Lonna Latimer -Above & Beyond Winner

                                                       Above & Beyond Winner

It can be a difficult situation when a mother moves a thousand miles to a strange city and her son is about to enter kindergarten.  That’s what happened to one mother who praised State Street Elementary School kindergarten teacher Lonna Latimer for making the transition easier.  The mother has to work long hours which means less time with her kids.  She said Mrs. Latimer sends home papers every single day on what the kids did.  She says, “I don’t feel I’m missing out on anything.”  Mrs. Latimer is always smiling and always has positive words of encouragement for her son.  “She’s like a second mom to my son.  He wants to be at school with Mrs. Latimer,” said the mother.

State Street Principal Sarah Sharp says Mrs. Latimer is very deserving of receiving the Above & Beyond Award.  “She is an outstanding kindergarten teacher who is always hungry to learn and to do what’s best for her students.  She goes above and beyond to see that State Street is a safe, positive working environment for staff, students and parents.”

Lonna Latimer loves State Street.  It is where she attended school when growing up in the Oakland area of Topeka.  She has been a kindergarten teacher for 32 years, 20 of those years at State Street.  “I feel like it’s where I belong and where I can make the most impact on students.”

If you know of someone who goes Above & Beyond to serve the students and staff of Topeka Public Schools, nominate them for the A&B Award.  You will find the nomination form by going to the bottom of the district website to staff site, then to work information/forms for staff/district programs.  There you will find the TPS Above & Beyond nomination form.