Mrs. Joyce Estes
Third Grade Teacher, Will Rogers Elementary
Mrs. Joyce Estes is a third grade teacher at Will Rogers Elementary School. She has devoted 19 years to making Will Rogers a special place to learn. She clearly shows genuine love for every child. She has a gift for making learning fun. She always puts her students learning first.

Mrs. Estes is full of enthusiasm, and attends every workshop she can find to become more knowledgeable. She has assisted individuals as well as the entire faculty in a number of areas. Her knowledge of technology has carried over into the classroom, as she has guided her students and her entire grade level through authentic technology projects. She is always ready to stay late or take technology classes to improve her skills. In 2004, the school received an OKACTS grant and Mrs. Estes was an important part of the implementation team.

Mrs. Estes has shared her expertise in literacy programs that has assisted the entire faculty and benefited countless students. Mrs. Estes volunteered to be on the school’s Reading Vertical Committee. She learned of a reading incentive program designed to encourage students to read for enjoyment. She worked tirelessly recruiting parents, additional faculty members, and monetary support from the PTA.

Mrs. Estes continues to give of herself in many areas such as the yearbook chairperson and reading representative on the School Improvement Committee. She also serves on the Technology and Responsible Citizen Committees.

Mrs. Estes exemplifies the meaning of a professional who gives her all. She has been blessed with a heart that truly cares about those she comes in contact with. Whether it is the struggling student, the gifted student, the student teacher, or the career teacher, Mrs. Estes gives all she can to help meet the individual needs of those around her.

Mrs. Estes is currently pursuing her master’s degree in ELL. Her dedication to making sure all of her students are actively engaged with the curriculum is a reason why she is a Golden Apple Teacher.

Ms. Robin Fox
Parent Volunteer, Coronado Heights Elementary
Ms. Robin Fox is a parent volunteer at Coronado Heights Elementary School. She has been a homeroom mother for the last five years. She has consistently gone above and beyond to improve the education of students.

Ms. Fox has volunteered for numerous events, including trips to the grocery store, the movies, McDonalds, and to the pumpkin patch. She helps each year with the Thanksgiving Feast from start to finish. At Open House, she single handedly manages the special education bake sale each year. She has made costumes for the school musical for students unable to make their own. Ms. Fox is dependable and reliable. Ms. Fox organizes the yearly Harvest Food Drive, and manages the collection of food for the school wide activity. She is always willing, prompt, and positive.

As the parent of a child with special needs, she seizes every opportunity to give back to the school that has been so much a part of her daughter’s life. Her love for children and devotion to the students at Coronado is evident in her work. She spends many hours working with students in various capacities from attending the State Special Olympics to manning the annual Book Fair. She has truly been an essential part of making the Book Fair a success. She has worked all day, every day and in the evenings for the Open House event. Ms. Fox has taken it upon herself to attend a Book Fair workshop, decorate the Fair area and set up the books in an attractive way.

Ms. Fox has accompanied two classes of special needs students to the swimming pool for a unit on swimming, despite her inability to swim, and dislike of water. Ms. Fox is an active member of the PTA, and works each year on the school carnival to ensure its success. She has been the hostess in the cafeteria and fills in when they are in a bind. She also comes each Friday to make popcorn for the entire school.

Ms. Fox selflessly gives her time and support for the benefit of the students and staff, and always does so with a willing heart and a ready smile. Her efforts are most impressive and her devotion very deserving of the Golden Apple Award.

Mrs. Regina Hartley
Library Media Specialist, Mayfield Middle School
Mrs. Regina Hartley is the Library Media Specialist at Mayfield Middle School. She truly displays the qualities of an outstanding educator and is well respected among her peers. She is dedicated to the teaching profession. She has been at Mayfield for nine years and has an active role in making sure her students make the right decisions.

Mrs. Hartley is the backbone behind the AR system, and challenges readers to improve. She is patient in teaching others how to use the AR and Star programs on the computer, as well as assisting in the classroom. She has taken on many jobs that are not in her job description. She eagerly sets up power point presentations for faculty and professional development meetings. She recently volunteered to present slide shows during a faculty meeting to help teachers become familiar with new internet programs. Almost every Monday, she presents a power point slide show to the students during the Trojan Time assembly, complete with music and pictures of the week’s activities. She is also the web manager for the Mayfield website. She is known at Mayfield as the "Technology Guru!"

