Beverly Reynolds

ROCK — A contest honoring K-12 educators from around the entire state of Michigan has been whittled down to three finalists. One is the Upper Peninsula’s own Beverly Reynolds, a second-grade teacher at Mid Peninsula School. She may yet win the title of “Best in Class Teacher of the Year,” bestowed by the Detroit Red Wings, if enough votes are secured before April 4.

Beverly herself graduated from Mid Pen in 2002. She returned to the school as an educator in 2021 and said that the age of her students makes it a “sweet spot” for teaching.

“I LOVE teaching second grade,” she said. “…Students begin to read for fun in second grade, and they still think their teacher is cool!”

According to her husband, Chris Reynolds — also a teacher at Mid Pen — Beverly “treats all her students as her own children” and puts in “many unpaid hours” to ensure that kids have what they need, from school supplies to snacks. As some of the community is economically-challenged, the provision of those items is invaluable.

Beverly said that it’s an amazing thing to see children grow and learn throughout the school year.

“Every single day brings a different challenge in teaching, but working with great people gives me the opportunity to turn every challenge into a learning experience,” she said.

In December of 2023, Beverly had an eye appointment that ended up leading to a frightening discovery: a tumor in her head required brain surgery.

“She … was able to hold off on surgery until June,” Chris wrote in a nomination letter when he came across the Best in Class contest. “She also returned to school in August, sooner than expected and probably sooner than she should have; it was her love for her students that brought her back so soon.”

Chris told the Press that he didn’t plan it out, just typed his thoughts of the top of his head directly into the form on the website when he found it.

“You always think, ‘yeah, it’d be cool to hear back,'” Chris said. “Did I really expect it? I don’t know. I figured a lot of people probably put in for it.”

The Best in Class contest is a program coordinated by the Detroit Red Wings and sponsored by Meijer, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and the Red Wings. It began with three entry periods: one in September, one in December and one in February. During each of the three entry periods, nominations were accepted for three weeks, and 25 teachers from each session were selected to be honored. Each of the 75 chosen were given tickets to a Red Wings game and a $500 Meijer gift card for their classroom.

Honorees were chosen by the contest sponsors “based on how the nominee has improved student achievement, used innovative strategies in the classroom, and/or is making a difference in the lives of their students,” the regulations state.

Beverly was one of the 25 recognized in December.

“We certainly are proud and feel she is deserving,” said Mid Pen Superintendent Eric J. VanDamme. “Beverly is a caring, dedicated teacher that makes each child feel valued while pushing them to their highest academic achievement.”

Having been selected to the recognized group, even before becoming a finalist, Beverly — along with the others and their guests — were invited to attend a Red Wings game in January with a dinner beforehand that featured “all their most popular concession-type food for their sporting events,” Chris said, and another special guest, former Red Wing Justin Abdelkader, with whom they got a chance to chat.

Both Beverly and Chris are big Red Wings fans but had never been to a game live.

“I have been a hockey fan since I was old enough to wear skates, but I really became a Red Wings fan when I met my husband,” Beverly said. “Our first date was a hockey game at NMU. The game in January was my first chance to see the Red Wings play in person, and it was an amazing experience!”

At the dinner, Bev was pulled aside and told that she had been chosen as the one outstanding finalist for the December class.

Now, online voting will determine the “Best in Class Teacher of the Year.” The poll opened on March 24 and closes April 4.

The other finalists — selected from the September and February receptions — are Danielle Clark, a kindergarten teacher at Carleton Elementary in Detroit; and Shandra Dicks, an art teacher at Walker Winter Elementary in Canton, a western suburb of Detroit.

All three have been invited to attend a second Red Wings game on April 14. While the game itself is free, it’s a long drive down from Rock — about 430 miles and over six hours each way. Chris said they looked into flying, but that plane ticket prices are costly, so they’re planning on making the road trip again, as they did for the January game.

The prize for the final Teacher of the Year, who is to be announced April 14, will be a $5,000 grant “to be used by the winner’s school to purchase educational materials” and a meet-and-greet with a Detroit Red Wings player.

Chris said that flyers have been sent to other school districts in the U.P., encouraging them to vote for Beverly. He said they’ve heard a lot of support in response.

At Mid Pen, “We are proud of her accomplishments and are excited to support her in this competition,” VanDamme said. “We hope the community will also support this outstanding teacher.”

People may cast votes at nhl.com/redwings/community/best-in-class until April 4.