A teacher for Williamsburg-James City Schools is one of four winners in the state-wide “Thank a Teacher” campaign sponsored by the Virginia Lottery.
Amy M. Hertzler, a German teacher at Berkeley Middle School, won a $2,500 Virginia-themed vacation — either a winery and brewery vacation or a health and wellness vacation — along with a gift card for either luggage or technology. Her school will receive $2,500 in supplies.
During Teacher Appreciation Week in May this year, thousands of Virginia educators received thank you notes from their students. With each thank you, teachers could enter for a chance to be a grand prize winner. The winners’ names were drawn from nearly 7,000 entries.
Hertzler said getting thank you notes “reminds me why I am teaching.”
“When students write to me, thanking me, it is incredibly kind and makes me very happy,” she said . “Often the notes make me tear up; they are so sweet.”
The German teacher explained she tries “to make learning German fun and the students do say that they enjoy it. German has a reputation of being difficult, but the students do say that they enjoy it … I’m really excited that Berkeley Middle will get extra money for supplies” thanks to her selection.
All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 public education in Virginia. In fiscal year 2022, the lottery raised more than $779 million in profits, which made up about 10% of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget, a news release said.
The teacher campaign, also co-sponsored by The Supply Room, IGT and NeoPollard Interactive, has recognized 14 educators across the state in the past seven years. Hertzler was recognized June 7.
Panagiotis Tsigaridas, Berkeley’s principal, called Hertzler “a gem and a prime example of a top-notch teacher.”
She is “a valuable asset to Berkeley Middle and WJCC Schools, and she is a wonderful human being,” Tsigaridas said. “She is building an inclusive German program, and she is preparing students for the high school level.”
Wilford Kale, [email protected]
