KCSD to honor staff with Crystal Apple Awards
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“Throughout the district, staff members are dedicated to empowering all learners. Their passion for positively shaping students’ futures inspires students to use their talents to improve their school and community”
Article by Marcia Schlottman, Public Relations, KCSD.
The public is invited to attend the event April 19 at the Ross Ragland Theater
A custodian, a kindergarten teacher, a bus driver trainer, a special education resource specialist, a paraprofessional, a band director, and two high school teachers are receiving the Klamath County School District’s top honor this year – a Crystal Apple Award.
The district’s Crystal Apple awardees personify educators who go above and beyond for students. They will be recognized Tuesday, April 19 at KCSD’s annual Crystal Apple Awards Gala. The gala begins at 7 p.m. at the Ross Ragland Theater. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free and the public is encouraged to attend. Students from Henley High School and Stearns and Merrill elementary schools will perform at the event.
Glen Szymoniak, superintendent of the Klamath County School District, said the Crystal Apple Awards represent a meaningful way to recognize and thank those who inspire and support students and coworkers.
“Throughout the district, staff members are dedicated to empowering all learners,” he said. “Their passion for positively shaping students’ futures inspires students to use their talents to improve their school and community.”
Following are the district’s 2022 Crystal Apple Awards winners:
Cynthia Fee
Cynthia Fee has wanted to be a teacher since she cut out paper dolls from shopping catalogs and lined them up to play school.
“I’m not sure I can tell you why exactly,” she said. “It was just in my heart.”
That heartfelt dream inspired a career that impacted youth across the country before Fee and her husband landed in Chiloquin in 2006 and she began teaching at the elementary school there. Today, she is a special education resource specialist at Henley Elementary School and a direct instruction coach and trainer for the district’s special education programs and curriculum.
KCSD educator Cassie Carlisle nominated Fee for the district’s Crystal Apple Award, describing her mentor as “the gold standard of special education teachers.”
“She is a fabulous teacher who excels at getting students to reach mastery level with their curriculum and skills, and she takes the time for character education as well,” Carlisle said. “She is one of the hardest working teachers I’ve met, not only in her commitment to students, but also in the professional development of other teachers and para staff.”
Mark Teel
Mark Teel, Henley Middle School’s head custodian, can fix – and clean – nearly anything, and he always has a smile for students. He’s one of the first people they see in the morning. He greets them in the lunch room and in the hallways, and if they’re on his basketball team, he’s there for them on the court.
“He ensures every student feels welcome and safe,” said Kristy Creed, principal of Henley Middle School. “Because Mark is uplifting and kind, students seek him for advice.”
A former mill and construction worker, Teel began working with the district more than 20 years ago. He has been head custodian at Henley Middle School for the past five years.
He enjoys the day-to-day tasks, but ultimately what keeps him motivated and inspired are the students.
“This is a fun age group. They can be a handful, but that’s part of the challenge. My hope is that I’m able to change some kids lives for the better,” he said. “For me, as an adult, that’s what you should strive to do, to try to make somebody’s life better.”
Meghan Miller
Most teachers manage one classroom. Lost River Junior/Senior High School agriculture science teacher and FFA advisor Meghan Miller manages multiple learning environments – a traditional classroom, a food science laboratory, metal and wood shops, two greenhouses, a barn, a chicken coop, and a school farm.
Described as a pathfinder and an advocate for all students, Miller is credited with turning a dying agriculture program into one of the top programs in the state and being a trailblazer for Farm to School programs.
Angie Wallin, vice principal at Lost River, credits Miller with more than doubling the number of students in the school’s FFA and ag program in her first year at the school. Since then, she continued to expand the ag program, adding opportunities for students with greenhouses, ewes and lambs, chickens, pigs, and steers. Her students now raise and harvest produce, eggs, and beef for their school cafeteria.
“Student inspiration comes from teachers who love their content and the students they teach,” Wallin, said. “Meghan is enthusiastic about what she teaches. Students are drawn to that energy and then become just as enthusiastic.”
Melinda Downing
As a bus driver trainer for the Klamath County School District, Melinda Downing is responsible for ensuring drivers meet all requirements and safety protocols for transporting students to and from school and activities. Her ongoing dedication to her drivers and the safety and well-being of students earned her Klamath County School District’s top honor – a Crystal Apple Award.
