Archive: Around Town

Valentine’s Day is a little sweeter for kindergarten teacher Carol Engels of R.C. Buckley Elementary in Lansing, N.Y. Engels was selected as the winner of the 2014 Winter Recess Prize, an annual drawing that promotes Ithaca’s Winter Recess Festival and rewards one teacher and school with $700 in office supply gift cards. Engels gets $300 for her classroom, her school shares the rest.

The 8th annual Winter Recess 'Teachers Week' runs Feb. 14-23, at locations across Ithaca and Tompkins County. The festival was created as a “thank you” to teachers across the state. More than 5,000 educators and families are expected to attend. The event includes free or deeply discounted shopping, dining and recreation, along with social events, contests, family fun and county-wide recognition for teachers and school district employees.


“We all owe a debt of gratitude to teachers for their hard work and dedication,” said Bruce Stoff, Ithaca/Tompkins County Convention and Visitors Bureau event coordinator. “We host this contest annually to give a little something back to teachers who reach into their own pockets for their much-needed supplies and materials.”

More than 1,000 educators entered the contest, representing hundreds of schools statewide. This is the first time a winner came from Tompkins County.

“Carol is a wonderful, well-loved kindergarten teacher and I am excited that she and R.C. Buckley won the drawing,” said Christine Rebera, principal of the R.C. Buckley School. “In Lansing, we take pride in our teachers and our schools so we are both excited to use this prize to help us do what we do best--teach kids!"

Winter Recess celebrates pre-k to 12 teachers and school district employees.

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