Sunflower School fifth grade teacher Lisa Melton gets a hug from her mother Nancy Hettwer, Lawrence, after Melton was announced as the Elementary School Teacher of the Year by superintendent Kyle Hayden on Wednesday, March 1, 2017 at the school. In addition to the award, Melton, who has been with the district since 1986, was presented with a check for ,000 from Truity Credit Union.

Usually, it’s Lisa Melton’s students who supply her with the stories she shares around the dinner table after a day at work. But on Wednesday afternoon, Melton walked away from a staff meeting with a new story to tell her Sunflower Elementary School fifth-graders.

Superintendent Kyle Hayden surprised the longtime educator with the district’s 2017 Lawrence Teacher of the Year award — and a $1,000 check courtesy of Truity Credit Union.

“Lisa knows that building strong relationships with her students and their families is key to the success of each child. She goes out of her way to get to know the interests of students, their challenges and their successes in out and of school,” Hayden said, quoting Sunflower Principal Howard Diacon.

Melton first joined the Lawrence school district in 1986 as a first-grade teacher at the former East Heights School. Now in her seventh year at Sunflower, she previously taught at Hillcrest Elementary School and served as a district learning coach. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University and a master’s degree from Baker University, and is also endorsed through K-State in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

At Sunflower, she keeps busy with the school’s student council, building leadership teams and parent-teacher organization, in addition to serving on district-level committees. And then there’s her time in the classroom, where “Lisa makes learning come alive” for her students, Diacon wrote in praise of the teaching veteran. “She is constantly inventing new games, activities, songs, dances, and hands-on instructional activities to engage students in their learning,” Diacon said.

Being a teacher, Melton joked Wednesday, has often come at the expense of family time. There have been missed dinners and volleyball games spent grading papers, sure. But her family has supported her all the while, and on Wednesday, Melton’s husband, children and sister were there to celebrate her big win. She tearfully thanked them that day, and the parents and coworkers, too, who have become a part of her life over the years.

“I am lucky, I guess,” Melton said. “That’s probably the thing I would like to say the most. I’ve spent 31 years working with great people.”

The Lawrence district annually selects an Elementary and Secondary Teacher of the Year. As the district’s elementary-level winner, Melton will be nominated to the Kansas State Department of Education’s Kansas Teacher of the Year program. A photo of her will also join past winners’ portraits on display at the district’s main offices.

The district is expected to announce its 2017 Lawrence Secondary Teacher of the Year next week.