Pictured are the 10 winners of Wal-Mart?Teacher Rewards Program gift certificates. Back row, from left, are Allen?Thomas, Kim Larson,?Kirsten Parra, Jim Cama and Katie Russo. Front row, from left, are Melissa Yost, Connie Foster, Ring Elementary School principal; Brandi Meacham, Kathy McMurray, Wal-Mart training coordinator; Kim Richir and Patrick Kutschke. P-J?photo by Andrew Carr

The first day for teachers at C.C. Ring Elementary School brought a surprise by two Wal-Mart employees. Betty Henson, customer service, and Kathy McMurray, training coordinator, presented the school with ten $100 gift certificates to Wal-Mart. The gift certificates are provided through the Teacher Rewards Program. “We do this to offset the cost of teachers,” McMurray said. “These can be used for school supplies and nutritional snacks for the children. It is a way of saying thank you for being a teacher.” Ring was chosen by a voting process with the store associates in the second year of the program, she said. “We try to pick a school that is in need,” she said. Once a school was picked, the certificates were then presented to the 10 randomly drawn teachers. According to the program’s website, on average, teachers spend more than $500 a year out of their own pockets for classroom supplies.