Matthew Plummer Wins Teacher of the Month Award for Kannapolis City Schools

Congratulations to the Hilbish Teacher of the Month for Kannapolis City Schools, Matthew Plummer! 

KCS shared the following message:

Our educators impact the lives of so many of students - even ones that aren’t inside their classrooms.

Matthew Plummer is a Student Mentor and Instructional Support educator at A.L. Brown. He serves students with developmental disabilities, but his nomination comes because of the impact he had on an A.L. Brown student after a chance encounter in the community.

The parent that nominated Mr. Plummer said that she and her son ran into Mr. Plummer last year. After talking for a while, Mr. Plummer invited the student to come to his classroom for extra help. Her son had always struggled in school, but after he started going to Mr. Plummer, everything changed. He saw how much Mr. Plummer cared about him and realized he could ask him about school or life without being judged. She says her son now sees Mr. Plummer’s classroom as a place where he can do homework, study, or just talk about things that are bothering him. She believes Mr. Plummer has helped make her son’s high school experience a positive one and has made a big difference in her son’s life.

This is the kind of extraordinary influence that makes public education special. We’re proud that Matt Plummer is part of our KCS family, and we’re delighted that Tim Vaughn of Hilbish Ford honored his excellence with the Hilbish Award for May. Congratulations!

Click here to nominate an outstanding KCS teacher for this award.

View original article here.

KMS Teacher Recognized for Life-Changing Impact on Student's Life

Congratulations to Sean Szakal for earning the Hilbish Teacher of the Month Award for April!

In the statement below, Kannapolis City Schools explains the impact Mr. Szakal had on one child in particular last school year:

Sean Szakal teaches 8th grade social studies at Kannapolis Middle School and coaches the boys’ soccer team. He is also a very positive influence on young people.

The parent who nominated Mr. Szakal explained how her son had not always made the best choices. However, she said Mr. Szakal changed her son’s life. She said she was moved at the caring way Mr. Szakal spoke with her son last school year about his concerns for him and his future. Mr. Szakal emphasized how important it was for her son to be on time and how her son’s absences not only affected him but also others. Since that conference, her son has made an incredible turn-around. The mom said that after her son finished 8th grade last June, he got a summer job with a landscaping company. Before he started his job, he mentioned how the advice from Coach Szakal was correct, and he didn’t want to make a bad impression. Her son was on time every day and saw how other workers’ absences impacted him and everyone else in the company. He saw first-hand how Mr. Szakal’s words had been true.

This school year at A.L. Brown, her son has been to school nearly every day, and mom says she never has to argue with her son for him to be at school on time. He has made the A/B honor roll every quarter and earned a 94 in science! She even got calls from one of his teachers saying her son had requested extra work in order to keep up his grades. The mom says it all goes back to Mr. Szakal and the incredible impact he had on her son.

This is the kind of extraordinary influence that makes teaching special and makes teachers such treasures. We’re proud that Coach Szakal is part of our KCS family, and we’re delighted that Hilbish Ford is honoring his excellence with the Hilbish Ford Teacher of the Month Award. Congratulations!

Click here to see how you can nominate an outstanding teacher at KCS!

Ms. Anna Duplisea earns Hilbish Teacher of the Month Award for KCS

Congratulations to the Teacher of the Month for Kannapolis City Schools, Anna Duplisea! 

Each month, Hilbish Ford partners with Kannapolis City Schools by sponsoring the Teacher of the Month Awards program. Our dealership gives a selected teacher a cash prize of $300 to say "THANK YOU!" for inspiring and making an impact on the lives of our students.

Kannapolis City Schools describes Ms. Duplisea's impact on her students: 

Anna Duplisea teaches kindergarten at Shady Brook Elementary, and she’s the kind of teacher that all parents dream of having as their child’s first teacher. Ms. Duplisea is inspiring, loving, talented, and kind. The parent that nominated her described it perfectly. She said, “Ms. D, as she is affectionately known, is so incredible to all of her students. The patience and love she shows them shines so brightly to anyone lucky enough to witness it. My daughter is in her class, and Ms. D has made the transition to “big girl school” so effortless and comforting. My daughter has learned so much from her and truly adores her. She cried over Christmas break because she missed Ms. D.” The parent ended her nomination by saying, “Ms. Duplisea is so deserving of this award and so much more!!!!”

We love having “Ms. D” as part of our KCS family. She makes us all extremely proud, and we’re delighted that Hilbish Ford is honoring her excellence with the Hilbish Ford Teacher of the Month Award. Congratulations!

