Education can often be an arduous career without much appreciation, which is why the Crystal Apple Awards seek to annually celebrate the accomplishments, creativity and contributions of our public-school educators. This March, five teachers were selected to receive PRIDE awards for their excellence in teaching and guiding their students. Nominations were made by students who could submit their favorite teachers for consideration with their own unique reason for why their favorite teacher should win.

Ms. Christy Fikel earns the “P” in PRIDE for her perseverance. Her submission reads, “Ms. Fikel has never given up on me all three years I’ve had her class, and I appreciate her for that.”

Ms. Lauren Bristow displays the “R” in PRIDE for her respect. A quality perfectly displayed in her submission. “She never judges me or other students when we mess up. She is always determined to make us feel okay when we do and encourages us to practice our instruments at home. She always asks us how our weekends were and if we have anything to share before class. As a new teacher, she does an amazing job teaching us.”

Ms. Kristen Kertulis demonstrates the “I” in PRIDE for her integrity. As her submission reads, “Ms. K always warmly greets her students. She actively listens to her students and is always willing to listen to them and others. She also respects all her students. Ms. Kertulis has given me tons of motivation this year and has helped me a lot in her class and has helped me out of trouble.”

Mr. Neil Eggleston takes the “D” in PRIDE for his determination. As shown in his submission, “When a student doesn’t know the answer, he will help and make sure that they eventually understand.”

Ms. Diana Watkins exhibits the “E” in PRIDE for her empathy. A quality displayed in her submission, “She helps me in geometry, and she has spent three years with me and has made me a better person. She made me understand who I am and just over all is an amazing teacher/mom/friend. She makes me feel comfortable and listens even though she might be having a bad day, I just could not thank her more for everything she has done. She deserves the best life and best future.”

Congratulations to this month’s PRIDE award winners for their excellent and consistent displays of PRIDE. It is an honor to have such exemplary teachers at Warhill who work so hard to be such key role models for students.