BELTON, TX — All week 25 News has been showing our appreciation for teachers by surprising the winners of our Teacher Appreciation Contest with a $500 prize.
Thursday’s winner is a first-year teacher in Belton, and she is a great example of how important educators are to the kids they teach.
Rosangelica Reyes is a kindergarten teacher at southwest elementary school but that’s not all, her class is bilingual and those are the students that inspired her to become a teacher.
”They’re the reason I chose to be a teacher. I wanted to help kids become better people and better bilingual students and know that they should be proud of who they are. That they are able to speak two languages and that they are special” said Rosangelica Reyes, Bilingual Kindergarten Teacher, Southwest Elementary in Belton.
This is her first year teaching, so she never expected to win 25 News’ Teacher Appreciation Contest.
”I was honestly shocked. I didn’t know what to say. I'm so surprised that I, out of all these teachers that are great and deserving, that I was chosen.“ said Reyes.
Her Principal on the other hand, was not surprised at all. Even though this is her first year teaching, Principal Dawn Schiller sad she is a natural.
”I watch her shape students and watcher her pour love and knowledge into those students every day. Day in and day out, the joy and love of learning is exemplified in her classroom, and she brings that out” said Schiller.
Reyes plans to spend the money she won on more bilingual books for the kids. She said winning the $500 is a blessing because bilingual books are more expensive than the traditional English version if the same book.
”Growing up I didn’t have books. I didn’t know there were bilingual books available for them and the fact that I have money to be able to go out and choose books that are going to be able to be used for years to come is amazing.” said Reyes.
The joy miss Reyes gets from teacher is only matched by the joy her students get from being in her class.
