Vanessa Rooney got a pleasant surprise on Wednesday morning. The Cedar Hill 5th and 6th grade special education teacher was awarded a Golden Apple from the Commissioner of Education and NBC 10.

Golden Apples are given by RIDE, Hasbro and NBC 10 to educators who “believe in the true spirit of teaching by making classrooms a creative and safe place to learn.” Winners receive $250 from Hasbro provided by the Kids in Need Foundation to put toward their classroom needs and a gift bag from science kit creators Thames and Kosmos.

Becky Rossi, parent of Winman 8th grader Mark and Cedar Hill 6th grader Evan, nominated Rooney for the award. Rooney was Mark’s teacher previously and now is Evan’s. Rossi said she always feels comfortable when her kids are under Rooney’s care.

“Sometimes you get nervous dropping them off, but with her I never have to worry,” she said. “She had my back. If I couldn’t be here with them, she would be.”

Mark now is in 8th grade, and Rossi said he still reaps the benefits of Rooney’s teaching.

“Thanks to the work she put in with him, he’s doing great at Winman,” Rossi said. “She goes above and beyond and loves all the kids as if they were her own.”

Evan said she’s done the same for him as she did for his brother.

“I probably wouldn’t be here right now in this good shape if it wasn’t for her,” said Evan.

Cedar Hill Principal Colleen Mercurio said a huge part of the reason Rooney was nominated is her dedication to keeping in touch with parents.

“She has a very high level of service. Her strength is her constant communication with parents, and she really partners well with them,” Mercurio said.

Rooney, who has been in Warwick Public Schools for 12 years and at Cedar Hill for nearly eight, was shocked and grateful when the cameras came to her classroom door. She laughed, saying she was “shaking” as she was presented with the Golden Apple.

“I am totally shocked, but I have to say it takes a village. It’s not just my accomplishments that should be celebrated,” she said. “It should also be the accomplishments of the teachers I work with.”

Rooney, a lifelong Warwick resident, said the “wonderful” students, teachers and parents she works with have played a huge part in who she has become. She followed in the footsteps of her mother who worked in education, and on Wednesday thanked her family for contributing to her growth.

“I’m fortunate to also have a family that believes that education is important,” she said. “I owe them a lot in terms of who I am today as well.”

Channel 10’s full segment on Rooney will air December 8.