17-04-2025
Roanoke County Schools names 2025 Golden Apple Teacher of the Year
ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) – A Cave Spring High School Teacher wins the 2025 Roanoke County Golden Apple Teacher of the Year Award.
Kristen Canipe, the 2025 Golden Apple Teacher of the Year, says 'adolescence is a pivotal time, shaping the leaders of tomorrow,' and that she works to model respect, responsibility, and safety in everything she does.
(Photo Credit: Roanoke County Public Schools)
The award was presented in partnership with the Roanoke County Public Schools Education Foundation, and this is the highest honor that is presented to a teacher in Roanoke County Public Schools annually.
Canipe will automatically become a nominee for Roanoke County Public Schools for the 2027 Virginia Teacher of the Year Award and will receive the use of a brand-new Subaru for one year, courtesy of Southern Team Auto.
She will also receive a check for $1,000.
Roanoke County educator wins 2026 Regional Teacher of the Year Award
RCPS also announced the winners of the Red Apple Award – the top teachers at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. The winners will each receive a check for $700. The 2025 Red Apple Award winners are:
Wendy Niday – kindergarten teacher at Herman L. Horn Elementary School
Lauren Burgess – English teacher at Northside Middle School
Barbara McGrath – Science teacher at William Byrd High School
(Photo Credit: Roanoke County Public Schools)
The winner of the 2025 Green Apple Award is Peyton Hurd from Burlington Elementary School. The winner will receive a check for $500 and every finalist received a check for $75.
'More than 130 teachers were nominated, and we ultimately narrowed the nominees down to 16 finalists,' said Joseph Higginbotham, president of the RCPS Education Foundation.
'Several Foundation Board members, including myself, served on the selection committee and watched each video submitted by our finalists. The selection process was very difficult, and the committee had a challenging time selecting our final winner. We are extremely grateful to have so many incredible teachers in our schools,' Higginbotham said.
'We are so grateful for the continued support from the Education Foundation for our students and teachers,' said Dr. Ken Nicely, superintendent of Roanoke County Public Schools. 'Every teacher is worthy of this recognition and I'm so appreciative of all the hard work and dedication our teachers bring to their classrooms every day,' Dr. Nicely said.
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