Orthodontist sponsors contest to recognize local teachers
January 25, 2012
By Christina Lords
Essays highlight outstanding educators in Snoqualmie Valley
Contributed Twin Falls Middle School eighth-grade teacher Carolyn Phelps, student Amanda Antoch and Dr. Kirby Nelson celebrate Antoch’s contest-winning essay about why Phelps is the best teacher in North Bend. The contest was sponsored by Kirby Nelson Orthodontics.
About every two months, Kirby Nelson Orthodontics holds a contest throughout the Snoqualmie Valley to get its patients involved with the office.
Sometimes it’s as simple as guessing how many pieces of candy are in a jar.
But this winter, Kirby Nelson Orthodontics treatment coordinator Wendy Adams said the office asked a little more of its patients.
Any patient — from preschoolers to high school students, including those who are home-schooled — could enter a contest to write a short essay about how their teacher made a difference in their lives and why their teacher is the best instructor around.
“We just want to acknowledge all the hard work a teacher does, and this also shows our kids how much we appreciate what they do and for taking the time to write the essay, too,” she said.
One teacher was selected from each of the three areas of each of the Kirby Nelson Orthodontics locations: Snoqualmie Ridge, North Bend and Maple Valley.
This is the second year the office has held the contest and office staff members hope to make it an annual tradition, Adams said.
On Jan. 13, office staff provided a pizza party to Carolyn Phelps, an eighth-grade teacher at Twin Falls Middle School in North Bend, as one of the winners of the contest.
“She’s an amazing teacher and explains everything really well,” nominating student Amanda Antoch said. “She makes learning about the Periodic Table fun and interesting.”
Fifth-grade student Elizabeth Lower nominated contest- winning teacher Katie Sharkey, of Cascade View Elementary School. Sharkey and her class will be presented with a pizza party later this month.
“My teacher is the best because she is always funny, and she likes to have fun with her students,” Lower said. “If she accidentally bumps into you, she’ll keep bumping into you like its funny. You can’t help but laugh.”
Adams said the orthodontist office had about 20 entries for the contest.
“I was really intrigued by how many kids said they loved learning when teachers made it fun,” Adams said. “A lot of them talk about teachers who do really hands-on stuff. When the teachers get excited about what they’re teaching, it helps the kids get excited.”
Many of the entries highlighted strong relationships between students and educators, she said.
“We see a lot of essays where kids talk about truly knowing that the teacher cares about them, that they feel appreciated,” Adams said. “A lot talk about how the teachers they have had high expectations of the students, and they want to make the teacher proud.”
Christina Lords: 392-6434, ext. 239, or newcastle@isspress.com.
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i go to school with Amanda and she is soooo funny loving and kind and im in her class when she won us the awesome pizza and drinks it was really good and she deserves to win for Amanda is one awesome girl!!!!