Brentwood teacher honored after student nominations in Applebee’s contest
Brentwood eighth graders nominated Priscilla Olberding, then celebrated her after she won one of four Long Island spots in Applebee’s teacher contest.
Brentwood middle schoolers put their teacher on the winners' list. Eighth graders at West Middle School nominated Priscilla Olberding for Applebee’s Above and BEEyond Teacher Essay Contest, then joined her at a luncheon after she was named one of four Long Island winners. The award carried a $500 sponsorship check and an end-of-year class celebration, turning student appreciation into something that will reach back into the classroom.
The nomination was built on years of daily contact, not a single standout moment. Olberding taught many of the students in sixth and seventh grades and has worked with them for three straight school years, which meant the essays came from children who had watched her support them across much of middle school. That kind of continuity matters in Brentwood, where trusted adult relationships can shape how students move through the school years as much as any lesson plan.
Applebee’s picks two teachers from Nassau County and two from Suffolk County each year, and the contest is designed to honor educators who leave a lasting mark beyond academics. Students submit essays in person at participating Long Island locations. Middle and high school students must write 500 words, while elementary students submit a half-page essay. Every student who enters receives a free ice cream certificate, and if a class party is not feasible, the celebration is replaced with two Dinner for Four certificates for the winning essay writer.
West Middle School, at 2030 Udall Road in Brentwood, lists Stacey Powell as principal. The school’s recognition in the contest gives Brentwood another visible moment in a Long Island program that centers student voice, and it shows what students themselves value most: teachers who stay with them, know their histories and make school feel steady across multiple grades. In a district often discussed in terms of test scores, staffing and budgets, the student-written nomination put the focus back on the relationships that keep a middle school community together.
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