This year's Golden Apple Award winners are pictured above, as is scholarship winner Cherokee High School graduating senior Sarah Hampton, front row at right. 

Thirteen 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, a professional organization of active and retired women educators, for the past 24 years has presented the annual awards.  The honor recognizes one teacher from each selected school for distinctive service in education and for demonstrating ethics in all professional relationships, enthusiasm and initiative, and knowledge and skills in his/her education field.  

The School District is divided into three sets of schools for the awards, and, each year, the chapter invites one set of schools’ faculty to select an honoree for each of their schools.  

This year’s honorees are: Leslie Bryant, Freedom MS; Heather Craighead, i-Grad Virtual Academy; Katie Fasnacht, Clark Creek ES STEM Academy; Danielle Gantt, Hickory Flat ES; Angela Graves, Mill Creek MS; Dana Leverette, Cherokee HS; Kelly Morris, Little River ES; Jamie Moss, Boston ES; Daniel Pratt, Creekview HS; Carson Rockey, Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy; Christy Talmage, Carmel ES; Robyn West, Dean Rusk MS; Tiffany Wilson, Liberty ES.

Each honoree was recognized and presented with a golden marble apple during the program, which also was attended by family members and their Principal.  Dixie Harper serves as the chapter president, and Merry Hofmeister is the Golden Apple program chair; both are CCSD instructional technology specialists.

“There’s no more fitting tribute for the honor you’re receiving tonight than a golden apple,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said.  “You are the best of the best.  You are your colleagues’ role models and mentors.  You are the gold standard.”

This week’s celebration also included the presentation of the organization’s annual scholarship for a future educator.  The winner, Cherokee High School graduating senior Sarah Hampton, will use the $1,500 for her studies at Kennesaw State University.  She plans to major in middle grades education with a focus on literature.

“Sarah describes herself as determined — when it comes to a challenge, she finds a way to complete it and succeed,” Ms. Hofmeister said. 

Sarah has served as a leader in school and her community, including as a member of the Alpha Gamma service organization; National Honor Society; National English Honor Society, for which she serves as historian; National Latin Honor Society; Environmental Action Club; and the school marching band.  She is an After School Program worker for CCSD, and also works at Panera and volunteers at Woodstock City Church.
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Cherokee High School graduating senior Sarah Hampton will use the $1,500 scholarship for her studies at Kennesaw State University