20 semifinalists named for Golden Apple Award

The finalists, pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade teachers from Winnebago and Boone counties, were chosen by a committee of community volunteers.

The teachers will be observed in their classroom on four separate occasions in January and February. They’ll also be interviewed.

The process will culminate with the selection of five Teachers who will receive the prestigious Golden Apple Award in surprise classroom presentations and will be highlighted in a special program produced and aired on WREX-13.

Each Golden Apple teacher will receive a cash award, a professional development stipend, a Rockford College scholarship, a laptop computer compliments of SupplyCore, a desktop computer compliments of Rockford Computers for Schools and computer software compliments of Entre Computer Solutions and Micrograms Software.

The annual Golden Apple Banquet to honor the recipients is April 24.

2010 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching semifinalists
Cindy Adami
Brookview Elementary School, 2nd grade, Rockford

Shannon Anderson
Prairie Hill Elementary School, kindergarten, South Beloit

Kelli Appino
St. Peter Cathedral School, 3rd grade, Rockford

Bianca Clendening
St. Rita School, 5th grade, Rockford

Judy Chancellor
Gregory Elementary School, kindergarten-5th grade reading, Rockford

Erikka Coletta
Ledgewood Elementary School, 3rd grade, Roscoe

Amy Conklin
Windsor Elementary School, 2nd grade, Loves Park

Jaclynn Coomer
Prairie Hill Elementary School, 4th Grade, South Beloit

Patty Crow
Maria Montessori School, pre-kindergarten through kindergarten, Rockford

Dee Gibson
Marsh Elementary School, 2nd grade, Rockford

Ashley Hoffman
Pecatonica Elementary School, 2nd and 3rd grade looping, Pecatonica

Valerie Jewell
McNair Elementary School, 5th grade, Winnebago

Debbie Lecuyer
Kinnikinnick Elementary School, 4th grade, Roscoe

Sarah Lynch
Blackhawk Elementary School, 5th grade writing and language arts, South Beloit

Patty Meissen
Durand Elementary School, 2nd grade, Durand

Tracy Murphy
Spring Creek Elementary School, 2nd grade, Rockford

Aaron Park
Walker Elementary School, kindergarten, Rockford

Kristine Schaefer-Frank
Meehan Elementary School, kindergarten-5th grade physical education, Belvidere

Sarah Sheridan
Kishwaukee Elementary School, 5th grade, Rockford