And now, a special presentation from the Heart of Education Awards.

♪♪♪ Hi.

It's Myron Martin from the Smith Center, and boy, do I miss seeing you.

I miss the singers and the dancers and the actors, but mostly I miss seeing our friends and neighbors that call this the living room for Las Vegas.

I miss our team that make this one of the great venues in the world, and of course I miss our Heart of Education Awards where we honor the best teachers in Clark County.

So this year we are pleased to bring the Heart of Education to your living room, thanks to Vegas PBS.

Our good friend Eric Bergen from Madam Secretary joins us again this year as we celebrate the Heart of Education Awards.

♪♪♪ Five years ago, thanks to support from the Rogers Foundation, the Smith Center created the Heart of Education Awards as a way to recognize teachers who go above and beyond.

Since then tens of thousands of teachers have been nominated.

They have attended a red carpet event at the Smith Center designed to honor them.

They walk the red carpet, receive a swag bag full of gifts from local businesses and are treated to a show produced just for them.

One hundred extraordinary educators have been surprised, called to the stage and presented a Heart of Education Award along with a big check.

So far more than half a million dollars have been awarded directly to teachers who go above and beyond.

(applause) ♪♪♪ Then in 2020, everything came to a stop.

♪♪♪ School was cancelled.

♪♪♪ Las Vegas was shut down.

Everyone was asked to stay home.

Everything we took for granted was now gone.

♪♪♪ We were told to stay six feet apart, to wear masks and avoid all unnecessary public activity.

No sports, no performing arts, no restaurants.

♪♪♪ Then the CDC and government officials said that we need to find a way to get kids back to school-- ♪♪♪ but from home.

♪♪♪ Every teacher was asked to go above and beyond.

Every teacher was asked to find ways to successfully engage students via the internet.

Every teacher was charged with rethinking their lesson plans, their delivery methods and their very ways of teaching.

They upgraded their internet service, they purchased new computer equipment, and they worked.

They worked day and night to prepare.

Our students were challenged too.

They needed internet connection.

They needed laptops.

They needed a place at home where they could focus on digital classrooms.

For some this was not a problem, but for others without these important communication devices, it was hard.

The community came together.

Some neighborhoods without internet connections, they soon got them.

And others found ways to connect to the internet via mobile wi-fi networks.

Our community leaders contributed thousands of Chromebooks to make sure that every student had the opportunity to learn.

♪♪♪ Las Vegas proved that this is a city of love, a community that helps each other, a region of caring people.

And somehow, Las Vegas got through the worst of the pandemic thanks in large part to our educators.

Every teacher went above and beyond.

So this program salutes all Clark County teachers.

Thank you.

Thank you for putting your heart in education.

Hi.

I'm Susan Anton.

Those images are pretty stunning, aren't they?

I know.

I'll never forget them.

Our good friend Eric Bergen had hoped to be with us tonight as we celebrate the Heart of Education Awards.

It's something he looks forward to every year.

But one thing we've learned this last year is that things don't always go the way that we had planned, and we have to make last-minute adjustments.

But Eric is well, he's in New York City, and he sends his love and congratulations to you all.

He promises he'll be here next year to celebrate the Heart of Education Awards.

Las Vegas is very dear to me, first as an entertainer back in the 1970s when I started, and then for the past 25 years as a very proud resident.

I have seen our city go through some of its most incredible times and some of our greatest heartbreaks that have just torn us and tested us to bits.

But I've never seen our Las Vegas Strip at an absolute standstill.

All of our attractions shut down, all of our ways of life, our very economy at a standstill, and no one was tested more than our educators.

They were required to go above and beyond and to find a way to keep our children interested and inspired and on the path of one of the most important journeys that a child will ever have-- their education.

Teachers are very special to me.

I have three in my own family: My brother Todd, his wife Sue, and their daughter, Jamie.

I know personally the sacrifices all of our educators make.

Their hours, they don't stop when that school bell rings at the end of the day.

They go home, they prepare, and many times this last year, I know you've had to help parents learn how to be teachers.

You also dig into your pockets financially again and again to make sure that every student has every tool they need to be their very best.

So tonight we celebrate the Heart of Education Awards right here on Vegas PBS.

People bring different experiences and backgrounds into their teaching careers.

This teacher was born into poverty by a loving mother in Nicaragua, so he brings a special place in his heart for students who may be enduring similar circumstances.

He moved to America, learned to speak English and became the first person in his family to go to college.