Mrs. Hartley organizes and plans the Spelling Bee and the Geography Bee. She also sees that the Book Fair is well advertised. Last year, Mrs. Hartley worked incredibly hard writing a grant for the school library. Her efforts resulted in $5000.00 in grant money for the library, a major contribution displaying her willingness to go the extra mile. Just recently she has sponsored a Box Top competition and a Mayfield bookmark contest. The bookmark contest consists of the students designing and submitting bookmarks, which are judged by the aides and the teachers. The bookmarks of the winners are copied and used throughout the year by the entire student body every time they check out a book.

Mrs. Hartley is currently working on her National Board Certification to better service the students. She is always willing to go past what is expected and do her best for the teachers and students. Mrs. Hartley exemplifies what the Golden Apple Award is about.

Ms. Adrienne Hauck
Administrative Intern, Hefner Middle School
Ms. Adrienne Hauck is the sixth grade principal at Hefner Middle School. She has dedicated eight years to the District. She has a "can do" attitude towards everything she undertakes at the school. She works very hard to see that each child succeeds. She encourages good citizenship in the students. She adds an element of excitement to the day. She is known to add the extra "zip" that teachers appreciate and the students like the "unknown" elements of her visits.

Ms. Hauck has provided a supportive and nurturing environment for the teachers, as well as the students. She is a hands-on participant of the school wide ZAP (zeros aren’t permitted) program. Her expectations for the sixth grade students have been clear from the beginning: No zeros are permitted and F’s are not acceptable. Because of these expectations, the sixth grade students went from having a 12% failure rate last year to less than 1% this year. She has sacrificed personal time to help and encourage students in their academic success. She even works in her own "study hall" to help students complete missing work.

Ms. Hauck has earned the respect of the students and teachers. She has made it a point to get to know the students she works with daily. She is on a first-name basis with most of the sixth graders, not just the ones who demand attention. When disciplinary action is required, she is always firm, but fair, and the students respect her for that. She has gone above and beyond to support her teaching colleagues and will do whatever it takes to make students successful. She works personally with struggling students during lunch and after school.

Ms. Hauck has created an environment where all teachers feel encouraged and fully supported. She is a teacher’s principal. She is known for her "Together we can do it" attitude, which has created a positive atmosphere for the teachers. She supports the teachers’ efforts, listens to their concerns, and takes action. Ms. Hauck truly deserves the Golden Apple for her dedication to the students and teachers.

Mrs. Ruth Jones
Fourth Grade Teacher, Coronado Heights Elementary
Mrs. Ruth Jones is a fourth grade teacher at Coronado Heights Elementary School. She has devoted nine years to the Putnam City District. She is known by others as an exemplary master teacher. She goes above and beyond the call of duty to ensure excellence in educating her students. For the past two years, 100% of her students have scored satisfactory or advanced in reading and math on the fourth grade CRT tests! Her goal is to teach her students to love learning and to become lifelong learners.

Mrs. Jones is highly trained in Accelerated Math, and has implemented it in her plans. To accomplish this, she has attended many workshops, made extensive plans, and collaborated with colleagues to produce a program that works. She has facilitated several after school in-services for schools interested in this program. She is willing to "drop everything to help out!"

Mrs. Jones loves teaching, and it shows on her face. She is ready for each class and wants her students to feel safe and know they are cared for personally, as well as wanting them to learn the subject matter. Mrs. Jones works each summer expanding her "Oklahoma" unit. She arranges for the grade level to have a personal visit with our state representative when they tour the Capitol.

Mrs. Jones is a co-chair on the Site School Improvement team at the school. She has worked countless hours, with the school data, and with the administration to ensure the school has goals that will make the school even better than it already is.

Mrs. Jones is a leader within the faculty, and has innovative and creative ideas that encourage others to follow. She has a life long impact on the education of her colleagues, as well as her past, present, and future students. She is well-respected by students, parents, and colleagues. It is very common for former students to come back to visit her, and she welcomes them by taking a genuine interest in them and the accomplishments they have made in the years beyond her classroom. Mrs. Jones is truly a Golden Apple Teacher.

December 2006 Golden Apple Award winners (seated, left to right) Regina Hartley, Joyce Estes and (standing, left to right) Adrienne Hauck, Robin Fox and Ruth Jones.