Golden Apples Awarded

At the May 5th Putnam City Board of Education meeting, the Putnam City Public Schools Foundation presented Golden Apple Awards to four people in recognition of their service and dedication to district students. Here are the descriptions of the contributions made by these outstanding teachers and volunteers:

Jerry Campbell
Volunteer, Rollingwood Elementary

Jerry Campbell has been a part of the Rollingwood family for seven years when his daughter entered preschool. He is a team member, who is concerned about all the children in the building. He donates his time and resources at this school on an almost daily basis.

The list of his kind acts and support for the teachers includes substituting when needed, volunteering at the book fair, helping the PTA, assisting the PE teacher with fitness tests, decorating the stage for music programs, delivering snacks, buying books for teachers and even donating his time to monitor recess time.

Music programs require the help of parents to get everything ready. Jerry spent countless hours helping with his daughter’s fifth grade program. When he discovered that Mrs. Baxter needed more help for another program, he stepped in to fill the gaps and assist in any way he could.

Jerry truly honors the staff with words of humor and constant encouragement. He often thanks the teachers for the work which they do to educate children. He encourages them by enriching the environment of the entire building. He unselfishly volunteers countless hours of his time to Rollingwood.

Brett Payne
Fifth-Grade Teacher, Tulakes Elementary School

Brett Payne exemplifies the definition of an educator. He is truly one that wants to leave no child behind. He provides multiple opportunities for students to be successful in the classroom by offering one-on-one instruction, a study hall and intramural sports activities. His students value learning and make every effort to achieve each year. Students from his class often volunteer in other classrooms to learn the value of helping others.

One of Mr. Payne’s passions is raising funds for students from Tulakes to attend the “People to People” youth leadership conference in Washington D.C. He sponsors a golf tournament and other fund raising events each year with the proceeds going to support that project.

Brett has been the driving force behind a tutoring -basketball program for the students in 4th grade and 5th grade for several years. This program helps students stay accountable for their grades and behavior for the privilege to play basketball. This year the program at Tulakes was expanded to five other schools. Six school teams played games on weekends and just completed the year with an end-of-the-season tournament. Teachers and students work on skills after school to become the best they can be. Brett truly has a vision that students are more successful in the classroom when they are involved in extra-curricular activities and sports.

Tonya Wilkins
Financial Secretary, Putnam City High School

Tonya Wilkins is a Pirate through and through. She graduated from Putnam City High School and was very active in sports and leadership there. She has held the important position of Financial Secretary at PC High for 28 years! She alone is responsible for the legal and correct accounting of a large budget on a daily basis.

Tonya’s true colors are shown when the Cancer Carnival time approaches. Last year she personally counted over $32,000, from sticky pennies in a donation jar to crumpled up dollars crammed in a coffee can.

Tonya is one of a kind. She works relentlessly to supply whatever teachers need for instructional success. She counsels department heads who work with her daily to help them monitor their activity account. She has the people skills and organizational skills needed to monitor the budget of the athletic program, music program, drama and speech program and all the other activity programs with grace and kindness.

Tonya’s job is definitely a “behind-the-scenes” job. Tonya is responsible for the legal and correct accounting of the school budget, she helps gate workers at sports events, runs errands for teachers, shops for the school, is in charge of receptions, keeps the inventory, delivers packages, moves furniture and does all of the big and little things that have to be done to make a school become great. This Super Pirate fan probably bleeds orange and black. She has invested her entire life in Putnam City High.

Laurie Wilson
Pre-Kindergarten Teacher, Francis Tuttle

Laurie Wilson has taught pre-K for the last six years. She has had the unique opportunity to be the first Putnam City teacher to teach at an off-site location. Originally, she taught pre-K at the Putnam City United Methodist Child Development Center. Two years ago, Laurie moved to Francis Tuttle, where Putnam City began a new partnership to create an off-site pre-kindergarten there. She has excelled in these assignments. Her unique position means that she does not have the support of other teachers and resources as she would in a regular school. Mrs. Wilson’s professionalism, grace and kindness have paved the way to an equally successful partnership in both locations.

As the off-site preschool program has developed, Laurie has served on the interview team to select new teachers, answered questions from the candidates and helped the new teachers with ideas and support. She has been on the district committee to develop the mastery report card and plan its implementation.

“Nice, sweet, gives good snacks and reads good books” are words that one 4-year-old used to describe his teacher, Ms. Wilson. The parent who relayed those words explained that Laurie goes above and beyond to help children understand the importance of education while making it fun at the same time.

Golden Apple Award winners (seated, left to right) Brett Payne, a 5th-grade teacher at Tulakes Elementary School; Tonya Wilkins, the financial secretary at Putnam City High School; (standing, left to right) Laurie Wilson, a teacher in Putnam City’s 4-year-old program who is based at Francis Tuttle Technology Center; and Jerry Campbell, a volunteer at Rollingwood Elementary School.