Jaclyn E. Klueger, a third grade teacher at Sequoyah Elementary School, and Margaret K. Duffy, a second grade teacher at Clarksburg Elementary School, have been selected to receive the inaugural Shirley J. Lowrie “Thank You for Teaching” Award.

The awards will be presented on Friday, June 12—10:15 a.m. at Clarksburg Elementary School and 1:15 p.m. at Sequoyah Elementary School. Both teachers will receive a monetary award of $2,500.

In Klueger’s nomination letter, colleagues and parents cited the energy, creativity and dedication that she devotes to crafting engaging lessons and motivating students to succeed. In Duffy’s nomination, coworkers and parents praised the numerous ways she encourages students to set and achieve high expectations and uses her leadership skills to mentor and train her peers.

The new annual award is made possible through the Shirley J. Lowrie Memorial Fund, which was established by Potomac resident Gerald Lowrie and his children at The Montgomery County Community Foundation to honor their late wife and mother. Shirley Lowrie earned a degree in elementary education in 1957 from the University of Memphis. She taught for several years as a teacher and substitute teacher in California and Connecticut before relocating with her family to Potomac. After her teaching career, she remained a strong supporter of teachers.