Special delivery: Golden Apple Awards presented to Rockford-area teachers
Six Rockford area teachers were showered with appreciation, recognition and Golden Apple Awards Thursday.
The Golden Apple Foundation of Rockford and its caravan of volunteers, well-wishers, friends and family and media hand-delivered the annual awards for excellence in teaching during surprise visits to schools across Winnebago and Boone counties.
Although each recipient knew they were among a field of 20 finalists, most were still overwhelmed with emotion when their classroom doors burst open and award was placed in their hands.
Things were changed up a bit for the last presentation of the day when Kennedy Middle School special education teacher Michael Davis was asked to come to the school library without explanation and was greeted with a room of cheering family members, friends and co-workers.
Davis told the crowd, "I thought I was in the doghouse."
More: Your turn: Golden Apple aims to keep great teachers teaching
Kennedy Principal Kourtni Gray said the award validates Davis' passion for education and his students.
"He pours love, sweat and tears into his students," Gray said. "He comes early and stays late. He goes above and beyond for them."
Golden Apple Foundation Executive Director Jennifer Stark called Golden Apple Day "the best day of the year."
"It's a culmination of a seven-month process," Stark said, "and we get to treat the winners like rock stars."
The royal treatment continues April 26 when the red carpet is rolled out for the winners at the Golden Apple Awards banquet held at the Tebala Event Center, 7910 Newburg Road. Each teacher will give a speech stating why they chose the challenging but rewarding profession.
Here are this year's Golden Apple Award winners.
Leann Burmeister-Juliano
School: Belvidere North High School
Subject: English language arts
Years teaching: 15, three at Belvidere North High School.
Education: Bachelor's degree in English from Rockford University, master's degree in differentiated instruction from Concordia University in Chicago.
From a nominator: "She was the absolute best at making English fun. She always shows that she cares about her students. She made me very comfortable in her class and helped in any way she could."
Michael Davis
School: Kennedy Middle School
Subject: Special education
Years teaching: 26, 10 in Rockford Public Schools
Education: Bachelor's degree in elementary education from Rockford College, master's degree in special education from Rockford University.
From a nominator: "Mike Davis is the best. He always greets us with a smile. He treats the kids so good and helps them so much. He gets so excited to teach them new things and help them in the gym and plays with them. He is very kind and gentle, and I'm glad the kids have him as a teacher."
Alex Hartz
School: Hononegah High School
Subject: Algebra/calculus
Years teaching: 15, all at Hononegah
Education: Bachelor's degree in math and secondary education from Augustana College, master's degree in educational design and technology from Concordia University in Wisconsin.
From a nominator: "Mr. Hartz’s passion for mathematics is truly inspiring. His eyes light up when he discusses calculus concepts, and that enthusiasm is contagious. It made me and my classmates genuinely excited to learn."
Molly Kettelhut
School: Galapagos Rockford Charter School
Subject: Seventh grade English language arts and social studies
Years teaching: Seven, five in Rockford Public Schools
Education: Bachelor's degree in elementary education from Northern Illinois University, master's degree in learning design and leadership from University of Illinois.
From a nominator: "Miss Kettelhut gave me the courage and the mindset to try my hardest and to push and achieve my goal. She made me believe in myself and have confidence in the person I am. I never knew another human being could have a huge impact on me as a person and encourage me as much as she does."
Yuritzi "Yuri" Moctezuma
School: Belvidere South Middle School
Subject: Seventh grade English language arts and social studies
Years teaching: 10, two in the Belvidere School District
Education: Bachelor's degree in psychology from DePaul University, master's degree in elementary education from Rockford University.
From a nominator: "She challenges students each day to grow as readers, writers and critical thinkers. She gives students a voice, so they may develop their belief in themselves as capable, confident bilingual young adults."
Cara Wolfe
School: Flinn Middle School
Subject: Eighth grade English Language Arts
Years teaching: Nine, three in Rockford Public Schools
Education: Bachelor's degree in secondary education from Saint Ambrose University.
What she does: She incorporates science-based learning strategies in her classroom to help students “trick their brain” into optimal performance. She engages students in daily information retrieval exercises.
Chris Green is a Rockford Register Star general assignment reporter. He can be reached at 815-987-1241, via email at cgreen@rrstar.com and Twitter @chrisfgreen.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Six Rockford-area teachers win Golden Apple Awards
