Ponce de Leon High School Teacher Wins Golden Apple
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Updated: 8:41 PM Jan 19, 2012
Ponce de Leon High School Teacher Wins Golden Apple
Ponce de Leon - This week's Golden Apple award winner is a teacher at Ponce de Leon High School. Janice Andrews is so well-loved, her nomination received more than one thousand hits on our website in just one day!
Posted: 8:41 PM Jan 19, 2012
Reporter: Meredith TerHaar
Email Address: meredith.terhaar@wjhg.com


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Ponce de Leon - This week's Golden Apple award winner is a teacher at Ponce de Leon High School. Janice Andrews is so well-loved, her nomination received more than one thousand hits on our website in just one day!

Take one look around Janice Andrews' classroom and you know it's a fascinating place to be. Trained to teach physical education, she also teaches AP Biology, anatomy, and photography.

Her science classes are inquiry-based, she places small experiments around the room to spark students interest. On this day her "Health Opportunities through Physical Education" class is reviewing for their upcoming final, which students say won't be easy. "She has everything you'd expect in a teacher, she won't let her students fail. She will push you and push you and push you until you get it right," said student Anthony Summerlin.

"The kids recognize that she is demanding. You don't know how many past students, even parents who are past students, want their kids to have her, their grade may not be as high but they know their students will receive rigor and challenge for the next step in their education and their lives," said Principal Buddy Brown. "She is just a good teacher, she has good qualities, she is just a good woman," said student Maranda Carroll.

So many students, past and present, feel the same. Her nomination got more than one thousand votes. "It's unbelievable," said Mrs. Andrews. "This is my 39th year. I have taught thousands of children and they all responded."


Latest Comments

Posted by: Jeannie Location: Ponce de Leon on Jan 21, 2012 at 02:18 AM

All our kids had Ms. Andrews for a teacher and loved her. She is not by any means an easy teacher and encourges her students to advance in school and look beyond high school. I am so proud that our town of Ponce de Leon High School has a Golden Apple award teacher. Way to go, Ms. Andrews!
Posted by: Christie Location: Bonifay on Jan 20, 2012 at 08:05 AM

I was one of Mrs. Andrews' students and truly, this barely scratches the surface! Mrs. Andrews not only teaches everything mentioned, but she goes way above and beyond to help her students, even outside of the classroom. I'll never forget the day I drove my car to school for the first time--and found out after locking the doors that my keys wouldn't unlock them! Several members of the faculty tried to get the lock to open from the outside, but Mrs. A was the one who crawled into the car through the trunk to get it open! Years later, when my wedding was a week away and my photographer had cancelled, it was also Mrs. Andrews who stepped up to photograph my wedding at the last minute, and did an amazing job. And of course, as a teacher, she is excellent. Her classes are hard, but I learned so much that I actually use in my daily life that the stress and late nights doing homework were worth it. To me, if any teacher deserves this award, it would have to be Mrs. Andrews :D