Prince William County Schools celebrated their outstanding educators last Tuesday, May 25th. 

The award ceremony took place at Garfield High School from 6 p.m – 8 p.m, providing an opportunity to celebrate superior educators. The awards highlighted were Teacher and Principal of the Year, Mentor and Lead Mentor of the Year, New Teacher of the Year, and those that were nationally certified. Invited guests had the chance to honor selected teachers, sample prepared hors d’oeuvres, enjoy student musical performances, and admire elegant decorations. Featured speakers and special guests included Chairman Lateef, Superintendent McDade, and other members of the school board and Virginia delegates, praising the county’s nominees and reflecting on their hard work. 

Each year, the Prince William community has the opportunity to nominate teachers and principals to receive recognition at this awards ceremony. The applications for these nominees take several months to review, each application scored by a committee and processed to determine the finalists and ultimately the winner in each category. This year there were 15 teacher finalists and 4 principal finalists, with a number of nationally certified recipients. 

The event began with an early dinner hosted in the main hallway, guests enjoying finger foods crafted by students from Potomac High School’s culinary class. A wide selection of breads, cheeses, kabobs, and desserts were served while orchestra students from Osborne High School played classical music to lighten the atmosphere. Guests were then ushered into the auditorium for the ceremony to begin, enjoying a number of speeches and student performances in between announcements for winners. Kelly Pratte from Belmont Elementary School and Shannon Fletcher from Coles Elementary School were awarded Lead Mentor and Mentor of the Year respectively, while Todd Robbins from Osborne High School was highlighted as Teacher of the Year and Rhonda Jeck from Bristow Run Elementary School received Principal of the Year. 

“When you’ve been in the county for 16 years, the leadership opportunities I’ve been given by so many wonderful administrators makes a huge difference in the development of an educator,” Todd Robbins remarked during his acceptance speech. “It’s one of the reasons I am standing here today.”

The hard work of all of Prince William’s educators did not go unnoticed, each recipient honoring their colleagues and congratulating their achievements from the podium. 

“Prince William County has so many amazing and talented principals,” Rhonda Jeck stated during her speech. “I am truly humbled.”

Dr. McDade recognized each recipient and their success, reflecting on the ceremony. 

“This evening was absolutely magical,” she stated. “After a challenging year, what a way to end this school year–celebrating our outstanding educators. I’m so happy to be a part of the PWCS family.”

This event gave teachers the chance to celebrate their accomplishments, recognizing their peers and the impact they had on Prince William students. The evening was a wonderful experience that allowed the community to honor those that serve their children, and it set a precedent for future events. 

This story was published for Prince William Living Magazine.