Six of Utah's top teachers and two outstanding volunteers have been selected to receive the 2010 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Education.
Each year, the Golden Apple Awards are presented by the Utah PTA and KUED in recognition of six outstanding educators and two exceptional volunteers. Selected from nominees from every school in Utah, these educators provide children with the educational and social tools needed to succeed. In 2010 KUED and the Utah PTA celebrate 20 years of honoring dedicated teachers and volunteers in the state of Utah.
"KUED has a strong commitment to education in Utah," says KUED General Manager Michael A. Dunn. "The rich 20-year history of this collaboration is an indication of our commitment to educational programming and to the community. These awards are a reminder of how everyone benefits when a talented teacher or school volunteer enriches the life of a child."
Hosted by Ted Capener, the Utah PTA Golden Apple Awards airs on KUED, Thursday, May 27 at 7:00 p.m. and again Sunday, May 30 at 6:00 p.m. The broadcast features the awards ceremony, in combination with on-site footage of the recipients at work in their classrooms.
Terry Hunter of Oak Canyon Junior High in Lindon, Utah, has been teaching for 28 years. Devoted to teaching technology education to young people, Hunter directs the Lindon chapter of the Technology Student Association. As an educator he makes it a point to teach his students that the principles learned in class can be applied to life in general.
Rebecca Ivory, a music teacher at Riverview Jr. High in Murray, Utah, started Harmony for Humanity, a "pen-pal" program designed for students around the world to correspond via letters and music. When Padang Indonesia was hit by a devastating earthquake last year the school with which Ivory's students corresponded was destoryed. Ivory proposed a fundraiser and Riverview raised $10,000 to help rebuild the Padang school.
Doug Jorgensen, of Salt Lake City, is more than the A.P. Biology teacher at Highland High School. He volunteers many hours building a greater school community. It's a common sight to see "Jorgy" at sporting practices, taking stats at games, playing in the orchestra for the high school musical, performing in the school play and at student art shows. His approachable, non-judgmental attitude makes a more unified student body.
LaNay King, is crew leader of "the pirate ship," her fifth grade classroom at Timpanogas Intermediate School in Heber City, Utah. "Finding Knowledge is the Treasure" is her crew's (her students') motto. King, who changed career paths four years ago, claims she knew where she was needed, and in her own words "I am meant to teach elementary!" She tailors her classroom to inspire learning.
Maria Requena is a first grade teacher at Midvale Elementary in Midvale, a title-1 school where over 70 percent of the students speak English as a second language. Author of a sucessful phonics program titled "My Language My Success," she understands the learning diversity among both her students and their parents. Her program is designed to help parents teach their children English while retaining their heritage, yet adapting to their new environment. When she's not teaching full-time, she takes her program across school districts, training educators and parents.
Lisa Roundy is a kindergarten teacher at Spring Creek Elementary in Provo, Utah, where 75 percent of the children in her class ranked low on the kindergarten assessment test and most of the children cannot recognize a single letter of the alphabet. Yet last year, all but one of her students advanced to first grade. She made sure that the student who stayed behind for summer school was at the top of the class, setting examples for the other children.
The 2010 Outstanding Volunteer Awards will be presented to Loftin Harvey and Ella McKnight. Harvey, a single working father, has been volunteering at his daughter's elementary school, Truman Elementary of Kearns, since her days in kindergarten. She's now in the fifth grade. Arranging his work schedule to volunteer four days a week, Harvey stands in as a substitute, helps with lunch detention, reads with the students, makes copies, administers tests, or monitors at recess.
The 88-year-0ld Ella McKnight has been volunteering at Lewiston Elementaryin Lewiston, Utah for the past 15 years. "She even showed up the day after her husband Paul died several years ago," says Lewiston teacher Jan Tingey. "She didn't want to be alone then, so she came to be with the children." With her humble and patient nature she tutors the children one-on-one. Older students often return to the school looking for Ella, remembering the effect she had on them.
Each Golden Apple Award honoree receives a $1,000 cash award and is honored at an awards ceremony and dinner on Tuesday, May 22, at KUED.
Cash awards and program funding of the Golden Apple Awards is provided by the Emma Eccles Jones Foundation, NuSkin Enterprises, Utah Education Network, Educators Mutual Insurance Association and the Utah Education Association.
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