6 Collier County teachers surprised with Golden Apples

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. —

The Golden Apple Prize Patrol made six surprise stops across Collier County to celebrate teachers who go above and beyond for their students.

The first stop was at Immokalee High School, where Elias Cuevas, an 11th-grade U.S. history teacher, was surprised. Cuevas, who once attended the same school as a student, expressed his pride in giving back to the community that shaped him.

"This goes to the students. At the end of the day, this is the hard work that the kids are doing," Cuevas said.

Five of the six teachers honored were once Collier County Public School students themselves. At Big Cypress Elementary, kindergarten teacher Connie Kinstler, who has been teaching for 34 years, uses hands-on activities to help young students build strong foundational skills.

"It's been a wonderful school and wonderful district, and I couldn't ask for a better place to work and teach," Kinstler said.

The next stop was Vineyards Elementary, where third-grade teacher Wende Malik turns science into an adventure. Her students explore habitats like the Everglades and learn about animals such as alligators and manatees, becoming young advocates for conservation.

"This was a complete shock and surprise. I wish my dad was here. He passed away in December, so I wish he was here with me to celebrate. But I know he's here in spirit," Malik said.

At Osceola Elementary, fourth-grade teacher Julie Raymond, who has been teaching for 44 years, shared that her favorite part of the job is her students.

"I always say when there's a bump in the road, what do we do? And they go, 'Mrs. Raymond, we swim together,'" Raymond said.

Veterans Memorial Elementary's third-grade teacher Stephanie Scalise helps students set goals and track their progress through what she calls a classroom "Garden of Greatness."

"And, that's basically teaching the kids to create healthy habits for themselves. Learning that if you set good intentions for yourself and create things that you can do every day, you can achieve anything," Scalise said.

Finally, at Manatee Middle School, sixth-grade science teacher Shanna Moss challenges her students with learning challenges while providing the support they need to succeed.

"I have high expectations with high support in my classroom. So my kids know that I believe they're capable of doing anything, and I'm going to help them to get them to that point," Moss said.

Six schools, six teachers, and a full day celebrating educators making a difference in Collier County.

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