Tuesday was a night to celebrate excellence in the classroom, as the Mathews County School Board honored the division’s three 2015-2016 Teachers of the Year. They were recognized at the start of the school board meeting, which was held in the Mathews High School media center.

The three teachers—Kris Long at Lee-Jackson, Leslie Hudgins at Thomas Hunter and Steve Casper at Mathews High—were nominated by their peers. All three division principals touched on similar themes when describing the honorees—the teachers’ willingness to take on additional tasks, their enthusiasm for the work they do, and the genuine care and concern they have for the students in their charge.

The teachers were rewarded with overflowing gift baskets collected from local merchants. Businesses and others providing gifts were Dr. C. Ben Lennon, Hair Creations, Deb’s Haircuts, Best Value Supermarket, Chesapeake Bank, Dilly Dally Emporium, Grover’s Auto Repair, Bay School for...