1. Conditions for Winning
   1. Nominate your favorite teacher by filling in the application on the previous page, FavoriteTeacher.Net, between 5 p.m. September 12, 2012 and 11:59 p.m. October 8, 2012 ("the nomination period"). In order to nominate a teacher, you must be currently enrolled as a K-12 student in a public or private school in Montgomery, Prince George's, or Frederick county in Maryland. Nominated teachers must be currently employed as a teacher in a public or private school in one of these three counties.
   2. With your parent or guardian's permission, we may publish your name and your nominating essay on Gazette.Net and/or in print in The Gazette/Gazette-Star newspapers if your teacher is selected by us to be a finalist. We may also publish your name and your nominating essay on Gazette.Net and/or in print in The Gazette/Gazette-Star newspapers if your teacher is a winner.
   3. Once the nomination period ends, we will post finalists, who will be selected at The Gazette's sole discretion based on what it judges to be the most compelling nominations on FavoriteTeacher.Net. The voting period is October 25 through November 9, 2012, during which time anyone may vote for their favorite elementary, middle and high school teacher(s) in each county. The voting period is subject to change without notice at the sole discretion of The Gazette.
   4. The elementary, middle school and high school teacher in each county who receives the most votes will be a winner, and declared "My Favorite Teacher" (9 winners total.) Each winner will be featured in The Gazette/Gazette-Star and on Gazette.Net and/or FavoriteTeacher.Net.
   5. The Gazette will contact each teacher whom we select to move to the voting round, requesting a photo of that teacher for publication online at Gazette.Net and FavoriteTeacher.Net. The Gazette may also request a video interview with the teacher for Gazette.Net and/or FavoriteTeacher.Net, and a photograph for the special supplement to be published on Gazette.Net and/or FavoriteTeacher.Net and in The Gazette/Gazette-Star in print in December 2012 when the winners are announced.
   6. The Gazette and our key sponsors will present each winning teacher with a special award and prize(s) between December 2012 and January 2013.
   7. Prize(s) for each of the 9 winning teachers to be announced, but in no event will prizes total less than $500 in value.
2. Prizes to be Awarded
   1. The nine (9) teachers who receive the most votes in their respective counties and school levels during the voting period will win a prize(s) to be announced, but in no event will prize(s) total less than $500 in value.
   2. All prizes will be awarded unless Post-Newsweek Media, Inc./The Gazette exercises its right to terminate this program up until and including the time voting begins on October 25, 2012. Winners will be required to sign a statement acknowledging receipt of prize. Should a winner decline to receive a prize, that prize will be awarded to the next-highest vote-getter.
3. Odds of Winning

   The odds of winning are based on the number of votes received during the voting period. There are no limitations or restrictions on who may vote, nor on the number of times an individual may vote in general, nor on the number of times an individual may vote for a nominated teacher.

4. Winners' Responsibilities

   Winners are solely responsible for the reporting and payment of any tax liabilities incurred. Any expenses relating to the receipt of these prizes are solely the responsibility of the winners.

5. Winners' Consent
   1. If your nominating entry is selected, and/or if you are a winning teacher, The Gazette reserves the right to publish your name, the town in which you live, the school with which you are affiliated or employed, and the student's nominating essay, in whole or in part, both in print in The Gazette/Gazette-Star newspapers, and/or online at Gazette.Net and/or FavoriteTeacher.Net. We will contact the parent or guardian of any child under 18 if we intend to publish the child's nominating essay.
      Post-Newsweek Media, Inc. (The Gazette, Gazette-Star, Gazette.Net) has the right to publish, both in print and online (via the Internet), either in whole or in part, your submissions/nominations, which will include personal information such as your full name and the town in which you reside.
   2. You also agree that Post-Newsweek Media, Inc., owns your submission/nomination in perpetuity and is authorized, as are the My Favorite Teacher Program sponsors, to publish it, it in full or in part, in any promotional material relating to the Gazette's My Favorite Program now or in the future.
   3. Except where prohibited:
      1. acceptance of any prize constitutes consent to use each winner's name, photograph, likeness, statements, biographical information, voice, and city and state address on a worldwide basis, and in all forms of media, in perpetuity, without further compensation;
      2. each winner may be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release; and
      3. Post-Newsweek Media, Inc. and/or the My Favorite Teacher Sponsors may share the information submitted on the nomination forms with their affiliates and customers.
6. Right to Terminate Without Notice

   Post-Newsweek Media, Inc. reserves the right to terminate, without notice, this program up to and including the time that the voting round begins. In the event Post-Newsweek Media, Inc. exercises this right, no prizes will be awarded.

