Golden Apple Award

he Golden Apple Award is sponsored by Bi-Lo and WYFF television
in Greenville South Carolina. It recognizes the excellent work taking place
in classrooms throughout Upstate South Carolina. Each week, an educator is
featured during the Thursday 5:00 pm newscast on WYFF News 4.
The Golden Apple Awards are a way for viewers to share why their favorite teacher
should receive this honor. In May, the winners were honored at the annual
Golden Apple Awards banquet. At that banquet, a Teacher of the Year
was announced from the weekly winners.

n Wednesday, December 18, 2002, Miss Jackson and Miss Perry came
into our classroom for a special announcement. She told us that WYFF
had called to say I had won a Golden Apple Award! Christina's Mother, Christian Harrison,
had nominated me for this award in November.

ur class was featured on the Golden Apple Awards segment
Thursday, December 26,2002 at 5:00 p.m. on WYFF.

he next morning around 11:00 a.m., Sharon Johnson of WYFF
and the camera man came into our room. The children were
sitting in chairs lined up like a train for our story, The Polar Express.
Christina was our train conductor and she called out, "All aboard for
the Polar Express!" Then Christina and I handed out special tickets to
go on a magical ride to the North Pole. As I began reading, the children
sat quietly listening to this beautiful story. After the story, we discussed the
lesson of the story. I asked the children, "Do you believe in Christmas
and Santa?" Of course, all the children quickly raised their hands! Inside a
wrapped package, I had silver bell necklaces which Christina and I put on
everyone. Then, I asked the children to ring their bells if they believe.
What beautiful sounds were heard in our room!

fter the story, we made several photographs and then the children went to
lunch with Mrs. Jo, my assistant. Sharon interviewed Christina and her
Mom asking why they nominated me for the Golden Apple Award.

Christina, Christian and
Sharon Johnson helped make
this day so very special!

Christina tells Sharon why she nominated
me for the award.

This is my special shelf
where I display gifts
I've received from students, my
family and friends.
(That's my first grade
picture on the middle shelf.)

This is my Daddy's golden apple that he received upon his retirement from Pickens County School District
in 1993.

hen, it was my turn for an interview. Sharon asked me about a golden apple
I have displayed on my special shelf. My Father, Dr. George F. Case received
the apple when he retired from Pickens County School District in 1993.
After his death in 1998, I placed the golden apple next to his picture on the shelf.
I told Sharon how my parents and husband encouraged me to earn my
teaching degree after 18 years of being a teacher assistant.
I remember telling my Mother, that I would be almost 40 when I graduated
from college. She replied, "Anne, Honey, it doesn't matter if you go to school or not,
You'll still going to turn 40!
I enrolled the next semester....

My Mother looking on as
she gives graduation gifts to me
and my sister-in-law,
Sam Case.
Southern Wesleyan University
December 1993.

"he people who influence you are people who believe in you."
Henry Drummond

My parents,
George and
Nancy Case

also told her what an influence my Father, Dr. George Case, was
as an educator of 30 years. He served as an elementary and high school teacher,
as well as a Psychology professor at North Greenville College in Tigerville, SC.
In 1971, he became personnel director for Pickens County School District.
He retired in 1993, just months before I graduated from college. My father
worked diligently throughout his life in the school system, as an educator,
school board member and also a Southern Baptist minister for almost 50 years.
On Tuesday, when I heard the news of the Golden Apple Award, my first
thoughts were on my parents who both passed away within 5 months of each other.
I credit this award to them for their love, encouragement and support.

he best inheritance a person can give to his children is
a few minutes of his time each day
--O. A. Battista
he other person who kept telling me, "You can do it." for seven long years of
college was my husband, Bert LaBoon. He has always been so encouraging
and supportive of my teaching profession. I could never have made it
through college without his help.
his award is in honor of my husband whom I married on December 25, 1980.
I'll never forget his words when I began my first grade teaching position in 1994,
"It doesn't matter if you live to be 100, you never, ever forget your first grade teacher."

Here are some more photos taken of our exciting day!

Christina tells Sharon Johnson that "Mrs. LaBoon makes learning fun, teaches the children respect and makes us all feel special."	A special thank you to Christina and her Mom for the nomination! What a wonderful early Christmas gift and it will always be a day I'll never forget!
The children gather around me and Miss Jackson after the taping of the segment.

~hank you also to our wonderful son, Joshua, and his wife, Carin,
my 3 brothers and their families, the LaBoon and Bowers families,
my friends, and colleagues at Hagood Elementary School, Bi-Lo and
also to Sharon Johnson and the WYFF news team for this honor.

Bi-Lo sent me a basket of golden apples, a gift certificate, and a copy of the Golden Apple video. Nicole's Mom works at Bi-Lo and brought the basket to me and Christina was the student who nominated me.	Here is the beautiful basket of Golden Apples!
	Thank you to Bi-Lo and WYFF for the award and basket of apples!

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, But by the seeds you plant."
~Robert Louis Stevenson~

On May 13,2003, My husband and I attended the Annual
Golden Apple Award Banquet in Greenville, South Carolina.
Click on the banner above to see the pictures!

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