“You are the epitome of what all teachers should be,” Chancellor Carmen Fariña told the 17 winners of the fourth annual Big Apple Awards in a ceremony at Department of Education headquarters on June 23. “And you should be celebrated by everyone.” The winners were chosen through a rigorous selection process after more than 4,000 nominations by community members. This year, for the first time, Fariña and her deputy chancellors announced the recipients by surprising teachers in their classrooms. “It was magical,” Angela Manekas, a 4th-grade teacher at PS 232 in Howard Beach, said of the chancellor’s visit. “My kids were going wild.” Jonelle Hinchcliffe, a math teacher at Westchester Square Academy in the Bronx, was sent out of her school for a meeting so all 650 students could gather in the cafeteria for the surprise. “Everyone was so excited,” she said. “It meant a lot to the whole community.” LeRoy Barr, the UFT’s assistant secretary, told the honorees, “We celebrate the great work you’ve dedicated your lives to.” The 17 winners will become part of a fellowship in the 2016–17 school year to meet regularly with the chancellor and investigate educational issues. See the full list of honorees.