7. Limitations of Liability

   Post-Newsweek Media Inc./The Gazette is not responsible and assumes no responsibility for late, lost, misdirected, undeliverable or incomplete entries, whether online or otherwise, due to system errors or failures, or faulty transmissions or other telecommunications malfunctions and/or online entries not received resulting from any hardware or software failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed, incomplete or garbled computer or telephone transmissions, typographical or system errors and failures, or faulty transmissions, or for any problems or technical malfunction(s) of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, or entries not received by The Gazette on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet, or at a Web site, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to entrant's or any other person's computer related to or resulting from entering the Program or downloading any material for the Program, or other telecommunications malfunctions that may limit an entrant's ability to participate. The Gazette may prohibit an entrant from participating in the Program or winning a prize if, in its sole discretion, it determines that said entrant is

   1. attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Program by cheating, hacking, deception, or other unfair playing practices or
   2. intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other entrants or The Gazette representatives, affiliates and/or Contest sponsors.
8. Eligibility

   The following may nominate teachers, but are not eligible to win prizes: (a) employees of The Washington Post Co. or its affiliates, licensees, parents, subsidiaries, divisions, dealerships, advertising and promotion agencies, or members of the immediate family or household of each. The term "immediate family" includes spouses, siblings, parents, children, grandparents, and grandchildren, whether as "in-laws," or by current or past marriage(s), remarriage(s), adoption, co-habitation or other family extension, and any other persons residing at the same household whether or not related.

9. Winners' Names

   Names of winners will be initially published in The Gazette and/or on Gazette.Net and/or FavoriteTeacher.Net between December 2012 and January 2013, unless The Gazette terminates the program prior to the voting period.

How the Sweepstakes to Win an iPad Works/Conditions for Winning
In order to receive a prize, a winner is not required to purchase any goods, pay any money or submit to any sales promotion.

1. Sweepstakes Period/Deadlines

The Gazette My Favorite Teacher ("Sweepstakes") begins on September 12, 2012 at 5 p.m. (noon) Eastern Time (ET) and ends on October 8, 2012, at 11:59 p.m. ET. All entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET, on October 8, 2012. The drawing for the Sweepstakes winner will be held on or about October 10, 2012, at The Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877.

2. Entry Forms

After you nominate a teacher in the My Favorite Teacher Contest online at www.favoriteteacher.net or www.gazette.net, you will be taken to an online page where you can also choose to enter the sweepstakes. You may enter the sweepstakes as many times as you wish by nominating different teachers. Multiple entries from the same person nominating the same teacher may be destroyed. A winner will be randomly selected on or about October 10, 2012.

3. Eligibility Requirements

This sweepstakes is open to all students in kindergarten through grade 12 who attend a public or private school in Montgomery County, Prince George's County, or Frederick County Maryland. Void outside the state of Maryland.

4. Winning

One (1) winner will be chosen and awarded a new iPad (retail value $499). If the winner is under the age of 18, a parent or guardian of the winner will be required to sign a release granting permission for the winner to take possession of the prize, and to consent to paragraphs 5 and 6 below. In the event a parent or guardian declines to sign the release, the prize will be awarded to an alternate winner selected at random (who will be subject to all of these Official Rules).

5. Winner's Responsibilities

Winners are solely responsible for the reporting and payment of any tax liabilities incurred. Any expenses relating to the receipt the prize are solely the responsibility of the winner.

6. Winner's Consent

Except where prohibited, acceptance of the prize constitutes consent to use the Sweepstakes winner's name, photograph, likeness, statements, biographical information, voice, and city and state address on a worldwide basis, and in all forms of media, in perpetuity, without further compensation; (ii) the winner may be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release; and (iii) The Gazette/Gazette-Star and/the Sponsors may share the information submitted on the entry forms with their affiliates and customers. The Sweepstakes winner understands and agrees that The Gazette intends to publish, both in print and online (via the Internet), the winner's name, the school the winner attends, and the town in which the winner resides.

7. Winner's Name

For the name of the winner, send a self-addressed stamped envelope after October 20, 2012, to: Sweepstakes Winner, The Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877, attn.: Cathy Kim. The Sponsor/Promoter of this Sweepstakes is Post-Newsweek Media, Inc./The Gazette in partnership with its Sponsors.

8. Limitations of Liability

The Gazette is not responsible and assumes no responsibility for late, lost, misdirected, undeliverable or incomplete entries, whether online or otherwise, due to postal errors, system errors or failures, or faulty transmissions or other telecommunications malfunctions and/or online entries not received resulting from any hardware or software failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed, incomplete or garbled computer or telephone transmissions, typographical or system errors and failures, or faulty transmissions, or for any problems or technical malfunction(s) of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, or entries not received by The Gazette on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet, or at a Web site, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to entrant's or any other person's computer related to or resulting from entering the Sweepstakes or downloading any material for the Sweepstakes, or other telecommunications malfunctions that may limit an entrant's ability to participate. The Gazette may prohibit an entrant from participating in the Sweepstakes or winning a prize if, in its sole discretion, it determines that said entrant is (i) attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes by cheating, hacking, deception, or other unfair playing practices or (ii) intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other entrants or The Gazette representatives.

IN NO EVENT WILL THE GAZETTE BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES) ARISING OUT OF THIS SWEEPSTAKES.

9. Odds of Winning

The odds of winning the Sweepstakes will be determined by the number of entries The Gazette receives. Prizes are not transferable, redeemable for cash or exchangeable for any other prizes. The Gazette reserves the right in its sole and absolute discretion to substitute a prize of equal or greater value for the prize published above.