Barack H. Obama Elementary Magnet School of Technology received a surprised $45,000 donation in school supplies from Five Star and NBC’s Today Show.

Pre-K teacher Johnathon Hines was featured on the TODAY Show as the show kicked off National Teacher Appreciation Week on Monday, May 4. Mr. Hines, the Georgia Pre-K Teacher of the Year, was interviewed virtually by TODAY reporter Savannah Guthrie. Several of Mr. Hines’ students later joined the virtual interview, and Mr. Hines taught a short lesson with his Pre-K students for the reporter.

Later in the segment, TODAY’s Al Roker joined the segment to reveal the $45,000 donation in school supplies. Barack H. Obama Elementary Magnet School of Technology principal Angela Thomas-Bethea said the school is grateful for the donation.

“We are elated about NBC and the Today Show’s acknowledgement of Mr. Hines, and the very generous $45,000 donation in school supplies given to us by the Five Star Corporation,” Thomas-Bethea said. “This is the largest donation we have ever received in the history of our school and these supplies will go a long way for our students and school community.”

DeKalb County School District Superintendent Ramona Tyson thanks Five Star and the TODAY Show for “this generous gift for our students at Barack H. Obama Elementary Magnet School of Technology.”

“I also want to thank Mr. Hines for his efforts in providing a quality education for our pre-k students,” Tyson added. “He has been an ambassador for DCSD and Barack H. Obama Elementary Magnet School of Technology. Congratulations to Principal Angela Thomas-Bethea, Mr. Hines, the faculty, staff and students at Barack H. Obama Elementary Magnet School of Technology.”

“I want to congratulate Mrs. Thomas-Bethea and her school community for the outstanding job that they do everyday,” Regional Superintendent Dr. Rodney Swanson said. “I want to also thank Five Star for their generous gift. Their gift will provide valuable resources for Barack H. Obama Elementary School.”

Five Star is part of the ACCO Brands Family of industry-leading planning solutions. To view the TODAY Show’s segment, visit www.today.com/video/pre-k-teacher-gets-a-thank-you-surprise-82982981896.