Nominate your Favorite Educator!

Do you have a favorite teacher or educator who goes above and beyond in the classroom? Nominate them in the Wilson County News Educator of the Quarter Contest!

The Wilson County News is accepting nominations for Educator of the Quarter through June 30, 2024; the contest ends in January 2025.

A judging panel will determine which nominated educators will receive the title of Educator of the Quarter. Tell us why the educator should be chosen as our Educator of the Quarter. Our team will choose the winner based on the following criteria: 1) Originality/creativity of statement (2) Inspirational power of Nominee’s story (3) Embodiment of “Educator of the Quarter” theme.

Starting in January 2024, one educator will be selected each quarter throughout the contest, to receive a $500 Visa gift card awarded by Firstmark Credit Union, and will get the chance to tell their story to Wilson County News readers.

You must be a K-12 educator within the Wilson County News coverage area to be considered.

To nominate an educator, please fill out the form shown below.

You can read the official rules below the form.

Teachers, parents and students, sign up for the free Wilson County News newsletters for family-friendly and educational content to your inbox at www.wilsoncountynews.com/freenews.

RULES

· General. By submitting an entry to the Educator of the Quarter Contest (“Contest”), brought to you by Wilson County News (“WCN”) and Firstmark Credit Union (“Sponsor”), the entrant acknowledges and agrees to all of these official Contest rules (“Official Rules”). NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. By entering the Contest, entrants agree to waive any right to claim any ambiguity or error in these Official Rules, or the Contest itself, and agree to be bound by these Official Rules and by all decisions of the Station, whose decisions are binding and final. Failure to comply with these Official Rules or any Station instructions relating to the Contest’ specific rules may result in disqualification from the Contest. Participation constitutes the full and unconditional agreement of entrant to these Official Rules and Station’s decisions, which are final and binding in all matters related to the Contest.

· Eligibility. The Contest is open only to legal U.S. residents who are a minimum of 18 years of age or older at time of entry, reside in the WCN local viewing area at the time of entry. Entrants may only enter to submit nominations for K-12 educators located in the WCN’s coverage area (“Nominees”) to win the Prize (provided below). The Contest is void wherever prohibited or restricted by applicable federal or state laws and regulations. Employees of WCN and Sponsors and their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, agents, advertising and promotion agencies, and members of these employees’ immediate families (spouses, parents, children, and siblings and their spouses) and those living in the same household with these employees, are not eligible to enter or win.

· How To Enter. The Contest begins at 8:30 am on October 4, 2023. Deadline to enter is by December 31, 2023, 12:00pm (the “Contest Entry Period”) for the first quarter – and each quarter thereafter through Dec. 31, 2024. WCN’s time clock shall be the official time clock of the Contest. To enter, you must fill out the entry form located at www.wilsoncountynews.com/edu (“Entry Form”). On the Entry Form, entrants must submit a 500 maximum word essay nominating a K-12 educator that deserves to win the Prize. Entrants must be the registered subscriber of any e-mail address and/or telephone account included in Entry Form. You may enter once during the Contest Period. Limit one entry per person and per email address and telephone number. Multiple entries received from any person or e-mail address or telephone number will void all such additional entries. Entries generated by a script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified. Entries that are inaccurate, incomplete, illegible or corrupted are void and will not be accepted. All entries become the property of the WCN and will not be acknowledged or returned except as disclosed in these Official Rules. By checking the relevant box or selection in the registration form, entrants agree that the Sponsors may contact the entrant via email with information about pre-selected goods or services. If you do not wish to receive these materials do not check the relevant box in the entry form. If at any time you do not wish to receive these materials in the future, please use the unsubscribe procedures contained in the email message.

WCN may disqualify any entry that it concludes, in its sole discretion, conveys false, inaccurate or fraudulent information. WCN may disqualify any entry that violates the eligibility requirements.

· Selection of Winners. One potential winning Nominee will be selected each quarter by a panel of 2 judges consisting of WCN personnel (“judging panel”) during the months of January 2024 through May 2024. Nominees will be judged based on the following criteria: (1) Originality/creativity of statement (2) Inspirational power of Nominee’s story (3) Embodiment of “Educator of the Quarter” theme (the “Criteria”). The judging panel will apply the Criteria and make its selection based on their sole discretion. The selected Nominee shall be deemed the potential winner, subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with these Official Rules. If there is a tie among Nominee potential winners, each of the tied Nominees will be re-judged by the judging panel using Criteria #3 to break the tie. Final selection of winners by the Station shall be final and binding in all respects.

