The Beaufort County School District has named five finalists for its teacher of the year honor, announced at the district's annual back-to-school rally at Bluffton High School Thursday.

They are:

Amy Fallon, math and science teacher, Port Royal Elementary School.

Holly Lambert, seventh-grade English teacher, Beaufort Middle School.

Erin Reichert, social studies teacher, Bluffton High School.

Angela Stewart, eighth-grade science teacher, Whale Branch Middle School.

Jennifer Weitekamper, social studies teacher, Hilton Head Island High School.

Each April, district schools name a teacher of the year. Those teachers can then apply to become district teacher of the year. Applications are due in July, according to a news release from the school district.

Those applications are then reviewed by a committee of parents, former educators and community leaders. Five applicants are named as finalists.

The finalists will be reviewed by another committee, which will watch a video of the teacher giving a classroom lesson and interview the finalists. The district teacher of the year will be announced in September.

Also at the back-to-school rally, Pulitzer Prize nominated author Clifton Taulbert spoke to teachers about pulling together as a community on behalf of children, according to the release.

Classes begin Monday in Beaufort County's public schools.