ALABASTER – An Alabaster elementary school has recently become the first in the Birmingham metro area to receive an award from a local parenting organization.

Creek View Elementary School was presented with Macaroni Kid South Birmingham’s Gold Daisy Award on the morning of Wednesday, May 10.

According to Macaroni Kid Publisher Jess Searcy, CVES was selected from elementary schools from south of Interstate 20 to the southern border of Shelby County and was determined by the amount of votes the school received on Macaroni Kid South Birmingham’s website. CVES won by over 100 votes.

“With 1,902 votes cast, one school rose to the top three in the second week, with very few votes separating the top three schools,” Searcy wrote in an announcement on the website. “This school’s supporters kept at it.’

Searcy said the award was started this year as a way to celebrate National Teacher Appreciation Week.

“It really is just about teacher appreciation,” Searcy said. “We wanted to have a way to honor our local schools and their staff.”

As the winning school, CVES teachers will receive a catered lunch from Newk’s Eatery, received a handcrafted plaque by Alison Baggett of the Art Studio of Calera and had their names drawn for prizes from Riverchase Car Wash and Detail, MaidPro of Birmingham, BumperNets and SkyZone of Hoover.

Many of the parents and community members who voted in favor of CVES left positive comments about the school’s faculty, staff and learning environment.

“Every one of our kids has attended (CVES.) We love the teachers and staff, their hearts for the students are enormous inside and outside of the classroom,” one voter wrote. “We’ve experienced teachers coming to sporting events and even sending letters during summer break. (Alabaster) City Schools feel like family to us.”

“Our teachers love our kids and are amazing at thinking outside of the box to make every child’s experience individual and amazing,” another voter commented.

Principal Charissa Cole said she was astounded by all of the positive feedback the school received.

“When I was reading the comments, I lost count of how many times they said the words ‘amazing,’ or ‘awesome,’ or about how our teachers care about our children,” Cole said. “I think we’re the best kept secret, and I think it’s because of our teachers, who work so hard every day.”