For the Reporter

Ivar’s and Kidd Valley Restaurants are calling on all kindergarten through eighth-graders to nominate their favorite teacher for a chance to take home 2015 Teacher of the Year honors.

Two well-deserving educators will be selected as grand prize recipients to bring home a $500 gift card for classroom supplies, a commemorative plaque and the official title of either Ivar’s Teacher of the Year or Kidd Valley Teacher of the Year.

Nominating students of the grand prize winners also will receive either an Ivar’s Kids Meal – including a visit by Ivar’s famous Dancing Clam – or a Kidd Valley Kids Meal for every student in their class. Those classes will receive admission tickets to the Pacific Science Center, courtesy of the educational institution.

To nominate a teacher, students 14 years old or younger may visit select Puget Sound area Ivar’s or Kidd Valley locations (excluding stadiums and Eastern Washington stores) to complete an official entry form, or go online to www.ivars.com/teacher or KiddValley.com/calendar.htm.

Kent’s Ivar’s is at 25405 104th Ave. SE.

All entries must be received by May 19. The official Teacher of the Year rules can be found on the Ivar’s and Kidd Valley websites.

The contest will also award four teachers a first-place prize of a $150 gift card for classroom supplies, and 30 teachers will receive a second place prize of a $25 Ivar’s or Kidd Valley gift card.

As in previous years, the contest seeks to honor inspirational educators who go above and beyond the call of duty to teach, mentor and support their students. The 2014 Ivar’s and Kidd Valley Teacher of the Year grand prize winners were Liliya Petrovskaya of Tacoma’s Manitou Park Elementary School and James Van Stralen of Bellevue’s Chinook Middle School.