ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, VA (Rocktown Now) — A middle school teacher from Rockingham County has been named the 2027 “Lucy F. Simms Educator of the Year.”

Rockingham Educational Foundation Incorporated, or REFI, presented Amy McAvoy from Wilbur S. Pence Middle School the top honor at the organization’s recent “Teacher of the Year” reception.

A committee of REFI Board members selected McAvoy as “Educator of the Year” out of a list of 25 “Teacher of the Year” honorees from across the Rockingham County Public School system.

REFI says showing appreciation for the job that teachers do every day in area classrooms is a core priority for the group, as teachers are vitally important to the community.