This week’s Golden Apple Award recipient is a kindergarten teacher from Washington Elementary

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - This week’s Golden Apple Award recipient is Abby Visker. She’s a kindergarten teacher, and for many kids her classroom, this is their first experience in education.

“I take that very seriously. I want them to have a wonderful year and hopefully that momentum continues in the other grade levels,” said Visker.

Visker has been teaching for a decade now. She said all of these years have helped her grow and help kids with emotional and social support.

“The academic stuff comes; those social emotional pieces are just the foundation for learning. So, when we can get a good handle on that in kindergarten, it’s just gonna help them be able to attend and focus on those other great levels,” explained Visker.

Faculty says she is a hands-on teacher, who strives for students to become great people.

“It’s not just if they can read and write and do math, but she wants that whole child to grow,” said Mandi Sonnenfeld, MSU faculty, elementary and literacy education.

“ [She’s a] professional educator who is willing to do whatever is needed to the most successful for the kids in her care,” said Washington Elementary principal, Ann Haggerty.

They also say she isn’t only taking care of the students but her peers, too.

“With a smile on her face and a hello and a hug and the hallway and she just, you know, wants everybody to be happy and full every day,” said Sonnenfeld, “she is the epitome of patience. With a smile on her face, and a hello and a hug and the hallway, and she just, you know, wants everybody to be happy and full every day.”

Congratulations to Abby Visker, our latest Golden Apple Award recipient.

If you’d like to nominate someone for the Golden Apple Award, go to https://www.keyc.com/.

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