ECC teacher honored with Golden Apple Award
Mrs. Peggy Lessa, a kindergarten teacher at the Early Childhood Center, has found a way to turn lemons into a golden apple.
Last Thursday during a surprise ceremony in her classroom, Patrice Wood of WJAR NBC-10, Education Commissioner Dr. Ken Wagner, and Bobby Gondola of Hasbro presented Mrs. Lessa with the highly prestigious Golden Apple Award for outstanding teaching.
“This is probably the most powerful thing that has ever happened,” said Mrs. Lessa whose eyes filled with tears when a contingent of school administrators, family members and news cameras unexpectedly entered her classroom to present her with the award. “My job is everything to me, besides my family. I love what I do and after 30 years I still love it. But I still can’t believe this is happening, thank you so much.”
According to the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) The Golden Apple Award honors those who believe in the true spirit of teaching by making classrooms a creative and safe place to learn. NBC 10, Hasbro and the Rhode Island Department of Education have teamed up to recognize outstanding teachers and present them with the award. Winning educators receive a $250 contribution from Hasbro provided by the Kids in Need Foundation to help them fund their classroom needs, as well as a gift bag from Thames & Kosmos.
“Congratulations, here is your Golden Apple Award. Thank you for being an amazing teacher who is changing children’s lives,” said Dr. Wagner as he presented Mrs. Lessa with her award.
“That’s why you’re here? It’s so nice to meet you. I cleaned my room for you!” joked Mrs. Lessa.
Every year for the past 18 years, Mrs. Lessa opens her now famous Lessa’s Lemonade Stand. The end-of-the-year project requires much work from the young kindergarteners who participate. Students fill out job applications, write resumes and go on job interviews to become a member of the stand’s staff. The project assists children in discovering how to run a business and become a valuable employee.
“From Hasbro and all of our employees, we just want to thank you for what you do for the kids. We read about the lemonade stand that you run, so maybe some of these children will work for Hasbro one day,” said Gondola, director of global philanthropy and social impact at Hasbro.
Two of the lemonade stand participants, Sophia and Madison Pinheiro, who are former students of Mrs. Lessa, nominated her for the Golden Apple Award.
“Mrs. Lessa is a great teacher and as she said it’s about having fun and she’s just a great teacher and really fun,” said Sophia.
“She’s nice and I like her lemonade stand and she’s just focused on having fun,” said Madison. “I learned responsibility and that working can be good.”
Principal Julie-anne Zarrella and Superintendent Dr. Bernard DiLullo, Jr., who were both on hand for the presentation, were thrilled that Mrs. Lessa was the Golden Apple recipient and heaped praise on her efforts with the students.
“It’s a well-deserved award, she’s a dedicated kindergarten teacher. She’s a teacher who ensures that every student is taught the way they learn and obviously the reason this family nominated her was one of her big events, the lemonade stand,” said Dr. DiLullo. “The lemonade stand, although it appears to be kind of a fun thing, it really is a culminating educational event where kids learn to write, to count, to give change and to know what it is to have a job. So she’s just a fabulous educator and someone who really has been dynamic for many years.”
“We’re so excited, it’s so well deserved, she always has a heart of gold, she enjoys working with the kids, she goes the extra distance. I love working with her,” added Mrs. Zarrella.
The Channel 10 segment featuring Mrs. Lessa’s award presentation will air on Oct. 12 at 6 p.m.
“Teaching to me is making every child feel special, feel capable of doing anything, being proud of everything that they do, being accountable for the things that weren’t the right choices, but mostly I want them to leave my room knowing that they can do anything if they put their mind to it,” said Mrs. Lessa.
