Four Aiken County School District teachers reacted with surprise, understandably, when Superintendent Dr. Beth Everitt arrived at their schools on Friday with balloons - just for them.
Everitt announced they are finalists for the Aiken County School District Teacher of the Year award.
The teachers receiving the flowers are Rosalyn Greene, a Jackson Middle School English teacher; Latrece Quattlebaum, a Schofield Middle School instructional coach; Megan Scholer, a South Aiken High School English teacher; and Amy Wingate, an Aiken High School math teacher.
A fifth finalist, Jeremy Rinder, is a Hammond Hill Elementary School fifth-grade teacher. He was out of town Friday, giving a presentation at Newberry College, his alma mater.
Everitt will recognize the District Teacher of the Year at a banquet - her seventh - before she retires on July 31.
"It's a great part of our job, and it's so great to recognize outstanding teachers," she said. "What's so precious is that each one was truly surprised ... We really do have the best of the best here."
The finalists were chosen among all the school-based teachers of the year. The finalists are formally named the Honor Court. They later will begin work with the Teacher Forum - a program that supports teachers throughout the district.
In 2002, Redcliffe Elementary School teacher Jason Fulmer was named the District teacher of the year. The next year, he was selected as the state winner. Fulmer was announced as a national finalist in 2004, traveling to the White House for an awards program, hosted by President George Bush and his wife, Laura.
Rob Novit is the education reporter for the Aiken Standard.
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