“She goes way beyond expectations to make sure students arrive at school and home safely, putting in hours long before and after her scheduled time,” said Jettie Charter, who works as an office specialist in the KCSD Transportation Department. “She gives her all to make sure that we function well as a transportation team.”
In addition to training drivers, Downing helps wherever she is needed – driving bus, dispatching, maintaining files, and keeping track of drivers’ certifications.
“I like meeting new people and getting to know them and being a part of their lives as they grow and take on new challenges,” she said. “I learn from every person I work with. They help me grow as an instructor.”
Molly McAuliffe-Hepper
Molly McAuliffe-Hepper’s students say it best:
• “She understands that we all come from different places and that we all go through our own battles.”
• “She sets us up for success and helps us prepare for our future.”
• “She is never afraid to be real and straight up with us and push us to be better people.”
The Henley High School history and senior seminar teacher didn’t plan on being an educator, but after nearly 25 years in the classroom she is where she needs to be.
“I try to help young people feel a sense of belonging and empowerment,” she said. “The goal is to create a place for them to be comfortable and develop a curiosity to learn things beyond themselves.”
Hepper was nominated by three students and her administrators. They use three words to describe Hepper: “Dedicated. Steadfast. Tenacious.”
Her nominators say she is not only a teacher but a support system for many students. “She never gives up on anyone; she caters to all ability levels and pushes us to be our best selves, not only academically, but in the way we act towards others as well,” one student said.
Maggie Hill
Maggie Hill spent years volunteering at Shasta Elementary School – in the classroom, on field trips, for fundraisers. If it needed to be done, she did it.
Her children graduated after seven years as Scorpions. Hill didn’t. Instead of volunteering, she took a full-time job with the school as a paraprofessional, working with children on reading, math, and other skills.
That was more than seven years ago.
Shasta Elementary School Principal Randy Rose described Hill as the most dedicated paraprofessional he has worked with in his more than three decades in education.
“Her love for students and what she does for Shasta is infectious,” he said. “She is able to recognize on a daily basis which students need that extra little attention to make it through the day. Students absolutely adore her.”
Shasta Elementary School teacher Eleanor Trygstad agreed.
“Maggie puts students’ needs first and because of this, students feel safe and cared for every time they are with her,” she said. “She is always ready to jump in and help in any area of need, both at school and in our community.
Rob Izzett
No one sits the bench in Rob Izzett’s band.
“A band is only as good as its weakest musicians so the challenge is to do everything I can to help them achieve no matter where on the talent spectrum they might fall,” said Izzett, who is band director for Mazama High School and Brixner Junior High.
Izzett’s dedication to reaching students and helping them succeed is one of the reasons Valli Lonner, vice principal at Mazama High School, nominated him for the award.
“He inspires students of all backgrounds as he brings them together to create music,” she said. “His out-of-the-box thinking – he started a mariachi band as a way to engage students who do not normally participate in band – and his willingness to teach students to play new instruments, demonstrates his desire to reach all students, to encourage them to try new things, and to support them along the way.”
Izzett also directs the Klamath Community Band every Thursday and is an ordained Anglican priest in the Reformed Episcopal Church.
“What inspires me professionally is being with the students and watching them achieve more than they thought possible,” Izzett said.
Lori Nealy
After 33 years of teaching, Lori Nealy still looks forward to each day in her kindergarten classroom at Ferguson Elementary School – the hugs, the laughter, and yes, even the tattling.
“I am extremely blessed to be a part of these students’ educational paths,” Nealy said. “My biggest accomplishment is teaching more than a thousand students in my career. I have even taught kids of the kids.”
The Crystal Apple winner is known by coworkers as “an expert teacher who meets students where they are at and provides individualized instruction based on what each student needs.”
“Lori inspires students by instilling a love of learning at the kindergarten level and welcomes all children in,” writes coworkers Mariah Campbell and Sabrina Johnson. “She is that safe person for all students and especially for those who need her most.”
Nealy also is a mentor for other teachers and often goes out of her way to help a student or staff member in need.
“She will lend a hand at a moment’s notice and often spends her personal time helping others learn and grow in their fields,” her nominators said.