Brittany Banks of G.W. Carver Elementary Earns Hilbish Teacher Award

Congratulations to Brittany Banks for earning the Hilbish Ford Teacher of the Month Award for November 2018!

Kannapolis City Schools shared: "Brittany Banks is an amazing kindergarten teacher at G.W. Carver Elementary School. She is a master educator whose talent truly stands out. In 2016, Ms. Banks was named Kannapolis City Schools’ Teacher of the Year when she was part of the Shady Brook staff. Now, she has moved to G.W. Carver, where a new set of parents can experience her excellence and passion for teaching.

Ms. Banks is the first teacher from G.W. Carver to win the Hilbish Ford Teacher of the Month Award. The parent who nominated Ms. Banks complimented her enthusiasm, sensitivity to students’ needs, and her warmness towards the children in her classroom. The mom said, “Ms. Banks has made my daughter’s first year incredible, and my daughter loves to go to school every day!”

Having that kind of impact on children and building such a deep love of learning is why Brittany Banks is such a special teacher. We’re extremely proud that Brittany is part of our KCS family, and we’re delighted that Tim Vaughn of Hilbish Ford has honored her excellence with the Outstanding Teacher of the Month Award for November. Congratulations!"

Click here to nominate an outstanding KCS teacher for the Hilbish Ford Teacher of the Month Award.

Jill Trexler Earns Hilbish Teacher of the Month Award for KCS

Congrulations to Jill Trexler for earning the October Hilbish Ford Teacher of the Month Award for
Kannapolis City Schools! 

"Jill Trexler is an amazing first grade teacher at Shady Brook Elementary. She is among a select group of Hilbish Award winners who received multiple nominations from parents. All the nominations glowed with praise for Ms. Trexler’s caring, dedication, positive attitude, and the way she inspires children.

One parent called Ms. Trexler “a shining light to all her students.” The parent said, “Ms. Trexler is patient and loving and treats my son like her own. She has made first grade an amazing year, and we are beyond grateful for her dedication and passion.” Another parent said that Ms. Trexler made her daughter, who was new to the school, feel extremely welcome. She also praised Ms. Trexler for being so responsive to questions. Yet another parent had two children who both had Ms. Trexler. Her nomination said, “Ms. Trexler always has a smile and makes the students feel loved and appreciated. Everyone I talk with always has something good to say about her. The compliments I hear about Ms. Trexler are awesome. She is truly an inspiration and a remarkable teacher.”

This is the kind of dedication, caring, and influence that makes public education special. We’re proud that Jill Trexler is part of our KCS family, and we’re delighted that Hilbish Ford has honored her excellence with the Outstanding Teacher Award for October. Congratulations!"

Click here to nominate the next Teacher of the Month for KCS. 

Read the original message from KCS here. 

Hilbish Ford Presents the First KCS Teacher of the Month Award for the 2018-19 School Year

Congratulations to Milton Matheny for receiving the Hilbish Ford Teacher of the Month Award for Kannapolis City Schools!

KCS shared, "Milton Matheny is an outstanding teacher and coach at Kannapolis Middle School. He is also an A.L. Brown graduate and a wonderful part of KCS. Mr. Matheny’s amazing influence can be felt not only at KMS but also in the community. The parent that nominated Mr. Matheny called him a great role model and an inspiration to his students. The parent said Mr. Matheny always has a positive attitude and encourages his students to persevere—even when the material is challenging. She also said Mr. Matheny inspires his students outside of the classroom. Her son is on the KMS Cross Country Team, which Mr. Matheny coaches. She said Mr. Matheny has motivated her son to become a better student and a better runner. Even more importantly, she said, he has given her son the motivation to become a better person.

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

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

Kelly Woodard Wins Hilbish Teacher of the Month Award

Congratulations to the Hilbish Teacher of the Month for Kannapolis City Schools, Kelly Woodard! 

Kannapolis City Schools shared this message:

Kelly Woodard is a phenomenal second grade teacher at Jackson Park Elementary School. She’s the kind of teacher that children remember for a lifetime. The parent that nominated Ms. Woodard gave her glowing praise.

“Mrs. Woodard is one of those people who was absolutely born to teach. She has surpassed any and all expectations I had this year for my child's teacher. She makes the conscious effort to keep learning fun and to allow the students in her class to use their imagination and be creative as much as possible. She takes the time to find out what works for each student and to facilitate an environment that makes this possible. I'm sure she spends countless hours outside of school planning for her kids and coming up with the best ways to get each child to reach their potential. She is always there to answer any questions I might have and makes herself available for anything needed. Her warm smile and positive personality make her so approachable and enjoyable to be around. Her love for teaching shows in the way that she talks to her students and in the way that they know they can reach out to her if they need anything. She truly knows her students and nurtures them as well as teaches them. Thanks to Mrs. Woodard I know that my child is being cared for in every way possible when she is at school, and as a parent this means the world to me. Teachers like Mrs. Woodard deserve to be recognized for the countless efforts they put in every day to give their students the very best, and the very best is what she gives!”

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

Click here to nominate an outstanding KCS teacher for the Hilbish Teacher of the Month Award.

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.