By Joanie Morris

Kannapolis Citizen

Teachers from Fred L. Wilson Elementary School got a surprise Thursday when they went to a staff meeting.

They had been speculating all week long what was going to happen during the meeting. Some thought Principal Todd Parker was leaving the school.

Others thought Parker, who is expecting his third child, was going to announce his wife was having twins.

They knew whatever it was, it had to be special. When they got to the media center on Thursday afternoon, they were greeted by Time Warner Cable employees with a buffet of Christmas goodies and a pile covered in white paper.

Pretty soon, they figured out what was going on.

Each year, Time Warner Cable employees raise money over the course of three weeks to buy a box of school supplies for each teacher in a local school. This year, it was Fred L. Wilson Elementary School’s turn.

Each teacher, special area teacher and the media specialist at Fred L. Wilson received a box from under the pile. The box was filled with scissors, crayons, paper, tissue, pencils, pens and other school necessities.

“Linda James (with Time Warner Cable) called me one day and told me about this,” said Wilson principal Parker.

“I have no earthly idea how we were picked.”

Parker said it was a welcome surprise for the teachers.

“This just came out of the blue,” he said. “We are appreciative.”