Posts by Golden Apple
666 Teachers Nominated for the 2027 Golden Apple Awards
This year’s nominations offered powerful reminders of the difference educators make in the lives of local students and families. A stud...
2022 – Melissa Yuska
Melissa Yuska was hired as principal on June 24, 2019. She previously served as the assistant principal at Windsor and Olson Park Elementary Schools. Before that, she was a supervisor of special education...
2023 Jan Jones Service Award Recipients: The Kiwanis Club of Rockford and Virginia Norris
Congratulations to the Kiwanis Club of Rockford and Virginia Norris on receiving the Jan Jones Service Award.
Matthew Green
Matt Green of Rockford has been teaching for 18 years, the last 12 at Roosevelt Community Education Center.
Jean Chambers
Jean Chamber has been at Hononegah High School for 24 years, teaching 9th grade honors World Literature and 12th grade British Literature.
Ashley VanSickle
Ashley VanSickle has taught technology in Germany and in an elementary school. The past four of her nine years has been at Harlem Middle School, teaching Social Studies.
Mark J. Peterson
Mark J. Peterson of Algonquin has been teaching for 14 years, the past eight at Rockford’s Auburn High School.
Chelsea Spinello-Johnson
Chelsea Spinello-Johnson of Rockford has been teaching for 14 years, the past six at Rockford’s Gifted Academy at Thurgood Marshall Middle School.
Heather Plourde
Heather Plourde of Rockton has been teaching for 17 years, 15 of them at Rockton’s Hononegah High School.
Hayley Gotzsche
Hayley Gotzsche of Roscoe has been a teacher for eight years, the past three at South Beloit’s Willowbrook Middle School.