NEDERLAND AND PORT NECHES — Philpott Motors put some miles on the company car Thursday.

The Mid-County-based auto-dealership started out the day at Nederland High School where General Manager Bob Thewman led students on a roller coaster ride of emotions during the 7th Annual Come To School, Win A Car presentation.

“Its a testament to the discipline and fortitude of you students to sit here and have perfect attendance,” Thewman said, prior to the presentation. “Even with the hurricanes last fall. Everyone in this room deserves a tremendous round of applause.”

To be eligible for the car giveaway, students must not miss more than three days of school. As usual, two cars — a 2009 Toyota Yaris and a 2009 Hyundai Accent were available for a NHS student to pick from.

Once the name was selected, Thewman then teased the crowd, which was told to stand, with a series of elimination factors.

“If you’re middle name begins with the letter A through D — sit down,” Thewman said. “Unless you’re a senior — you can stand back up.”

“But if your name starts with an A — you can sit back down.”

After nearly ten minutes of eliminations, Thewman then called up “the student with the initials C-F-L.”

Confused because she had been generally eliminated by Thewman minutes earlier, an unsure Chloe Faye Louvier then made her way up to the stage where she was awarded this year’s gift from Phillpot Motors.

“I’m shocked,” Louvier said. “ I didn’t even know I had perfect attendance this year. When I was walking up to the stage, I was like — I don’t think its me.”

“But when I got up here, it was my name on the paper.”

Louvier, who plans to attend Austin Community College next fall, recently received a brand new 2009 Nissan Bursa. After stepping up and choosing the silver Yaris on stage, she said she doesn’t know which vehicle she plans to stick with.

“I love Toyotas,” Louvier said. “I always have.”

Later in the day, Thewman, alongside Philpott’s Community Liaison Jennifer Parker, made their way over to Port Neches Middle School where they met with district officials to present yet another award for perfect attendance — this time for a teacher.

The presentation parade wound its way down the hallway before finally stopping and knocking on the door of a seventh grade math teacher — Mrs. Dorothy Bailey.

“You kids are lucky to have a teacher so dedicated to making sure she’s here at school for you everyday,” Thewman said. “And with that I’d like to present Mrs. Bailey with this vacation travel voucher for a trip of your choosing.”

Upon the news Bailey reacted with excitement and her students gave a loud applause of congratulations — many of them running up to their teacher and offering hugs.

“I feel awesome,” Bailey, a first year teacher, said. “This is wonderful — oh gosh, I can’t think of anyplace I’d like to go off the top of my head. Well, I’d like to go to Greece.”

“But, maybe next go around I’ll go to Greece.”

This is the second year Philpott Motors has partnered with the Port Neches-Groves Independent School District to award a full-time employee with perfect attendance for the school year a vacation travel voucher. Thewman said keeping teachers interested in keeping their children interested in learning is what the promotion is all about.

“This is an integral part in giving back to the community,” Thewman said. “And teachers are probably the most unappreciated human beings on the face of the planet.”

After the presentation, Bailey said coming to school everyday was not a hard feat to accomplish.

“It wasn’t hard because of the people and the kids,” Bailey said. “I have to come to school everyday because there’s so many kids I’m worrying about and there’s certain things I have to make sure they know.”

“I can’t miss — it’s too important.”

mtobias@panews.com