Clayton News Daily

Ten Teachers at Riverdale Middle School had a reason to smile Wednesday afternoon, after Riverdale Walmart employees presented them with $100 gift cards.

The cards are a part of Walmart’s “Teacher Reward Program,” in which local kindergarten-through-eighth-grade public schools –– in a store’s market area –– are selected for the gift cards that allow teachers to purchase essential items and supplies for their classrooms.

Tiffany George, a human resource coordinator for Walmart, said Riverdale Middle got the honor this year. “The school happens to be right across the street from the store, so we contacted the principal,” said George.

During the presentation Wednesday afternoon, in the school’s media center, Walmart employees raffled off the gift cards, and the following teachers were selected: Shirley Williams-Moss, Dekea Pillar, Natasha Hughes, Linda Owens, Alexis Austin, Julie Perry, Dora Morgan-Grant, Felecia Rowe, Minolar Christopher, and Jeffery Hanahan.

In addition to the gifts cards, Walmart also donated school supplies for all the teachers at the school.

Shirley Williams-Moss, an eigth-grade Language Arts teacher at the school, said she will use the money to buy supplies needed to help her students prepare for the writing assessment test.

“[My students] need pens, paper –– anything that will be conducive for them to improve their writing skills,” she said.