Virginia Lottery recognizes teachers

RICHMOND, Virginia -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- From a "reading bathtub" in the classroom to painted ceiling tiles to "trips" to faraway places... these are the kinds of characteristics that make a Virginia Lottery Super Teacher Award recipient. During the past two weeks, officials with the Virginia Lottery, the Virginia PTA and Virginia-based The Supply Room Companies traveled to public schools in Virginia to present eight K-12 educators with the awards in surprise presentations.

The eight recipients are:

-- Tina Bowman, Grange Hall Elementary School in Chesterfield County

-- Jennifer Bunn, Indian Valley Elementary School in Floyd County

-- Jenny Dean, J. P. Burley Middle School in Albemarle County

-- Martha Kelly, Mount Pleasant Elementary School in Roanoke County

-- Aretha Livingston, Tucker-Capps Elementary School in Hampton

-- Carole Marable, Clover Hill Elementary School in Chesterfield County

-- Michael Perry, Keister Elementary School in Harrisonburg

-- Hanna Tomhave, Mantua Elementary School in Fairfax County

Click here to meet each recipient in a special video presentation and read the nominating essay: valottery.com/promotion/teacher/drawings.asp

The recipients were selected from more than 1,800 nominations submitted by the public. Each award consists of a cash prize of $2,000 for the teacher and an additional $2,000 classroom credit from The Supply Room Companies. Each winner represents one of the Lottery's eight geographic regions of the state.

The winners were selected by a panel of distinguished educators and community leaders, including:

-- Melissa Nehrbass, President of the Virginia PTA

-- James W. Dyke, Former Secretary of Education for Virginia

-- Hon. Flora Crittenden, Virginia House of Delegates, Ret

-- Hon. Thomas M. Jackson, Jr., Virginia House of Delegates, Ret

-- Richard E. Williams, Jr., Deputy Director of the Virginia Lottery

The judges selected the eight winners based on the strength of the nominations, each of which included a short essay, showing teachers with passion and commitment to the teaching profession, innovation and creativity in the classroom and parental involvement. In addition, three non-winning teachers from around the state will win $500 Visa gift cards in a second-chance drawing held on May 27, 2008.

"As a former teacher, I have such great respect for educators who use their talents to fire the imaginations of students," said Virginia Lottery Executive Director Paula Otto. "It was an honor to surprise each of the eight teachers with Super Teacher Awards, along with our partners at the Virginia PTA and The Supply Room Companies."

Since 1999, all Virginia Lottery profits have been designated solely to K-12 public school education in the Commonwealth. In that time, the Lottery has turned over more than $3.4 billion for Virginia's public schools, currently representing about 7 percent of annual state funding for public education in Virginia. In 19 years, the Lottery has awarded more than $10 billion in prizes to players and more than $1 billion in retailer commissions.