While this outstanding educator says that his story is a simple and humble one, his impact is deep and rich.

(cheers and applause) (Laura Willis) Mr. Castellanos has gone above and beyond in every aspect of the school, whether it's in the classroom, teaching Spanish I and careers, volunteering to take extra classes to meet our needs for our students or extracurricular activities.

We always can count on Mr. Castellanos to "I'll do it, I'll take care of it, "I got the kids.

No worries."

He definitely builds relationships with kids and that's what comes first before teaching them, and really in this pandemic he's really shined.

♪♪♪ A five-time nominee for the Heart of Education Award, this teacher is known for going above and beyond for her students.

During COVID this teacher renewed her "giving closet" at the school for the many families who had lost their jobs, filling the shelves with toiletries, clothing, laundry supplies and other non-perishables.

When school reopens, the school garden will be expanded and beautiful at Schorr Elementary thanks to the $25,000 that she raised.

-Oh my gosh.

This is-- (cheers and applause) Congratulations!

-Yay!

That's so exciting!

Oh my gosh, thank you so much.

(Jacqueline Brown) Ms. Nigro is so deserving of this award.

Her classroom is one of my favorite ones to visit because before the circumstances we're in now, she did stations with her children, so it was so nice to see kindergarteners running their own learning and being responsible for that and working with partners.

And also, she just does so much around the school.

She's responsible for our garden, and that garden has been a great growth for our children with their science and their health curriculum, and they love being out there.

So it's been fun.

(applause) Oh, my gosh.

Are you guys excited?

This means Ms. Nigro can do something special for you guys.

♪♪♪ Imagine trying to reach out to 850 students during the pandemic.

This teacher does just that and knows all of her students' names.

She created handmade sketchbooks for every student at the beginning of the year and believes that she has become a better educator during these difficult times.

She is part of the leadership team and is proud to work with Disney Musicals in Schools.

One parent said that she is clearly her child's favorite teacher ever.

You are one of our winners this year for Heart of Education.

-Oh my gosh.

Thank you.

(Sarah Popek) Ms. Diaz is a Heart of Education winner because of her commitment to our Tate Tigers at Myrtle Tate Elementary School.

Since beginning in Clark County in 2015, she's been not only our art teacher but a key lead in our after-school program, serving thousands of children each and every year.

(Christiana Diaz) As I said, I'm completely in shock.

This is probably the last thing I expected of this year, let alone in all of my years teaching.

So I just feel so honored.

♪♪♪ A Heart of Education finalist for five years, this teacher has learned to never give up.

She introduces students to world languages and teaches Chinese.

Students say that this is their favorite class, and one said that she has given me the motivation to learn and practice the language outside the classroom and keep learning for the rest of my life.

♪♪♪ Congratulations!

(cheers and applause) (Kerry Larnerd) Ms. Hunt is so unique.

She's a teacher that when the COVID hit, we have some families in our community who needed translation.

She stepped up so quickly and was absolutely available to help translate and make sure that our families have what they need.

She understands this Clark community goes beyond just what happens in the classroom, so we're very grateful she's on our campus.

(Xiaowei Hunt) All my life is an education, so I think Heart of Education is just exactly where my heart is.

♪♪♪ Reaching elementary special education students during the pandemic created a special opportunity for this teacher.

She wrote grants to fund supplies, studied children's television programs, collaborated with her team to develop more than 200 interactive slides per week and created puppet shows, skits and videos.

The result?

Nearly perfect daily attendance.

Because she's always looking out for her students, she plans to use her Heart of Education school money to start a free clothing closet for students.

(cheers and applause) (Dorothy Eisenberg) It's amazing, and I am so thankful that someone could be honored in this way.

She's just a wonderful teacher, and I adore all the teachers that we have in this school.

They deserve a lot of credit.

(Rachel Solem) Ms. McNair is such an amazing teacher because she goes above and beyond for all of her students, all her families, and really for the whole school.

She applies for grants that help all the students here at Eisenberg.

She works closely with her parents and her SBTAs to make sure that they're always doing 100% for her students.

(Brenda McNair) It definitely has been a hard year this year, and I couldn't have done it without my two SBTAs who were there by my side through the whole entire pandemic helping prep, everything that needed to get done.

It's such a big honor for everybody and the whole team, everyone, so I'm just very grateful.

Thank you.

♪♪♪ Each of these teachers bring something special to their work.

Congratulations to all of you.

I mean, one is teaching 800 students in their classroom?

