McPHERSON, Kan. — Ad Astra Radio is proud to announce the most recent recipient of the Ad Astra Radio Classroom Hero Award presented by Peoples Bank and Trust.
Washington Elementary School (WES) Kindergarten teacher Allison Unruh was presented the Classroom Hero Award on Friday, Oct. 24.
Each month, Ad Astra Radio randomly selects a different educator, from community nominations, to receive the Classroom Hero Award, along with a “Thank You” gift basket. Gift items are courtesy of community partners, including Peoples Bank and Trust, Midway Motors, Stutzman’s Greenhouse and Hutch Putt.
Mrs. Unruh is a McPherson native and graduated from Wichita State University.
According to WES Principal Jill Beam, Mrs. Unruh has been with the school for 12 years, having served in the following roles: Kindergarten Teacher (4 years), Reading Assistant (2 years), Instructional Aide (2 years), and Paraprofessional (4 years).
“She [Allison] truly is an amazing teacher,” Beam said. “WES is so lucky to have her.”
It was Unruh’s mother who inspired her to become a teacher.
“My mom taught kindergarten for nearly thirty years,” Unruh shared. “I watched how much she loved it and wanted to follow her path.”
She enjoys teaching kindergarten because the students love to learn and she can see how quickly they absorb information.
“You can see the lightbulbs going off,” Unruh said. They’re just fun and silly at the same time, but we have lots of good learning experiences.”
A nominator who submitted Unruh for the Classroom Hero Award described her as a great teacher who “goes above and beyond”. They added that Unruh spends countless hours (past what she is contracted) preparing for her students.
“She is often seen in public greeting current and past students and giving them a hug,” the nominator said. “I’ve heard many positive comments from parents, and students love her.”
The Classroom Hero Award seeks to highlight the hard work and dedication of those on the front lines in our local schools. Nominations are continually being accepted at https://www.adastraradio.com/classroomhero.
Ad Astra Radio has been locally owned and operated since 1986 and is proud to be your hometown radio station.
