Jamie is one of those rare people who effortlessly combines kindness with a strong work ethic. Always friendly and approachable, Jamie makes everyone feel comfortable, and she is always happy to share her insights and help others whether at school or a casual setting. Jamie is the epitome of professionalism and grace in every interaction, whether she’s working with students, parents, co-workers, or vendors. She approaches each situation with patience, understanding, and a calm demeanor, ensuring that everyone feels heard and respected. She is incredibly hard-working, and you can always count on her to deliver high-quality results. She is always going above and beyond to ensure that tasks are completed on time and to the highest standard. Her knowledge across a range of topics is impressive, and she's always eager to share her expertise with others, offering thoughtful advice and practical solutions. Jamie has a fantastic sense of humor. She knows how to bring lightness to any situation, making people laugh even during the most stressful moments. I would like to nominate Jamie because, she not just a fabulous co-worker, but a friend and an amazing member of our Wildcat Mountain team.

Mr. Woodhelm is always fun and energetic and the best PE teacher there is. He makes every day a good day and I love to go to his class. I really love how he is nice and pushing us to do our best. Every day he is happy and nice which makes me want to participate and feel good about being in his class. He tries to teach us healthy stuff and how to be fit. When we do games we have to pick a card and it would be what we have to do. Like push ups, sit ups, jumping jacks or ski jumps. When we talk loudly, he reminds us to use inside voices and to make Mrs. Neil proud. My favorite thing he does is castle ball. This is when we have one pin on each side and for castles (two on each side) and when you knock down the two castles and the pin you win. It is really fun.

See video nomination

Our daughter and her classmates are truly both lucky and benefitting greatly from the experience with Mrs Davis. Voted “Best Hugs Ever!” and yet room enough for a high five or fist bump if it isn’t a hug day. The kindness each child is learning and the respect they’ve already grown to provide one another is far beyond kindergarten and will serve each student and family for life. The love for learning that Mrs. Davis has instilled has my daughter excited for Monday mornings. The trust she has built has my daughter sharing things she notices with me to build a better classroom by asking me to help communicate it. She trusts all of us to work as a team to make school better. It’s pretty clear to all of us that we have someone truly special introducing our kindies to the world of learning and I’m grateful for every moment we get to share with her.

Jamie exemplifies what it means to be dedicated, compassionate, and hardworking. From the moment she steps into our school, her commitment to both students and staff is evident in everything she does. Not only does she have a great sense of humor (which is important in an elementary school), her unwavering kindness, patience, and support help our school to be the best place to work. She is an invaluable asset to our school community. Jamie consistently goes above and beyond in her role. She’s always willing to lend a hand, offer guidance, or step in to help with various tasks, often without hesitation. What truly sets Jamie apart, however, is her genuine care for others. She is the kind of person who leads with empathy and always makes us smile. Her actions speak volumes about her character, and her contributions to our school go far beyond what words can capture. For all these reasons and more, I wholeheartedly nominate Jamie for this award. She is truly deserving of this recognition, and our school is better because of her presence.

I would love to nominate Jamie Stoller. Jamie brings strong assets to her role and our staff, students and community are incredibly fortunate to her in our school. First, she is dedicated and hardworking. Jamie brings a positive high energy and a personal touch. Jamie is always positive, encouraging and takes care of all of us, selflessly. Jamie brings true professional attributes to Wildcat Mountain Elementary and genuinely cares about completing excellent quality work. She strives to integrate both an understanding of the big picture goals (for the school) as well as attention to details. Jamie also always goes above and beyond the call of duty in pursuing excellence. For example, in supporting our school, she is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for anything that may arise. You can tell how much she truly loves her job and her colleagues. Jamie easily develops and fosters relationships with faculty, students, and our families. She is terrific in all aspects and I am so appreciative of her every day! It is an absolute honor to work with her!

I would love to nominate Mrs. Clous for the Apple Award because of her heart felt dedication to being a great teacher to her class! We are lucky enough to get to call her our teacher for a second year in a row, and we are blessed that we get her kindness, empathy and love of teaching another year! Shelley is such an advocate for every kid in her class, and goes above and beyond to meet them where they are individually all while teaching the importance of working together. Her classroom is full of students who rave about her! Thank you Shelley for loving and teaching our kids, we appreciate you.

I would like to nominate Heather Kuzma for an Apple Award. Mrs. Kuzma is such a patient and kind person. I love seeing her great the kids in the morning. She has such a hard and demanding job, as do all educators, and always has a positive and warm attitude. I have two kids at WME and with my oldest, I have always felt supported and seen as a parent as we navigate some challenges. Words cannot express how much it means to feel that your child always has someone in their corner at school. Honestly, so many teachers and staff do that for him and it means the world to us. But it’s not just the big things that I have seen Mrs Kuzma navigate with grace, kindness and support. It’s also me mentioning that my younger kiddo had a really off morning and was upset to come to school. It was very unlike him. Mrs. Kuzma went and checked on him and then let me know he was doing okay. She really does care about every single student.