That's incredible.

The Student Success Program, I love that.

And Chinese?

I mean, really?

Chinese?

I mean, I could barely say donde esta, me yama Susanna when I was in Spanish in high school, so Chinese is way beyond my skill level.

I love the people of Las Vegas.

They come here from everywhere, people with all kinds of skill and talent and ability and heart, and they care.

They care about our schools.

And many of them donated their time, their weekends, their evenings, to read our hundreds of applications and nominations to judge this year's deserving teachers.

So that's what this is all about.

This is a community endeavor.

This is not funded by the school district.

The Heart of Education is our way of saying thank you to the teachers that we entrust our kids to.

So speaking of teachers, let's look at our next five winners.

After a year of questioning whether he was still making a difference in the lives of his students, this teacher got an email from the Heart of Education saying that he had been nominated by a student.

As he read the email, he started to cry and knew that he was doing the right thing.

Years earlier, one of his students whom he mentored was killed by gang violence.

He used the memory of this student to redouble his efforts to reach students in need.

He's mentored many, raised money for hospital bills, fulfilled countless Christmas wishes, and even helped parents pay their rent.

He says that my students are my inspiration.

(cheers and applause) (Isaac Stein) Mr. Lawson is clearly someone that earned the Heart of Education Award because of his commitment to students.

He is a kid-friendly, student-first type person, and every day everything he does, from mentoring to working with students in class, making sure his lesson planning is unique, is all about making sure our students get what's best.

(Jeremy Lawson) This is a big moment in my life, so thank you very much; I appreciate it.

♪♪♪ Teachers go where they are needed most, and this teacher has taught at five different schools over the last 15 years.

She's happy to call Shelley Berkley Elementary her home.

Her principal said she is the heart of the school, and this year she found ways to help students and teachers with digital tools to ensure student success.

She says I love helping my colleagues, I love my job, but mostly I love putting kids first.

(cheers and applause) Thank you so much.

It is an honor.

I'm speechless.

Thank you so much.

(Diane Lewis) Ms. Alsterlind is so deserving of this award.

Not only is she an amazing teacher in the classroom, ensuring students meet their standards, excel in every aspect, but outside of the classroom, she's so devoted to Shelley Berkley Elementary School.

She participates by volunteering in Girls on the Run where she gets students, girls, to build on self-esteem and they eventually do a 5K.

She runs our student council.

She runs our after-school book club.

She is just the most deserving, and she does it out of the goodness of her heart.

(Sarah Alsterlind) It's just nice to get recognized for something that you love doing, so thank you so much, all of you.

♪♪♪ Most teachers don't look for recognition.

They avoid the spotlight.

They focus on their students.

This board-certified teacher believes that we need to focus on optimism in our work as educators and parents and that our kids deserve mentors who are excited to work with them.

He often challenges the school staff to quote, make some student's day and unleash the power of the faculty's hearts in building up as many kids as possible on a random day.

(cheers and applause) That's so cool!

Thank you so much!

Right on!

Oh, boy, I've always wanted a big novelty check.

(Scott Walker) Mr. Huston is really a special, unique teacher on this campus.

He's got a positive energy that attracts the kids to him.

He's very funny.

Anything Star Wars related, he can make a lesson out of it.

But what's really amazing about him is he's got some background in counseling, and during the last couple of years when mindfulness has been such a needed thing, he's taken the time to outreach to the staff and provide mindfulness lessons and support and counseling.

So even though he comes across as a funny, always laughing kind of guy, he's got a huge heart.

♪♪♪ A colleague of this teacher said she's been teaching for 20-plus years, and distance education was not going to stop her.

Thank you for all you do for the students and the staff.

We are lucky to have you.

A parent said she has restored my faith in CCSD and we are forever thankful.

She's an advisor for the honor society and the JV quiz team and gives 100% every day.

Surprise!

-Oh, my gosh!

(cheers and applause) (Derek Fialkiewicz) Ms. Mecham is so deserving of this award because she has taken the crazy times that we've had this year, every single day made a connection with every single student, made sure that they were still on task.

This year she has gone above and beyond to make sure that the students at home feel as though they're sitting in her classroom every single day.

(Christine Mecham) Everyone in this hallway, everyone in this school, everyone I've worked with in 28 years deserves this check.

-Yes.

-And I know you wish you could give it to every single person that deserves it.

♪♪♪ A parent said that this teacher not only helped kids but parents as well at a time when both were expected to make major adjustments.

