Roanoke County Education Foundation recognizes star teachers

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – On Wednesday night, Roanoke County schools and the Education Foundation honored the best in class. 

The Annual Golden Apple Award recognizes the teacher of the year as well as the best teachers from the elementary, middle and high schools, along with the best young teacher. 

Ashley Williams is this year's Golden Apple winner, as well as a nominee for the Virginia Teacher of the Year award. The Golden Apple award is "the single highest honor presented to a teacher by the education foundation." 

As part of her award, Williams will receive $3,000 and the use of a new 2019 Subaru Ascent for one year, courtesy of First Team Auto Mall with custom plates that say GR8-TCR, for 'great teacher.'  

Kristin Sink, a third-grade teacher at Oak Grove Elementary, is the winner of the Green Apple, which recognizes a teacher who has taught in the district for three years or less. She was nominated by her principal and will receive $500. 

The Red Apple winners are Traci Altice, a second-grade teacher at Bonsack Elementary School; Jeffrey Maynard, a special education teacher at Northside Middle School and Terry Haynie, a choir and music theory teacher at Glenvar High School. 

Red Apple winners receive $1,500 each. 

Since the Roanoke County Education Foundation started in 1991, it has given more than $1.6 million to students and teachers in Roanoke County Public Schools.