A Golden Dinner

Remember how I was nominated for the Golden Apple Award?

We had the exceptionally wonderful dinner for it last night.  It was hosted by the Provo School District's PTA and was superb!  It was fun to spend the night with the hubs and my principal and our school PTA president eating chicken cordon bleu and yummy caramel apples! 

There are so many great teachers in Provo School District!  I was so impressed with the comments given for many of the teachers there and was proud to know many of them.  

One of the coolest moments of the night was spending it with my aunt, uncle, and the principal of the school where my aunt works.  How neat is it that we got the Golden Apple the same year as each other?  She's been my hero.

I almost gave up on teaching during my student teaching and she got me through many of the hard parts of my career (a.k.a my first year of teaching!).  Her principal, Kim, has known me since I was a toddler.    She came to observe me through my student teaching and gave me the added confidence boost that I needed to pursue my career and interview.

Without these women, I'm not sure I would have even thought about going into teaching!

{Kim, me, Karen, and Uncle Mikey}

The school board was there to help present our awards, along with the Superintendent Rittel.  Who gave me permission to now call "Keith."  Though he did say he preferred "Lord" first and foremost.  He's a hoot to talk with!

He also gave me some touching compliments that were nice to hear with T standing next to me.  It's always nice when your spouse can hear good things about what you're doing, especially when he sacrifices a lot for my career also.  

He never complains about the mac and cheese dinner nights when we both get home too late to make dinner, or the nights when I'm ornery and putting in grades the night before they're due.  

He's ever so supportive and I'm grateful to have gotten such a great catch!  He was so proud and happy to have me as his wife last night!  I told him that he's the only one I really ever want to impress and make proud.  He tells me daily how proud of me he is.

What a keeper!

It was even better when a member of the school board came up to us and told us all of the things that are being said at the district about me.  Apparently good things are coming out of my classroom and a lot of them will be coming to observe me.  

Gulp.

Hello terrifying experiences coming my way...  

 {Me and my golden apple.}  

Pretty awesome.  I hope I can keep doing good things for the district and my students.  

Teaching is my passion and it's hard to imagine a teacher loving their students as much as I do.  I adore their little faces, their art masterpieces plastered behind my desk, and how much information and knowledge they learn on a daily basis!

a golden apple.

 I've been harboring a secret for a little over a month now.  

The lovely Laurie who is in the PTA and over the Golden Apple Award told me back in January that I'd been nominated for the Golden Apple Award by my students, their parents, the community, and the PTA.  

After she told me in the principal's office and I was sworn to secrecy, I walked down to my classroom and cried.  It's something that I didn't expect and certainly did not think was possible being a new teacher.  Sometimes it's nice to be recognized for your hard work.  Especially when you're doing something you love.

I can't think of a more amazing award to receive than from the people that I admire and love in the community of Rock Canyon Elementary.

They announced the lucky recipient [me!] today at our Spirit Week Assembly that was held in the Scera Theater.  My kids have been crossing their fingers, toes, and everything else all week to make sure I won.  I told them that there was no way that the PTA would give the award to a teacher who hasn't even finished her 2nd year teaching [*wink wink*].

[Although I was completely ecstatic when I walked down the aisle, I was completely embarrassed too.  I'm so glad this picture doesn't show how red I was.]

My bunch of 32 students were responsibly crazy (is that even possible) when Laurie called my name as the Golden Apple Award recipient today.  I think they were more excited than I was (which is hard!). 

[Laurie and myself... with the principal's shadow on the side.  Laurie is a wonderful lady and has become a good friend.  I adore her and her children.]

Laurie shared a sweet story with the school about a day last year that I visited her son (who was in my class) who had his tonsils removed and missed school for a couple of weeks.  I didn't realize she remembered the day I dropped by their house to give him some simple letters from our class and stop and chat with him to see how he was doing. 

It was a tender moment for me.

Tyler, my parents, and my grandma came to experience the moment with me (and the rest of the 645 students at Rock Canyon). 

My mom cried.  No worries though, she cries whenever her kids do something she's proud of.

Just when I thought my cheeks couldn't get any brighter, the principal then said I'd give a prepared 15-minute speech.  

Yeah, right.  I was off that stage pretty quick after that!

The PTA was incredibly generous in their gifts (Laurie even called Tyler to see what color of roses I'd like!).  They definitely made this little teacher feel completely and utterly grateful.

 [Beautiful orange flowers!]

Along with flowers and a framed award, they gave me a gift card to a certain wonderful bookstore that I adore and a couple of coupons to Marley's Gourmet Sliders restaurant (Tyler can't wait to use them!).

[from the best PTA in the world]

Honestly?!  My cup overfloweth with love and gratitude for the wonderful people in my life.  I really couldn't ask for more than what I have right now.