She started by helping parents with tutorial videos and hosted evening sessions to answer parent questions.

Then she focused on the kids.

She created a daily dance party, theme days and wore costumes to keep her first graders interested and excited.

Her kids don't miss class, and they love their first grade teacher at Kesterson Elementary.

Your teacher won our award for best teacher.

Let's hear it for her!

(cheers and applause) ♪♪♪ (Kelly Wright) Ms. Zeiders is an incredible teacher, and I couldn't have picked a better teacher myself.

She builds the strongest relationships with her families, she loves kids, and it shows every day.

She's the first to volunteer for any technology-based anything, she wants to teach the other teachers how to do what she does, and I've heard nothing but great things from her families about distance learning this year.

It's just been amazing.

(Amy Zeiders) My heart is in it every day.

My heart has been in it for 24 years at least, and it gets bigger every year.

It doesn't get smaller.

♪♪♪ Hi.

I'm Keith Thompson.

I host the Composer Showcase at the Smith Center.

The song that you're about to hear is a song that was performed at the Showcase.

I wrote it for the closing of Jersey Boys, and this year I'm revamping the lyrics and dedicating it to the graduating class because there's so many things they missed this year: Their performances, their sports, their shows, all the events that are associated with a normal school year.

This is Molly Martin and Green Envy from Green Valley High School singing "This Was Our Season."

♪♪♪ ♪ This was our season, this was our time.

♪ ♪ We had the reason, no rhythm and rhyme.

♪ ♪ For all the songs we sing together, ♪ ♪ the music we'd share, ♪ ♪ this was our season, our season to care.

♪ ♪ This was our season, this was our term.

♪ ♪ Shadows to walk through and lessons to learn.

♪ ♪ And when the journey was beginning ♪ ♪ and our hopes were high, ♪ ♪ this was season, our season to fly.

♪ ♪♪♪ ♪ And one day when we reflect ♪ ♪ with all our wonder and respect ♪ ♪ as we recall the sadness and the fear, ♪ ♪ will the things that we regret ♪ ♪ be the prom we didn't get, ♪ ♪ the gates, the shows, the dance?

♪ ♪ We didn't have the chance ♪ ♪ and didn't play the songs ♪ ♪ we longed to hear.

♪ ♪ Can we recover the time we lost?

♪ ♪ This was our season, this was our time.

♪ ♪ We served all our courses, ♪ ♪ took classes online.

♪ ♪ Now we have a graduation ♪ ♪ and still we look for a sign ♪ ♪ that this was our season, ♪ ♪ and wasn't it fun?

♪ ♪♪♪ ♪ This was our season, our season to shine.

♪ ♪♪♪ Thank you, Keith.

What a perfect song for tonight's show.

And by the way everybody, I had the joy of working with Keith when we did the musical Hairspray.

Oh my gosh, so much fun, truly a highlight of my life.

And thank you, Molly Martin.

Girl, you knocked it out of the park.

Thank you for sharing your beautiful voice with us, honey, and congratulations on being accepted into the prestigious musical theater program at Syracuse this fall.

Wow!

I know mom and dad are busting their buttons.

We're all so proud of you.

We're proud of all of our students.

And thank you Green Valley High School and the Green Envy a cappella group.

Lovely, thank you for adding your voices.

You know, I hope next year all of our students can get back to school and do all of those things that make high school so memorable and fun.

Go to the prom, high school, you know, the homecoming dance and of course graduation.

When we think of all the graduates from 2020 and 2021, they'll always be known as those students that had to do it remotely, and somehow they just dug in and they found ways to take on their academics.

And in large part, they were able to do that because of the inspiration of their teachers who insisted on finding a way to keep these students inspired.

So this is the year of the teacher, and we had over 750 teachers that were in the finals for our Heart of Education Awards.

Every one of their names appeared in the Review-Journal, and they were acknowledged and greatly appreciated.

This is a year that we will never forget, and our teachers went above and beyond again and again.

I don't think any of us really understand what it takes to teach on a regular basis, let alone under these extraordinary circumstances.

So if you're anything like me, and if we were in a real theater in a real show together, at this point I think we would all be cheering and clapping our hands and saying thank you, thank you.

So come on, everybody.

Everybody at home, get up.

Come on, I would get up, but I have a microphone here so you get up.

Come on, I see you.

Thank you, teachers.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

And now let's celebrate our next group.