Click here to nominate an outstanding KCS teacher for this award.

Angela Mullinax Receives Hilbish Teacher of the Month Award for February 2018

Congratulations to Angela Mullinax for being awarded the Hilbish Teacher of the Month Award for February!

Angela Mullinax is an outstanding first grade teacher at Fred L. Wilson Elementary. She’s the kind of teacher that we all want for our children. She’s inspiring, loving, talented, and kind. The parent that nominated Ms. Mullinax said, “Mrs. Mullinax is a fabulous teacher! She has an exciting way of teaching children and getting them involved. My daughter comes home daily singing little rhymes that she's learned, or telling me how excited she is about something new they are learning. Mrs. Mullinax always has a smile on her face and has such an upbeat personality. There’s no wonder all the kids just love her!”

"It’s also why we love having Angela as part of our KCS family," Kannapolis City Schools added, "She makes us all extremely proud, and we’re delighted that Tim Vaughn of Hilbish that Tim Vaughn of Hilbish Ford has honored her with the Hilbish Ford Teacher of the Month Award. Congratulations!"

Click here to read the original announcement by Kannapolis City Schools.

Jackie Clark Honored as Hilbish Teacher of the Month

Congratulations to Jackie Clark for being the Hilbish Teacher of the Month for January!

Jackie Clark is an outstanding sixth grade teacher at Kannapolis Middle School. The parent that nominated Ms.Clark called her a wonderful teacher who is patient, caring, and encouraging to all of her students. The parent talked about her son who was extremely anxious about transitioning to middle school. She said that, thanks to Ms. Clark, her son comes home with a smile on his face every day and is excited to talk about what he has learned at school. She said, “He tells me often how he is glad to be in Mrs. Clark's class and how she is one of the best teachers he has ever had! Mrs. Clark is a positive role model and a great representation of the fantastic teachers of KCS!”

"We're delighted that she is part of our KCS family," stated Kannapolis City Schools, "and we are pleased that Tim Vaughn of Hilbish Ford has honored her with the Hilbish Ford Teacher of the Month Award. Congratulations!" 

Click here to read the original announcement from Kannapolis City Schools.

Angela Gillespie is December's Hilbish Ford Outstanding Teacher

"Angela Gillespie is an amazing 4th grade teacher at Jackson Park Elementary! Her students excel academically but her excellence and caring go far beyond the classroom. The parent that nominated her explained how Mrs. Gillespie visited their home as a way of connecting with the student and the family. However, what made the visit even more special is that Mrs. Gillespie came just days after experiencing the loss of someone within her own family. The parent said the visit was not planned or requested. Mrs. Gillespie simply did it because she cares that much about her students and wants to make genuine connections with families. The parent went on to describe being in Mrs. Gillespie’s classroom. She said she could feel the love that exists between Mrs. Gillespie and her students. She said she heard one student comment that Mrs. Gillespie was a big part his life and said he hoped he would grow up to make her proud one day. The parent calls Mrs. Gillespie an extraordinary teacher who gives part of herself to her students and will do whatever it takes to help them succeed.

Angela Gillespie makes all of us in Kannapolis City Schools very proud. We’re delighted that she is part of our KCS family, and we are pleased that Hilbish Ford is honoring her with the Hilbish Ford Teacher of the Month Award. Congratulations!"

Original article by Kannapolis City Schools

Tiffany Fulton named Hilbish Ford Teacher of the Month

Congratulations to the Hilbish Ford Teacher of the Month for Kannapolis City Schools, Tiffany Fulton!

"Tiffany Fulton is a very special and highly talented English teacher at A.L. Brown High School. Six different students nominated her for this award. They talked about her outstanding teaching, but they also talked about what a wonderful person she is. One student said, “She's a ray of sunshine even when I'm not feeling my best. She is so kind and energetic that she makes me WANT to learn—because I want to make her proud.” Another student praised Mrs. Fulton for always having a smile on her face and being optimistic. That student said Mrs. Fulton helped her come out of her comfort zone which made her a better person and less anxious when she had to share in front of a group. All the students said Mrs. Fulton made learning fun and made them want to come to school each day. One seemed to sum it up for all of them when she said, “I love her energy and cheerfulness, which never gets old. She's awesome, and I love her.”

Tiffany Fulton makes all of us in Kannapolis City Schools very proud. We’re delighted that she is part of our KCS family, and we are pleased that Hilbish Ford is honoring her excellence with the Hilbish Ford Teacher of the Month Award. Congratulations!"

Click here to view original article by Kannapolis City Schools.