Schools

District 65 Teacher Wins Golden Apple Award

Teacher Carla Stone of Nichols Middle School won the award.

From D. 65:

District 65 is pleased to announce that Carla Stone, Nichols Middle School teacher, is a 2011 Golden Apple Excellence in Teaching Award winner.

Golden Apple selects teachers who exemplify the highest teaching standards and professional practices. They demonstrate distinguished classroom practice, professionalism and collegiality, hold high standards for themselves and their students, create a classroom environment conducive to learning, show commitment to students and their learning.  Sarah Mendez, Nichols Middle School Principal, says Ms. Stone is the kind of teacher who “builds positive relationships with students and colleagues.  In her classroom, you see respect and genuine care. She also has established herself as a leader among staff, and she leads by example, dedicated to making a difference in the lives of students.”

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Ms. Stone is a sixth grade math and science teacher who joined District 65 in 2000.  She is described as a positive-thinker whose life experiences exemplify resilience and a belief in a better tomorrow for her students.  She grew up in Vancouver, BC, Canada where she played semi-pro basketball for the Canadian National Team, a career that ended after she suffered a knee injury. Ms. Stone is known for using her own experiences to help her students. Her teaching approach focuses on teamwork and making each member a positive and efficient participant. 

Superintendent Dr. Hardy Murphy said, “This is a great honor for Ms. Stone.  Our district has long appreciated her talents as a teacher and as a thoughtful, caring, and compassionate person. Ms. Stone is respected by her students and their families, her colleagues, and the administrators with whom she works. We congratulate her on this great recognition.”

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This year Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching honor 4th through 8th grade teachers. Recipients are given a $3,000 cash prize, participate in a paid semester sabbatical at Northwestern University, and are inducted into the Golden Apple Academy of Educators.  The process for selection begins with someone submitting a nomination on behalf of the teacher from which Golden Apple screens and selects semi-finalists.  As one of this year’s 31 finalists, Ms. Stone’s colleagues, school administrators, parents, and former students were interviewed.  She also submitted to classroom observations, wrote an essay, and provided letters of recommendation during the approximately six-month long review process.


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