Since 1990 this teacher has helped Spanish-speaking parents and students with translating help whenever needed.

This led her to creating a nonprofit tutoring program called Free Tutoring for Kids.

Her love for the arts allowed her to create several before- and after-school programs.

Each morning they rehearse for choir and theatrical productions, and after school she teaches instrumental music lessons.

Congratulations to our next Heart of Education winner.

Oh, it's the Heart of Education-- oh, my goodness, I got it!

Oh, my goodness!

-You're one of the winners!

(cheers and applause) Thank you.

Oh, my goodness!

(Belinda Schauer) Dr. Anna Stein is so amazing.

She has been working in education for over 40 years.

I'm certain she has made a positive impact on thousands of children-- not just on children, but on our families.

She's an interpreter for our families here.

She's an amazing consummate professional.

She is versatile.

She will go into any type of classroom and make it the best that she can.

She's not just the heart of education, she's the heart of Marion Earl.

♪♪♪ Every teacher had challenges transitioning to remote learning.

This 17-year veteran couldn't sleep.

She lived at her computer during the day and on her phone at night, searching for ways to engage her students.

She created instructional videos for other teachers.

Her principal said a good teacher makes sure that they have a great classroom.

A great teacher makes sure that they have a great school.

This teacher is a great teacher.

Oh, my gosh, I can't believe it!

-Congratulations!

(Roger West) Ms. Hunt is just so incredibly deserving of this award.

She places so many people in front of her.

This year when we knew what our schedule was going to look like and the challenges of going full distance ed, full one-to-one, she just embraced it.

She had such a positive attitude.

Hours and hours she spent on the phone with teachers, on the phone with her kids, making sure that they adjusted and that they still had a great experience.

(Nicole Hunt) Thank you so much.

I truly appreciate it.

And I love everything about my job, I'm not going to lie.

I love the kids and I love my administration and I love what I do, and I can't wait to have them back fully in my classroom so that I can do what I love to be doing in here.

♪♪♪ Some teachers specialize in a particular grade level or subject area.

Others work with students throughout the school.

This teacher is known for making a difference in the lives of English language learners and their families.

During this year he provided countless hours of bilingual distance learning to help these families.

His principal said we could not succeed without him, and his non-English speaking parents who have his cell phone number know that he has increased student participation and ignited a love of learning.

Bring him up with an applause!

(cheers and applause) ♪♪♪ Who can count all the way to that?

(Jennifer Haynal) Mr. Aguirre is a Heart of Education winner because he's so dedicated to our school community.

Anything that's needed, he's right there.

He goes to homes, he knocks on doors.

He talks to parents about where's your child?

Let's get them into school.

What can we do, how can we help?

His different families have his phone number typed in.

They can text him.

He goes out to our bilingual households or only Spanish-speaking households to make those connections.

(Hernan Aguirre) It's really special when you work at a place where you want to come and be among kids and be among teachers who are my peers, and just thinking everything I learned from my dad about how to treat kids and try to treat families like they were your own.

He's not with us anymore, but he's still my heart.

(cheers and applause) ♪♪♪ One colleague said that our teachers would not have survived without the kindness, help, knowledge and technology understanding of this teacher.

Most importantly, she should be recognized for her commitment to our students.

She may be responsible for social studies at our school, but she is known for being a caring teacher, colleague and mentor.

At the end of the day this teacher says yes, this has been a very difficult year, but it has truly reassured me that being an educator is my calling.

(cheers and applause) A very large check.

(Gregory Misel) Ms.

Pate is an amazing teacher.

She started the year off with distance learning and helping the kids.

She set up Canvas tutorials for them to understand, and she then did it for parents.

Then she turned around and did all the professional development in our school for the teachers, and she just made it wonderful for all of us.

She made it so much easier and the transition less scary, all while keeping rigor and high-level instruction and believing in every kid.

All of that was still in place.

Just wonderful, and she truly deserves this award.

(Nicole Pate) I'm going to obviously continue to do everything I can to support not just our students but our teachers in any way I can.

It's been a real blessing this year to be able to make those connections with teachers around the whole school and see kind of the light bulbs in the teachers' eyes integrating technology in ways they've never done before.

♪♪♪ This teacher is charged with helping 18- to 22-year-old special young adults find employment.

She taught a unique lesson with her unique group of students this year focused on negative self-talk.

She asked each student to type out all the hurtful things that people have told them and then printed out each one of them.

The lesson culminated in the teacher taking the printed words to her backyard and burned them in a blazing fire pit while streaming live on video.

