{"id":6837,"date":"2020-09-18T10:33:14","date_gmt":"2020-09-18T18:33:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/communications.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us\/?p=6837"},"modified":"2020-10-27T07:49:20","modified_gmt":"2020-10-27T15:49:20","slug":"ms-judy-cox-awarded-golden-apple","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kpbsd.org\/schools\/comm-test\/2020\/09\/18\/ms-judy-cox-awarded-golden-apple\/","title":{"rendered":"Ms. Judy Cox awarded Golden Apple"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Ms. Judy Cox, Substitute Teacher<\/strong>
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District<\/strong>
Golden Apple Award | September 14, 2020<\/strong>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1988, Ms. Judy Cox started her career in education, and after her retirement, continued doing what she loves as a substitute teacher. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor 32 years she has been inspiring, delighting, and educating students as a kindergarten teacher, first grade teacher, librarian, and an amazing substitute. Ms. Cox is also known as the Book Lady<\/em> and her love of reading inspired her to collect and give away books in the community. In the summer, you can find her at the end of her driveway, with piles of books, eager to share with any and everyone who passes by. Ms. Cox has blesses the lives of educators, students, administrators, and parents (many who are former students), and continues to do so with endless energy and a true love for teaching.\u201d <\/p> –Nominator Kim Bates, Mountain View Elementary educator<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Third\ngrade teacher Catherine Lyon said, \u201cWhen called upon, Judy is up for long term\nsubbing, one day subbing, and in the middle of the night emergency subbing. She\nmakes sure that she is there, ready for the students, no matter what is\nhappening in the classroom.\u201d  \u201cJudy makes\nit a point to know everyone’s name and greet them with enthusiastic familiarity,\u201d\nsaid Catherine Mendenhall, Behavioral Support Teacher. \u201cShe has taught all of\nmy children in various long-term substitute assignments, and keeps up with me\nabout their news, taking a huge personal investment in my family. In fact, she\nmakes me feel like part of her family whenever I see her in the hallways.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Music\nteacher Jonathan Dillon shares, \u201cMs. Cox has a kind heart and is innovative in\nthe ways that she approaches and supports students\u2014maybe this kiddo needs some\nencouragement, that kiddo needs a smile, and this one just needs to move their\nbody while she plays the ukulele!\u201d Donna Anderson, third grade teacher says, “When I grow up, I want to be just like Judy<\/em>.\nShe is a role model, for children and adults.\u201d Fourth grade teacher Dave Daniel\nadds, \u201cShe exudes a love for learning in all that she does, and has an\namazingly versatile tool kit<\/em> for her\nsubbing jobs. Judy handles guest teaching from preschool to high school, but I\nbelieve her favorite is elementary age. She takes the children to faraway\nplaces in stories or in songs, as well as works out those math problems they\ndon’t get.\u201d Sienna Griggs, fifth grade teacher said, \u201cIn the five years I have\nknown her, she has never approached me in the hall without a smile or funny\nstory. She goes out of her way to make our staff and students laugh and enjoy\nour days.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donna\nSchneiders, kindergarten teacher said, \u201cMy kids get so excited when they find\nout that Judy will be my sub that they start to jump up and down and scream!\u201d Bill\nVedders, third grade teacher said, \u201cI met Judy my first year in Alaska when I\nwas force transferred to a kindergarten teaching position at Redoubt\nElementary. Having never taught kindergarten before, I was a bit distressed.\nThe district gave me a few days to visit each kindergarten room so I wouldn’t\nbe a total stranger when kids were yanked from their beloved teachers to be in\nmy room. Judy set me at ease immediately, and it was abundantly evident that\nthis lady, surrounded by more Mickey Mouse memorabilia than I thought existed,\nhad a deep and sincere love for her<\/em> children.\nI heard that Ms. Cox will be retiring again, this time from subbing. Thank\ngoodness that was just fake news, and Judy will still be back in the classroom\nspreading the love of reading and learning wherever she goes!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second\ngrade teacher Lyndi Miller said, \u201cShe has completed two long-term subbing\npositions for me while I was on maternity leave. I had peace of mind while Judy\nwas in my classroom during long-term subbing, knowing that my students were getting\na non-disrupted education with continued curriculum and also residing in a\nnurturing, happy environment. She has a real knack for understanding child\ndevelopment and engaging children to keep them excited to learn.\u201d Nicole\nCunningham, fourth grade teacher says, \u201cShe comes in on her own time to help\nother subs, students, and staff. Ms. Cox works hard to build strong, loving\nrelationships with the whole school and truly embodies what a passion for\nteaching looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHaving a substitute teacher often disrupts a child’s rhythm at school, and this is not the case with Judy. She subs so often in our school\u2014she never declines\u2014that students know and love her like their regular teacher. Her day subbing usually starts with her playing the ukulele and singing You are My Sunshine <\/em>with her students. At the end, she asks Who loves you<\/em>? And students loudly reply, You do!<\/em> They love to see her and greet her in the hall with smiles even when she is not their sub for the day. I love to see her in the hall as well, to get my own personal smile and pick me up conversation, a dose of Judy<\/em> so to speak. She volunteers on a regular basis for all kinds of events, loves kids, and she loves to help.\u201d<\/p> Principal Karl Kircher, Mountain View Elementary School<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The\nKenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education is proud to\nrecognize Ms. Judy Cox for her dedication to the students of the school\ndistrict, past, present, and future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n