Starting in January 2024, the announcement of the winning Nominee will be made on approximately the third week of each month in the quarter from January 2024 through January 2025 via WCN print and online channels. WCN will notify the school district of the winning Nominee and WCN personnel alongside a representative of the winning Nominee’s school district will surprise the winning Nominee at their school. (“Winner Notification”), subject to verification of eligibility, compliance with these Official Rules. Potential Contest winner(s) must completely and accurately execute and return any required affidavit of eligibility, release of liability, publicity release and/or prize acceptance form (“Forms”) within ten (10) days of winning or being notified of winning (Station reserves the right to require quicker compliance for time sensitive prizes), or prize(s) may be forfeited, and an alternate winner may be selected, time permitting. Potential winners may be required to display a copy of a valid government photo ID in addition to any Forms. If a potential winner cannot be contacted, fails to accurately complete and/or submit any required Forms within the required time period, or if a prize or prize notification is refused or declined, the potential winner may forfeit the prize and another potential winner may be selected from among the remaining eligible received, time permitting. A POTENTIAL PRIZE WINNER IS NOT A WINNER UNTIL HIS OR HER ELIGIBILITY AND COMPLIANCE WITH THESE OFFICIAL RULES HAS BEEN VERIFIED BY THE WCN. WCN reserves the right to contact all Contest entrants using the contact information provided in the Entry Form to confirm any entry. The official entry list will remain the property of WCN.

· Prize (10). Each of the 4 winning Nominees will receive one (1) $500 Visa Gift Card. Gift card prize subject to all applicable terms and conditions. Approximate retail value (“ARV”) of each prize: $500. There will be no substitution, transfer or cash equivalent for prizes, except at the sole discretion of WCN, which may substitute prizes of comparable value. The odds of winning depend on the entrants entry timing and the number of eligible entries received during the Contest Period. Limit one prize per person and per household. Payments of all federal, state and local taxes related to the award of the prize are solely the responsibility of the winner. Prizes are not transferable or redeemable for cash and may not be transferred, sold, bartered or auctioned. Resale of any prize component is prohibited. Prize is awarded “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied. Properly claimed prize will be awarded provided a sufficient number of eligible entries are received, but in no event will Sponsors award more prizes than are provided for in the Official Rules. Unclaimed prizes will not be awarded. For tax purposes, the winner may be required to fully complete and submit an IRS Form W-9 to the WCN in order to receive the prize. If the approximate retail value of the prize(s) exceeds $600, WCN and or Sponsors will arrange to issue IRS Form 1099 MISC to winner reflecting the value of the prize.

· Disclaimer and Representations. Winner(s) assumes all liability for any injuries or damages caused or claimed to be caused by his or her participation in the Contest and/or the acceptance and/or use of any prize, and releases the WCN and their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, agents, and employees, from any such liability. Neither the WCN nor their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, agents and employees are responsible for: the failure of any entry to be received by the WCN due to computer failures of any kind, traffic congestion on the internet or at any website, telecommunications, network, electronic, telephone or mobile service outages, delays, busy signals, or any equipment malfunctions or other technical difficulties that may prevent the WCN from receiving any entry submission; entries that are stolen, misdirected, garbled, delayed by computer transmissions, lost, late or damaged; any injury or damage to the entrant’s or any other person’s computer related to or resulting from participation or accessing or downloading any materials related to the Contest; or any human errors, any inaccurate transcription of entry information, errors in any promotional or marketing materials or errors in these Official Rules. If applicable, text message and data rates may apply, and the WCN is not responsible for any fees incurred by an entrant for any method of entry.

WCN, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to disqualify any person tampering with the entry process or the operation of the WCN’s website or the operation of the Contest. Failure to comply with the Official Rules may result in an entrant’s disqualification and/or forfeiture of any prize or prizes. All decisions of the WCN’s management with respect to the Contest are final.

WCN reserves the right to cancel, terminate or modify the Contest if it is not capable of running as planned, including, without limitation, as a result of infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention or technical failures of any sort, or for any reason whatsoever. The WCN reserves the right to make changes in these Official Rules, including, without limitation, the substitution of a prize of equivalent value, which will become effective upon announcement or posting. If due to circumstances beyond the control of the WCN, any event related to the Contest or prize is delayed, rescheduled, postponed, cancelled or has a change of venue, the Station reserves the right, but is not obligated, to cancel or modify the Contest and shall not be required to award a substitute prize.

Entry constitutes permission (except where prohibited by law) to use winner’s name, home city and state, likeness and/or voice for purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity without additional compensation. The winner’s name and city of residence will be posted online and mailed to those who request it.

By accessing these Official Rules or entering the Contest on wilsoncountynews.com, you are deemed to agree to wilsoncountynews.com‘s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

WCN/Administrator: Wilson County News, 1012 C Street, Floresville, TX 78114

Sponsor: Firstmark Credit Union, La Vernia, TX 78121