The students were excited and felt freed to know that these negative thoughts were gone.

They were burned and totally up in smoke.

Oh, my gosh.

♪♪♪ (cheers and applause) I'm so overwhelmed.

Thank you so much.

(Scott Walker) Ms. Barcelo is a joy to have at this campus.

She plays a very unique role in that she leads our PACE program, which is a program that allows special needs students who have already graduated to transition into the workplace.

She gives her heart and soul 24/7 to make this happen, creating opportunities with our local community to bring these kids into their businesses.

She even runs a cafe herself so these kids can come in and get hands-on work experience.

(Cassandra Barcelo) It's not just me that works this hard, it's all of us, you know, all of us teachers.

So I really appreciate just being recognized for the stuff I do.

I really appreciate it.

I would do it anyway.

♪♪♪ Hello.

My name is Juliana Urtubey, and I am the 2021 National Teacher of the Year.

I'm also so proud to be a 2018 recipient of the Heart of Education Award.

I want to send a special congratulations to all the 2021 Heart of Education recipients.

You are all transforming lives, and we are so grateful for the work you do to make education more joyous and just.

(Carolyn Goodman) Hi there.

I'm Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman.

Congratulations to all of the 2021 Heart of Education nominees.

-Howdy.

It's me, Matt King, and man, it has been a crazy year, but especially a crazy year for teachers.

Thank you so much for how you pulled through.

I love you.

(Dr. Jesus Jara) Thank you, thank you to the Rogers Foundation and the Smith Center for the work they're doing on behalf of our educators.

-Hey kids, remember to go to school and listen to your teachers.

-Hi, this is Riley Smith from the Vegas Golden Knights.

Thank you, teachers, for making a difference in the lives of our kids.

-Hey, it's Keegan Kolesar of the Golden Knights.

I'm sending my thanks to our great teachers.

(Beverly Rogers) If we can do something to reward them, to recognize them, to make them feel like they are the greatest things on Earth-- which they are-- how could we not do that?

-Hi.

It's Governor Steve Sisolak.

I want to send my congratulations to all of the 2021 Heart of Education nominees.

I also want to give a special shout-out to former Heart of Education winner Juliana Urtubey for being named National Teacher of the Year.

Congrats, Juliana, and thank you to all of our great teachers.

-Yay!

Nothing like a good shout-out, right?

I'll bet you each and every one of you at home have a teacher that you need to give a shout-out to, even if it was like, you know, 30 or 40 years ago.

All right.

I want to shout out to Coach Hayden.

I want to shout out to Mrs. Biddick in my penmanship class-- who does penmanship anymore?

And a special shout-out to teacher Mr. Satello, my art teacher, who made me feel, you know, let me know that art really did matter because I wasn't so good at math, I'll tell you that.

And how about our former Heart of Education winner just named Teacher of the Year?

Oh, my gosh, we're so proud of you.

Wow!

Dr. Jill Biden traveled all the way out here to Las Vegas to give her the news.

So we are really thrilled for our Teacher of the Year.

You know, teachers really do need to know how important they are.

I think so many times we forget, because they're just always there.

They're always there doing everything, and we can take them for granted.

I've had so many conversations with my brother Todd about that when all of this was going on.

He said just a little pat on the back every now and then would really be appreciated.

So that's why the Heart of Education Awards is so near and dear to my heart.

Our community gets that, and we let our teachers know how much we love them.

You know, they go beyond the classroom.

They help with food distribution.

They drove students, went to students' homes.

They delivered food and supplies and clothes, and sometimes even beds to some of our local families.

They set up online teaching portals like Zoom, and they created all this new teaching and somehow, it just all came together.

Because I think of one of my favorite lines in one of my favorite movies, Apollo 13: "Failure is not an option."

That's what the Heart of Education and our teachers, that's what they're about.

They were not going to let these kids fall down or fall through the cracks.

They did everything they had to do to make sure that this surreal year was going to be a success for everyone.

So we're thrilled to be here to honor all of you tonight, and I think it's important for us to get now to our last and final group of winners.

Here they are.

This Apple-distinguished educator and technology teacher was excited to see his students appear in a public service announcement for Apple, sharing the world that they would like to live in.

He says we as educators have to enter the classroom every day with the idea that one, if not all, of our students could change the world.

He's a role model who brings humor, creativity and empathy to his classrooms, who has been recognized on the front page of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

-Oh my gosh.

