'23-'24 Golden Acorn award winners!
Every Year it is the honor of our Endeavour PTSA to award the Golden Acorn award winners! There are three categories- Golden Acorn Volunteer Award, Outstanding Educator Award and Outstanding Advocate. We are incredibly lucky to have such a strong team at Endeavour, so it’s always a challenge to narrow it down. Thank you, parents, caregivers and staff who helped nominate these incredible award winners.
Golden Acorn Volunteer Award Recipients- Krista Guenser and Jolie Nivison
Outstanding Educator Award Recipients- Amanda White, Selena Skogstad, and Amy Cromwell
Outstanding Advocate Award Recipients- Leah Skosky and Caroline Burton Moore
Read below for why our community nominated these amazing winners!
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Golden Acorn Volunteer Awards-
The Golden Acorn Award is given to those people who have demonstrated exemplary volunteer service benefitting children and youth in our community.
Krista Guenser
Krista Guenser is a Golden Acorn Volunteer winner. She has has led the art docent program for many years, ensuring all students are able to take part in multiple art lessons each year. In her commitment to the PTSA VP of Programs, she has ensured Endeavour has enriching and exciting activities all year.
She is also an advocate for the students and the staff - often speaking up for the needs of both. Her perspective as a former teacher and Substitute have been invaluable!
Ms. G is constantly on campus volunteering in the classrooms, the library, and every and all programs. She helps procure donations to Jagathon and is always wrangling teens to volunteer at events. Krista is a smiling face and welcomes all families and volunteers with open arms.
Our Endeavour community will really feel a void when she moves away this summer. But we will send you with all our love and appreciation!
Congratulations Ms. G!
Jolie Nivison
It is our great honor to announce that Jolie Nivison has won the Golden Acorn Volunteer this year! Jolie has dedicated many hours to helping PTSA make Endeavour Elementary a fun, inviting environment for our students, staff and community. She has lead the effort to reimagine Spooky Supper, allowing our community to experience this favorite fall event in new exciting ways.
Her hard work on intricate and creative hallway displays have lifted spirits of everyone who sees them.
This year Jolie has helped coordinate finding volunteers to fill many necessary roles.
Her work with Art Docents has also been essential. Her Organizing and ordering supplies has allowed our program run efficiently.
This lady done it all for our school. She gives so much of her time and self to make this school an amazing place for students, staff and families!
We wish her the best of luck on her next adventures! Her middle school PTA will be extremely lucky to have her!!
Congratulations Jolie.
Outstanding Educator Awards-
The Outstanding Educator Award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding educational contributions. Nominees for this award are generally teachers, including the specialist staff (music, P.E., library, reading, Jaguar Club, Sage, Speech and other OT staff).
Amanda White
Amanda White is a winner of the Outstanding Educator Award! Ms. White has been at Endeavour for 12 years and has a reputation among the staff for being reliable, hardworking and knowledgeable. She goes above and beyond in her role as a para within our Learning Resource Center and it is evident she cares so much about the well-being of our students. Ms. White is a “go to” person who is a terrific problem solver.
Ms. White was generous in volunteering for Homework Club last year and puts a wild amount of energy into her job as a para. When Amanda is out, the whole school feels it. She should know she is loved and appreciated.
Congratulations Ms. White.
Salena Skogstad
Congratulation Ms. Skogstad on being a recipient of the Outstanding Educator Award. You always make the extra effort to have PE classes be fun, interesting and educational. So fun, in fact that former students often describe you as their favorite teacher. Scooter Town. Disco Bowling and Field Day have made their mark.
By teaching our students life skills and nutritional information in new and engaging ways, you are making an impact. Your creativity has not gone unnoticed. It’s not unusual for some of your students to share their key learning and about nutrition and fitness at home.
One of your nominators said “I truly wish I had had a teacher like Mrs. Skogstad for gym - I might have enjoyed it more and not dreaded it!”
Congratulations!
Amy Cromwell
Congratulations Ms. Cromwell for being a recipient of the Outstanding Educator Award. The Endeavour PTSA was overwhelmed with nominations for this very special teacher. Ms. Cromwell goes above and beyond with her time spent with students, adjusting to different learning needs and regularly checking in with parents. She is patient, kind, organized, firm and fair.
You are described by one of your nominators as a “shining star” and by another as “pushing your students to their fullest potential.”
Ms. Cromwell has been creative in developing a fun incentive system to motivate her students. She is dedicated, flexible and things outside the box.
Ms. Cromwell, it is clear that you see all our students and care so deeply that they succeed. Thank you for your tireless work. Congratulations.
Outstanding Advocate
The Outstanding Advocate Award honors an individual who provides an enriched educational and social experience, by partnering with parents, staff, and students to support and inspire the children of our community.
Leah Skosky
Ms. Skosky went above and beyond advocating for student literacy. Of course, literacy is a part of Leah's job as the Endeavour Librarian, but this year she helped drive an initiative to ensure our school had quality high interest and decodable books across all grades for classrooms. Leah worked with the teachers at our school to identify the right books, coordinating with the PTSA book Fair Chair on utilizing Scholastic funds and our PTSA for incremental funds. Thank you, Ms. Skosky for taking on this special assignment.
Ms. Skosky also deserves a shoutout for her tireless work towards making the Book Fair a success which puts $$ for books back into our school as well as guarantees a free book for every child during "Read Across Endeavour" week.
Finally, we have to mention that Ms. Skosky is such a valued and trusted Endeavour Staff Member! Her volunteer opportunities for parents and caregivers are always the first to be filled.
Congrats Ms. Skosky.
Caroline Burton-Moore
Congratulations Ms. Caroline on being a recipient of one of our most prestigious awards, Outstanding Advocate. Ms. Caroline has been a valued paraprofessional for years. She advocates for students thinking about a range of situations like emergency evacuations, extracurricular activities, field trips and school events.
Ms. Caroline has been vital in supporting teachers with considerations on how every student can participate in all classroom activities. She fights for students’ independence and rights.
Ms. Caroline is an asset to students and teachers. She has the biggest heart and is deeply appreciated and loved by her colleagues and students.
Click here to see a historical list of Golden Acorn Winners
