Sixty-five Joplin teachers nominated for Golden Apple Award

(From Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce)

The Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that nominations were received for 65 Joplin educators for the 2023 Golden Apple Awards. 

For 38 years, the Golden Apple Awards have recognized excellence in the teaching profession and informed the public of the exceptional quality of instruction in the Joplin community!

The individuals listed below were nominated by students, parents, and peers in Joplin’s public and private schools. All nominees and the individuals who nominated them were recognized at an assembly on March 13 at Missouri Southern State University’s Criminal Justice Center Auditorium.

Judging will take place over the next month and the awardees in each of the four categories will be announced at the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Banquet on Thursday, April 27 at 5:15 pm.

The nominees are:

Kindergarten to Second Grade

Leah Blakenship	College Heights Christian School
Meg Carlisle	Jefferson Elementary
Bailey Gardner	Royal Heights Elementary School
Shannon Harris	Stapleton Elementary School
Beth Haubein	Martin Luther School
Stephanie Lynch	Soaring Heights Elementary School
Monica McGriff	Dover Hill Elementary School
Sara Meyer	Irving Elementary School
Kira Mitchell	Jefferson Elementary
Alexa Murray	Stapleton Elementary School
Shawna Sampson	Irving Elementary School
Whitney Terry	Eastmorland Elementary School
Nicole Thorn	Jefferson Elementary School
Jaylee Todd	Dover Hill Elementary School
Kelsey Vene	Cecil Floyd Elementary School

Third to Fifth Grade

Mary Arnold	Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School
Rebecca Askew	College Heights Christian School
Sheenah Briggs	Kelsey Norman Elementary School
Kari Dietrich	Irving Elementary School
Molly Graham	Cecil Floyd Elementary School
Tylan Harris	Jefferson Elementary
James Hartzfeld	Soaring Heights Elementary School
Hannah Horn	Cecil Floyd Elementary School
Tracy Horton	Soaring Heights Elementary School
Lisa Jolley	Soaring Heights
Lori Lindsey	Kelsey Norman Elementary School
Sophia Martin	Jefferson Elementary
Roxcee McCully	Soaring Heights Elementary School
Angela McPhail	Eastmorland Elementary School
Tina Olson	Cecil Floyd Elementary School
Terryle Pullum	Soaring Heights Elementary School
Gabrielle Robinson	Kelsey Norman Elementary School
Jessica Rogers	Stapleton Elementary School
Amanda Sauer	Kelsey Norman Elementary School
Tyler VanCleave	McKinley Elementary School
Kristina Warden	Stapleton Elementary School

 Sixth to Eighth Grade

Kim Alford	North Middle School
Rachel Bowyer	South Middle School
Leslie Coleman	East Middle School
Laurel Cook	South Middle School
Whitney Cummings	North Middle School
Angela Fry	St. Peter’s Middle School
Chandler Glasgow	South Middle School
Michaela Glensky	South Middle School
Leah Ingram	South Middle School
Katie Juergens	North Middle School
Jil McKinney	College Heights Christian School
Melissa Moseley	North Middle School
Natalie Prodan	North Middle School
Jessica Sewing	East Middle School
Morgan Smith	South Middle School

Ninth to Twelfth Grade

Ryan Burnside	Joplin High School
Joshua Carter	Joplin High School
Ben Coltharp	Joplin High School
Brad Douglas	Joplin High School
Jeremy Finley	Joplin High School
Shelly Greninger	Joplin High School
Alan Linden	Joplin High School
Hannah New	Joplin High School
Janet Parker-Spain	Roi S. Wood Campus
Robert Parsons	Joplin High School
Tracy Saunders	Joplin High School
Dave Smith	Joplin High School
Amber Travis	Joplin High School
Ashley Trotnic	Joplin High School

Thank you to all the students and parents who took the time to nominate these teachers. And a special thank you to the title sponsor of this year’s program, Liberty Utilities, and the presenting sponsor, Missouri Southern State University’s Teacher Education Department.