The plan was well thought out. The Fillmore County Journal van and sponsors vehicles parked behind Lanesboro Public School where there was quick and easy access to stealthfully carry in the prizes for Teacher of the Year undetected on Tuesday, April 28.
As the fourth grade class streamed into the common area, the sleuths that they are scanned the clues in the room and figured out quickly what was about to take place and became very enthusiastic.
Their teacher, Courtney Graves, was selected as the 2026 Fillmore County Journal Teacher of the Year!
As her name was announced by Jason Sethre, editor of the Fillmore County Journal and she accepted the Golden Apple Award, her students were cheering her on with applause and congratulations of all types.
Graves started teaching four years ago, and fortunately for Lanesboro Public Schools, she began her career there. Since then, she has blossomed as an educator and brought light into the life of her students and the school in general. She also coaches volleyball and connects with students in that way as well.
“Since 2018, we’ve had teachers recognized from Rushford-Peterson, Fillmore Central, Chatfield, Spring Grove, Caledonia and Lanesboro. Community members, parents, students, and fellow teachers have taken this opportunity to nominate a favorite teacher, so they get the recognition they deserve,” stated Sethre. “Lanesboro Public Schools is very blessed to have an outstanding teacher like Courtney Graves.”
“Miss G. makes school fun! She explains good so everyone can understand. She rewards us for doing well,” stated student nominator Evelyn Ehler, daughter of Devin and Katelin Ehler.
“I believe Courtney deserves the Teacher of the Year award for many different reasons. Her teaching and love for her students goes outside of the classroom. She takes her time to form a relationship based on trust, communication, and honesty with each one of her students,” stated nominator Emily Willford, whose daughter is in Ms. Graves class.
Willford went on to say, “Ms. Graves has made an exceptional difference in my daughter’s life since teaching her in second grade and now teaching her in fourth. She has helped make my daughter’s life so much brighter and has made her school experience something she looks forward to every day. My daughter refers to Ms. Graves as the sky, while herself and all of her classmates are her stars.” You cannot get any higher praise from your student than that.
Superintendent Matt Schultz expressed the same sentiment about Graves as everyone in the room. “Courtney is very personable. I think the relationship she builds with her kids every year and everything she does here, whether it’s volleyball or in the classroom you can tell she cares deeply about the kids she works with every day,” noted Schultz. “I think she is in the right spot for her personality. She loves working with kids and it shows.”
Along with her Golden Apple award, Graves also received a La-Z-Boy recliner from Drury’s Furniture of Fountain, Minn., a $500 gift card from Rushford/Harmony/Preston Foods, and a Green Mountain pellet grill from Ody’s Country Meats & Catering of Spring Valley, Minn.
“I was very surprised,” stated Graves, who was slightly overwhelmed by all the attention from students and staff.
When asked to try to narrow down her favorite thing about teaching, Graves replied that building relationships with the kids is at the top of her list.
“Over the past nine years, I am grateful that we live in an area that values our educators. We have family-owned businesses that show their support in so many ways. They recognize that our communities really revolve around our great schools,” noted Sethre. “During Teacher Appreciation Week, especially, I hope our community takes this opportunity to thank our educators for helping us develop our next generation of leaders. Our young people are the future. And this is why our teachers have such an important job.”
Thanks again to our sponsors, including Drury’s Furniture, Ody’s Country Meats & Catering, and Rushford Foods/Harmony Foods/Preston Foods. Every year, they have been generous contributors to the Teacher of the Year program.
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