AROUND OBKY
DCPS CUSTODIAN RECEIVES ‘FRED AWARD’
Daniel Lyne, a Daviess County Public Schools custodian, was presented the 2021 Fred Award by the Kentucky Association of School Administrators during a ceremony in Louisville today. The Fred Award recognizes district heroes for their exceptional devotion to kids and service to others. KASA notes that “the presentation of Fred Award finalists is one of the most prestigious and respected awards for nonadministrative staff or volunteers statewide” and draws nominations from school districts across the state. The Fred Award is named in honor of the inspiration for the book “The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary,” by Mark Sanborn, which explores how characteristics such as care, loyalty and devotion can be used daily in education, business, industry, commerce and life. Finalists for this award embody four guiding principles: Makes a positive difference each day; has a heart for people; changes ordinary moments into memorable ones; and leads by example. “I’m humbled and honored by this award and the opportunity to be recognized as someone who does things for others,” Lyne said. “My name might be on the plaque but everything we do is dependent on those around us. We each have the opportunity to impact all those we come in contact with on a daily basis. Every moment of every day, we can be the super hero to someone else by the choices we make in what we say or do. By choosing to lift others up, it makes an impact.” Lyne was the DCPS district’s 2020 Kids First Support Professional Award winner. Those who nominated him recognized his generous heart and his dedication to the students and staff at the schools where he works. When nominated, Lyne was the custodian at East View Elementary School and now works at Daviess County Middle School. In celebrating this award, DCPS Superintendent Matt Robbins said, “Daniel Lyne shows up for his job as custodian each day with a positive and encouraging mindset. His attitude sets an amazing example for both students and staff. He is always there to brighten up the moment and goes out of his way to serve any students or staff who need him. His service dog, Keeta, is an important part of the school family too. She is with Mr. Daniel each day and always puts a smile on students’ faces. Our 2021 district theme is ‘Ignite Your Flame.’ Daniel is one of those people whose light and example make the world brighter for everyone.”
ESTES RECEIVES BOOK VENDING MACHINE IN HONOR OF LATE STUDENT
Estes Elementary School unveiled a book vending machine that was dedicated in honor of 13-year-old Jackson Roark, who died earlier this year after battling cancer. The book vending machine was donated by Independence Bank to help reward and incentivize students to take their love of reading home. “Students are being encouraged to continue reading outside of the classroom. Parents and caretakers are asked to sign off on their time. Once meeting the criteria, students are awarded with a token and are allowed to choose their next book,” according to a release from Independence Bank. Many of the books are donated in Roark’s honor. At the time of his passing, Jackson’s parents Dave and Holly Roark knew their son didn’t like flowers, so instead, they asked for books at Jackson’s visitation in July. The Roarks said reading helped their son during his chemotherapy and in the midst of the pandemic, with the books allowing him to travel wherever he wanted to go. “Between him going to chemotherapy and not being able to go places like he once did, and certainly once COVID hit, being able to read let him go wherever he wanted to in the world, so it was a huge escape for him,” Holly said. According to Dave, every book has a sticker or an embossment that says “This book was provided by Jack’s stacks” with a small Harry Potter emblem in honor of Jackson’s favorite book series. “Through him, kids are going to get these books that they may not have and be able to discover the love of reading that he had,” Dave said.
Student Spotlight:
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Highland Elementary School 5th grader, Simon Dedaj, and 3rd grader, Georgia Dedaj, decided to share their passions with other kids through creating their very own Youtube channels. In his first two episodes, Simon exhibits his love for all things learning by sharing information about the universe, solar system, and space. In her channel, Georgia focuses her first two episodes on fidgets and demonstrating her skills using aerial silks. What an amazing idea and accomplishment by these two innovative students!
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October // November 2021 . OWENSBORO PARENT
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