'Golden Apples' Awarded To 14 Cherokee County Teachers

CHEROKEE COUNTY, GA — Fourteen Cherokee County School District teachers have been honored as this year’s Golden Apple Award winners.

The Gamma Eta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International presents the annual awards to one teacher from each selected school; honorees are chosen by their colleagues in recognition of distinctive service, enthusiasm, initiative and expertise. The School District is divided into three sets of schools for the awards, and, each year, the chapter invites one set of schools to select an honoree for each of their schools.

This year’s honorees are: Ardis Lussier, Boston ES; Dawn Mathis, Carmel ES; Wesley Queen, Cherokee HS; Jackie Pelfrey, Clark Creek ES STEM Academy; Katie Dobson, Clayton ES; Sally Naporano, Creekview HS; Carrie Barie, Dean Rusk MS; Jennifer Brewer, Freedom MS; Barb Clark, Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy; Kelli Cook, Hickory Flat ES; Tammie Rice, Holly Springs ES STEM Academy; Tracie Jordan, Liberty ES; Megan Mayfield, Little River ES; and Dana Townsend, Mill Creek MS.

Each honoree was presented a golden marble apple as part of the ceremony, which was attended by Superintendent of Schools Brian Hightower.

Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is a professional organization of women educators whose vision is “Leading Women Educators Impacting Education Worldwide.”

The event also included the presentation of the organization’s $1,500 college scholarship to a future educator to Morgan Reeg, a Woodstock High School Class of 2019 graduate, who will attend Kennesaw State University in the fall to study early childhood education.

Additionally, the Cherokee County School District 2019 School Psychologist of the Year is Wendy Barker.

Barker, who serves Little River Elementary School and provides support to CCSD’s Preschool Assessment Team, was presented with the “Golden Cranium” Award by her colleagues.

Her roles also include serving as the school psychologist contact for the River Ridge Innovation Zone, and as CCSD’s school psychology recruitment and retention liaison. She has been instrumental in reinstating CCSD’s school psychology internship program, which will welcome its first intern this fall.

Barker’s colleagues praise her “wealth of knowledge,” dedication and advocacy, and her success as “a great support and mentor for other school psychologists.”