, for all you've done for the students in your community!

We received many amazing nominations, and we want to recognize them all. Here are the Teacher Appreciation nominees in Pigeon Forge:

• Amanda Lay, Jefferson Elementary School
• Amanda Parton, Pigeon Forge Middle School

Here's what some of the nominators had to say about the teachers:
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"Mrs. Coppinger is an amazing cosmetology teacher. She spends a lot of her own money on supplies for her students. She does free haircuts for the JROTC students (ARMY training for high school students). She works hard to get scholarships for her students. When I was going through chemotherapy, she shaved my head after my hair started to fall out. She is always positive and lifts up others." --LeeAnne Kepper

"Jacquie gives her whole heart to teaching students in this inner city school. ... If a teacher ever exemplified love for her students, that teacher is Jacquie Honeycutt." --Teresa Honeycutt

"I have been a teacher for 23 years. I was blessed with the opportunity to do a peer observation at another school in my county. The teacher I observed was Mrs. Stoner. Her dedication, passion, and creative thinking helped me find my passion for teaching again. I have incorporated a tremendous number of her ideas and suggestions into my classroom and have see amazing growth in my students because of the fresh ideas. ... She is a true teaching rockstar!" --Shannon Graham

"Mr. Tripp encourages Special Education to become more independent after graduation. He is program director for Project Able at Loudon High School. He job shadows Special Education students on job sites so that they may get jobs. ... He is a great teacher and friend to his students." --Ruth Ann Hickman

Each teacher is awarded a $50 McAlister's gift card and a certificate as well as tea and cookies for the class. Thank you to all of the above educators for all you have done for the students in your communities!

Blacksburg, VA (May 30, 2019) — To celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, we asked you, our guests, to nominate educators who have made an impact on you or our local community. Today, we announce our winner at our Blacksburg location. Congratulations to Susan Bailey of Harding Avenue Elementary School​, who was chosen as an Outstanding Educator in her community.

Katie Lafon, a nominator of Ms. Bailey, said, "Ms. Bailey has taught 2 of my 3 children in 2 different grades. She goes above and beyond the expectations of any teacher. ... She always makes time to talk to us when we run into her outside of school, which just makes their day. Her first priority is truly her student and seeing them succeed.  She is a very special teacher and we are lucky to have her at our school."
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Ms. Bailey is awarded a $50 McAlister's gift card and a certificate as well as tea and cookies for her class. Thank you, Ms. Bailey, for all you have done for the students in your community!

We received many amazing nominations, and we want to recognize them all. Here are the Teacher Appreciation nominees in Blacksburg:

• Debbie Gaertner, Blacksburg High School
• Debbie Griffith, Dublin Elementary School
• Sheila Hommema, Oakland Elementary School
• Joy Lambert, Grayson Highlands School
• Megan Patrick, Rural Retreat High School
• Andrea Pitts, Boland
• Toni Robertson, Eastern Elementary