Findlay Rotary Announces Golden Apple Semifinalists

The Findlay Rotary Club has announced the semifinalists for its 2020 Golden Apple Awards.

The Rotary presents the Golden Apple Awards annually to local educators for their teaching excellence.

Details are in the following news release from the Findlay Rotary Club.

You can check out last year’s winners here.

The Findlay Rotary Club has announced its nine semifinalists for the 2020 Golden Apple Awards.

Annually, Rotary chooses three teachers from the elementary level, three teachers from the middle school level and three teachers from the high school level to compete for the award. The finalists will be announced at the annual Golden Apple Awards Dinner on October 21, 2020.

The finalist at each level receives the Golden Apple Award along with a $2,500 cash prize. Second and third place semi-finalist each receive a $250 cash prize. Finalists also accept an invitation to join the Golden Apple Academy, a group consisting of all past Golden Apple Award finalists.

At the elementary level, the three semifinalists are: Lani Sapp, First Grade at Jefferson Primary; Becky Solomon, Second Grade at Jacob Primary; and Sarah Strohscher, Second Grade at Whittier Primary.

At the middle school level, the three semifinalists are: Kathleen Rayle, Intervention Specialist grades 6-8 at Glenwood Middle School; David Sorensen, Instrumental Music Instructor at Arlington Local Schools; and Raymond Wolfe, Director of Choirs/Musical Director/Assistant Band Director at Liberty-Benton Local Schools.

At the high school level, the three semifinalists are: Martie Andrews, Intervention Specialist at Findlay; Stacy Palmer, Government, History at McComb Local School; Daniel Wilson, Instrumental Music Instructor/ Marching Band Director at Findlay High School.

The Findlay Rotary accepted nominations for the award from students, parents, administration, colleagues and the community-at-large through the beginning of April.

Nominees are required to be a current teacher in the Findlay area or a Hancock County school and have at least three years of experience.

Nominated teachers submit a resume, a teaching philosophy essay, and two letters of recommendation to the Rotary Community Selection Committee, which selects the semifinalists. A second group of members from the Rotary Final Selection Committee interviews and conductions classroom visits to determine the finalists.