-Yay!

-That's an amazing honor.

Amazing.

Again, very humbling.

Very humbling.

(Christine Beaird) I could go on and on about Mr. Lang and his accomplishments in the field of education but to summarize, he's a visionary that always puts children first and makes sure that they are prepared for what's coming ahead in life.

(Mike Lang) You don't do your job to get recognized.

You do your job because you love kids.

You know, you love to watch kids grow and do their thing.

Any recognition is just icing on the cake.

But it's definitely-- it's very, very humbling to be recognized.

♪♪♪ Another educator said that this teacher is the backbone of their school and one of the most innovative math teachers in CCSD.

One student said if it wasn't for this teacher going out of his way and getting me the help I needed, I never would have graduated from high school.

He's a cancer survivor who credits his family, students and colleagues with helping him get through the difficult healing process.

Even during chemo treatment, he still found ways to motivate and inspire his students.

When someone is called to teach, nothing-- not even cancer-- can get in their way.

You've won a Heart of Education Award.

(cheers and applause) This is God to you, everybody.

This is God to you.

Okay, thank you so much.

(Tam Larnerd) Mr. Ramirez is just the embodiment of enthusiasm and passion and excitement.

Whenever I walk into his classroom, he always has the kids on the edges of their seat.

He's been able to do a number of home visits to talk kids into dropping back into school.

And being a gentleman who actually came to this country as a teenager and all that he's accomplished, this is just the perfect person that I can think of at Spring Valley.

After all the challenges he and his family have gone through in the last few years, and still that passion you see is still there even, you know, even when he was sick.

(Jose Ramirez) So I really want to say thank you, thank you so much.

It's just-- it's definitely an honor.

It's an honor just to be here with all of you and to able to share how much I love teaching.

♪♪♪ A student said that she leads her students to reach their dreams.

A colleague said that her excitement about science is contagious, and her students are not able to resist learning from her.

She raised money so her students can have hands-on models and strives to leave a lasting memory of their science experience.

She's making a difference by creating confident, scientifically literate members of society.

Thank you, thank you.

-Yay!

Well deserved.

(Ryan Cordia) Ms. Cooper deserves the Heart of Education Award because she believes in the kids, and they feel it.

She is a teacher at heart, a good person at heart, and we all see it and we all feel it and we're all better being around her.

What I really respect about Ms. Cooper is like Ms. Sanchez said, she pushes forward every day to be better at her job.

(Sarah Cooper) You know, it's like everybody says, we do it for the kids and for the kids to see the end, because I know for one of my nominations, it was a student.

And for them to see that I really do care about them, and it is about their education but more about them, it means a lot.

It really does.

I can't even begin to tell you how much this means to me.

♪♪♪ A student success advocate and member of the Lifeline at Jerome Mack Middle School, this teacher was tasked with devising a work plan for essential employees to support the student population during the pandemic.

Like many, they helped with internet connections and other distance learning needs, but this group and this teacher did more: Distributed donations of food, clothing, furniture and household items, including more than 50 beds and 256 pillows and blankets in order to meet the basic needs of their students and families.

(cheers and applause) -Thank you so much.

I really appreciate it.

(Roxanne James) Mr. Bradley is a Heart of Education Award winner because this year he was a teacher on wheels and he went to over 2,200 houses, and what he did was ensured that all of our families and our kids in need had what they needed so we didn't lose them during this pandemic.

(Joel Bradley) We got a great team put together that have gone out of their way to make kids' lives easier this year, and I just happened to be a part of it.

So being in the houses, seeing what the kids are going through, prayed with a lot of families, cried with a lot of families.

There was a turbulent time where a lot of people were losing their jobs and they needed food.

They needed help with necessities, and I was just in a spot-- in a place in time where I could make that happen.

♪♪♪ An elementary STEM teacher believes that magic happens in the classroom when pedagogy and engagement are paired.

She strives to bring magic to every class and makes every day fun and memorable.

This year on her own time, she designed and painted murals and mascots to make her new school a magical place.

It is said that she is at the core of building school culture, climate and community.

(cheers and applause) How much does that say?

-$5,000!

(Robert Hinchliffe) Ms. Dlouhy is so deserving of the Heart of Education Award.

She's a magical teacher.

She cares so much about kids.

She just does everything for them.

She creates amazing environments.

This is her classroom.

She also creates environments throughout the school.

Not only that, you know, she helps all the teachers here with engagement strategies.

