Manor Heights Elementary
Manor Heights teachers receive Walmart Teacher Rewards recognition
10.22.2009
Ten Manor Heights Elementary School teachers received $100 Walmart/Sam's Club gift cards as part of the Walmart Foundation's Teacher Rewards Program Wednesday during the school's first-quarter Celebration of Success assembly: Amy Adams, Cynthia Brachtenbach, Maggie Courtade, Iris Erickson, Alisa Faulkner, Michelle Glynn, Shannon Kersenbrock, Laura Kramer, Carol Lawrence and Susie Mayhue.
Beth Ann Pillen, assistant manager for our local Casper Walmarts, presented the gift cards.
"This is the part I like best about my job: giving money to the community!" Pillen said.
The school itself was chosen by nominations from local Walmart employees, and then 10 teacher's names were randomly drawn for the gift cards. The gift cards may be used by the chosen teachers for whatever educational purpose they choose.
The Teacher Rewards Program replaced the franchise's Teacher of the Year Program. According to a press release published by Walmart in September, on average, teachers spend more than $500 a year out of their own pockets for classroom supplies, according to the American Federation of Teachers. To help offset rising expenses for classroom supplies, Walmart, Sam’s Club and the Walmart Foundation have joined together to launch Teacher Rewards, a new program that is providing more than $4 million to 40,000 deserving teachers across the U.S.
The new Teachers Reward Program and the recent Write to Change the Classroom Program are extensions of the foundation's ongoing support of education and local community involvement. In 2008, Walmart and the Foundation gave more than $66 million to fund educational programs in communities across the country. Through scholarship programs alone, the Walmart Foundation awarded more than $8 million in 2008.
Pictured above, from left to right: Walmart Assistant Manager Beth Ann Pillen; unidentified Walmart employee; and Manor Heights Elementary School teachers Michelle Glynn, Iris Erickson, Maggie Courtade, Susie Mayhue, Alisa Faulkner, Shannon Kersenbrock and Amy Adams. Not pictured: Cynthia Brachtenbach, Laura Kramer and Carol Lawrence.)
