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.