She's also very active in what's called Get Your Teach On, a national conference which of course affects teachers and students nationwide.

She's just a wonderful person and she cares about kids, and I wouldn't know what to do without her, honestly.

(Sarah Dlouhy) For everyone opening here at Thompson, opening a school in the middle of a pandemic, I give them all of my love because it's been challenging to say the least.

I feel so honored to be here.

(cheers and applause) Thank you!

♪♪♪ Yay!

See those kids in the hallway-- woohoo!

--celebrating their teacher?

You know what that is?

That's love.

That's what that is.

Kids know.

Kids know when somebody truly cares about them, and that's why this is the Heart of Education Awards.

I can't even begin to imagine opening a school in the middle of a pandemic and having to make all those adjustments.

But our teachers, Ms. Sarah, she did it and her students love her for it.

I want to say congratulations to all of our teachers, and I want to say a special thank you to your families.

I know the sacrifices that you make too.

Your teacher and your family puts in those long hours, and that takes time away from you.

So thank you for sharing your teacher with all of us.

Twenty wonderful educators, 20 caring people, and in my opinion, 20 heroes.

A great education starts with great educators, and we are proud to celebrate the wonderful people who put kids first.

They don't ask for recognition, they just go above and beyond day in and day out.

Our teachers, they give us hope.

They inspire us, and our teachers make this a better place to live.

So take a moment and say thank you to a teacher.

I want to say thank you to my brother Todd, my sister-in-law Sue and my niece Jamie for being such great compassionate teachers.

They're in your school district.

I love you.

I'm so proud of you.

I'm Susan Anton, and it has been a thrill for me to take you through the evening tonight, and I think that we need to bring this party back up and celebrate our winners one more time.

Congratulations everybody, the Heart of Education Awards!

Woohoo!

(clapping) ♪♪♪ ♪ Here's your story, let's begin, ♪ ♪ the water's fine, come on, dive in.

♪ ♪ The future's here, ♪ ♪ it's right before your eyes.

♪ ♪ Step by step you're on your way, ♪ ♪ and welcome to a brighter day.

♪ ♪ Don't you know it feels good to be alive.

♪ ♪ You could be larger than life, ♪ ♪ bigger than the world, ♪ ♪ living out the hopes and dreams ♪ ♪ of every boy and every girl.

♪ ♪ You could fly higher than the sky, ♪ ♪ shine brighter than the stars.

♪ ♪ You can have all you ever wanted, ♪ ♪ shoot the moon and reach for Mars, ♪ ♪ you know you could.

♪ ♪♪♪ ♪ Times are changing everywhere, ♪ ♪ do we dream and do we dare?

♪ ♪ It's up to you, the door is open wide.

♪ ♪ Feel the rhythm of the day, ♪ ♪ learn the part and join the play.

♪ ♪ The world is here, ♪ ♪ let's take it for a ride.

♪ ♪ You could be larger than life, ♪ ♪ bigger than the world, ♪ ♪ living out the hopes and dreams ♪ ♪ of every boy and every girl.

♪ ♪ You could fly higher than the sky, ♪ ♪ shine brighter than the stars.

♪ ♪ You can have all you ever wanted, ♪ ♪ shoot the moon and reach for Mars, ♪ ♪ you know you could.

♪ ♪ Larger, larger than-- ♪ ♪ bigger, bigger than-- ♪ ♪ living the hopes and dreams ♪ ♪ of every boy and every girl.

♪ ♪ Higher, higher than-- ♪ ♪ brighter, brighter than-- ♪ ♪ all you wanted and you know ♪ ♪ that you could be larger than life, ♪ ♪ bigger than the world, ♪ ♪ living out the hopes and dreams ♪ ♪ of every boy and every girl.

♪ ♪ You could fly higher than the sky, ♪ ♪ shine brighter than the stars.

♪ ♪ You can have all you ever wanted, ♪ ♪ shoot the moon and reach for Mars, ♪ ♪ you know you could.

♪ ♪ You could be larger than life, ♪ ♪ bigger than the world, ♪ ♪ living out the hopes and dreams ♪ ♪ of every boy and every girl.

♪ ♪ You could be larger than life, ♪ ♪ bigger than the world, ♪ ♪ living out the hopes and dreams ♪ ♪ of every boy and every girl.

♪ ♪ You could fly higher than the sky, ♪ ♪ shine brighter than the stars.

♪ ♪ You can have all you ever wanted... ♪ ♪♪♪