SURPRISE, Ariz. — A West Valley teacher has been touching the lives of her students for years and now she’s being recognized for her efforts.
“Mrs. Peterman is truly an extraordinary teacher,” said Jill Hoppe, the Principal at Canyon Ridge Elementary School.
Stacey Peterman was awarded the Staples’ “Thank a Teacher Award”, and for her, it was a surprise.
“I had no idea I had been nominated or won or anything,” said Peterman.
On Friday, Sept. 3, Canyon Ridge held an assembly to announce to the unexpecting teacher that she was indeed one of 20 teachers across the nation to win the award.
The award celebrates educators who go above and beyond to make a positive impact in their student’s lives, something her students say she does every day.
“I think it’s validation of all of the work and all of the time we put into education," said Hoppe.
Peterman has spent most of her career at Canyon Ridge teaching the same group of students from their 1st grade year all the way through 6th grade.
It was the nomination of one of those students’ parents that captured the attention of Staples.
“It’s really, really special,” said Peterman. “It was really meaningful to me because it came from my [students’] parents, it came from the kids and that’s why we are here. That’s why we do what we do every single day, it’s for our kids.”
An award of $5,000 for the school accompanied the “Thank a Teacher” award, a prize that Peterman and the entire staff at Canyon Ridge Elementary are grateful for.
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