I am proud to nominate Paula Neil for the Outstanding Educator Award as part of the Douglas County Federation Apple Awards. Paula is an exceptional educator who inspires her students to become better writers, mathematicians, and thinkers. Her passion for teaching is evident in every lesson she delivers, and her commitment to fostering academic growth and personal development in her students is truly remarkable. Beyond her classroom, Paula goes above and beyond by volunteering to guide the Battle of the Books competition, encouraging a love of reading and teamwork among her students. Additionally, as the sponsor of the Scripps Spelling Bee at our school, she has created an opportunity for students to excel in spelling and public speaking, further demonstrating her dedication to their overall growth. Paula’s unwavering commitment to her students and her school community makes her a truly outstanding educator, and she is more than deserving of this recognition.

I am thrilled to nominate Brandi Carlson for the Apple Award in recognition of her exceptional contributions as an Educational Assistant. She consistently goes above and beyond, demonstrating remarkable dedication, intelligence, and care. Brandi has an outstanding rapport with students, always creating a supportive and positive environment that helps them thrive. Her organizational skills are exemplary, and she approaches every task with enthusiasm and professionalism. Whether working one-on-one with students or supporting the entire class, Brandi is always willing to do what it takes to ensure each student succeeds. Brandi Carlson is truly deserving of the E.A. Apple Award. Sincerely, Jillian B

Mr. Widhalm is the best teacher because he makes PE fun! He makes boring games into fun games. He's never grumpy and he's nice to ALL the kids! He is SELFLESS- he is at the crosswalk every morning greeting families and making sure we are safe. And he gives his time for Red Shirt Rookies every year. He's great!

Mrs. Petau has a true love and passion for teaching that is obvious in her interactions with her students. She is inclusive of each student and meets them where they are at. Our daughter has made so much progress in every area in a very short amount of time while in Mrs. Petau's class. She treats her students like family and creates a truly loving and accepting environment. We are so grateful to have Mrs. Petau in our lives!

Mrs. Davis is an amazing teacher who works tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of her students. She genuinely cares for each of her students. I am so grateful that my daughter was able to learn from her. Each of her students feels truly loved and seen. Mrs. Davis not only helps her students grow academically but socially and emotionally as well. My daughter made so much progress in every single area. We love Mrs. Davis!!

I would like to nominate Robin Vora, kindergarten teacher from Wildcat Elementary. Not only is she the kindest teacher but she preaches everything we want our kids to exemplify as they get older. My favorite part is the Humble and Kind Leader awards. I have noticed since my daughter has been in her class she goes out of her way to be a better friend, teammate, and person. Our job as adults is to teach our children to be good people and I believe Mrs. Vora does an amazing job not just academically but socially preparing our children as they get older.

Ms Sara Christensen deserves a tremendous round of applause. In partnership with Redstone Elementary, she organized and coached the entire school of Wildcat Mountain Elementary to sing the National Anthem during the Colorado Rockies game. This took a lot of organization, communication, and patience to work with 400+ kiddos rewarding her and the parents with huge smiles, excitement, and community! Thank you Ms Christensen for giving our kiddos this experience - one they'll remember for the rest of their lives!

I would like to nominate Jamie Stoller. Jamie brings her full self to work every day AND she also seriously cares about doing a great job and providing great service to her colleagues and to the community. She’s a great listener and a fair, thoughtful team member. Jamie always maintains relationships with her colleagues and keeping her focus on work priorities. I don’t know how Jamie does it, but I always feel better about myself after I’ve spent time with her. She is always optimistic, always open, and always cares about doing her best. She lifts us all up. Jamie is kind, hard-working and an absolute asset to our school.

I would like to nominate my first grade teacher, Sarah Wegert. This is because she always made me feel welcome everyday that I came to to class. She always had a fun activity to do in her class that kept the whole class engaged in the lesson. We always had the option to have hot or cold lunch and Mrs. Wegert would always have what the school was serving that day up on the whiteboard. I also think that Mrs. Wegert deserves an apple award because she has the most patience kindness ever. She rarely ever raised her voice at my class, and when we needed to be disciplined she found a different way to keep us focused. In the end, Sarah Wegert is by far my favorite and the best teacher that I've had in my academic career and she is the perfect person for an apple award.

I would like to nominate Robin Vora. I have never met a teacher with such love and compassion! I was terrified of my child starting kindergarten and after the first day meeting her, I have had no fears or concerns. She cares for the children as if they were her own, she’s patient, loving and always humble and kind!

I would love to nominate Ms. Shari Griffin for an Apple Award. Ms. Shari Griffin is a truly remarkable educator whose dedication to teaching has impacted her students, their families, and her colleagues. With her passion, she ignites curiosity and a love for learning in every student. Ms Griffin's own love of learning leads her to create engaging lessons that excite her students and makes an exciting classroom. Within that classroom, she creates a nurturing and inclusive environment, where every child feels seen, heard, and encouraged to reach their full potential. We will forever be thankful that our paths crossed with Shari Griffin.