Evergreen Academy announced that first grade teacher Whitney Ball has been named Elementary Teacher of the Year by Evergreen Academy’s parent organization, Nobel Learning Communities, Inc. (NLCI). Ball was nominated for the national award by parents, the school’s principal and fellow teachers. The award was formally presented at NLCI’s national principal conference, which was recently held in Las Vegas.

“It is an honor to be named Teacher of the Year,” said Ball, who has been teaching at Evergreen Academy for 12 years. “I take great pride in watching my students learn and grow throughout the year.”

Ball was recognized for being a teacher who provides quality education and goes above and beyond in all her duties. She has been teaching at Evergreen Academy since 2001 and, as the lead literacy teacher, she carefully tailors activities to ensure each child can be successful and provides extra attention when needed.

“We are extremely privileged to have Whitney at Evergreen Academy and are very proud that she won the Teacher of the Year Award,” Evergreen Academy principal Theresa Chase said. “Whitney is 110 percent dedicated to everything she does, whether it’s learning new teaching techniques and sharing them with our staff, communicating openly with parents about the educational process or creating lesson plans that cater to each child’s needs. She is loved by her students, their parents and her fellow teachers.”

NLCI’s Teacher of the Year program recognizes teachers who stand out by demonstrating a strong commitment to inspire, motivate and educate students and staff. Along with the title Elementary Teacher of the Year, Ball received a cash award, a round-trip airline ticket to anywhere in the U.S. and an all-expense-paid trip to the national conference in Las Vegas. She also received a new Kindle and Wii gaming system.

“I have always strived to create developmentally appropriate lesson plans for each student so they get the most out of their learning experience while under my direction,” Ball said. “My goal is for each child to leave my classroom confident, excited about learning and having reached their next level of understanding.”

Evergreen Academy is located at 16017 118th Place NE in Bothell and can be contacted at 425-488-8000. The school offers kindergarten through sixth grade.