LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – It’s time for our final Golden Apple presentation of 2024. And this time the winner hails from Holt County. Molly Jennings teaches kindergarten through 6th grade music at O’Neill Elementary School. We surprised Mrs. Jennings at a recent school concert with help from her principal, Jim York.
“I was getting the kindergarteners ready for their program, and Mr. York said he had a little announcement before,” Jennings said. “It was pretty cool, the whole school was there. I teach all the kids so, it was awesome.”
It was pretty cool that the whole school could take part in the presentation of our “Christmas gift” for Mrs. Jennings.
“Teachers by nature are humble people,” York said. “They just go to school thinking, this is my job, this is my passion, this what I love to do, and they don’t sometimes realize the difference that they make.”
Mrs. Jennings has been teaching students for 34 years, having a lasting impact on kids like Mila Stearns. Here’s what Mila wrote in her nomination letter:
“She (Mrs. Jennings) started a group called The Soundsational Singers in 1990 when she first started teaching in O’Neill. We are a group of 5th and 6th graders that had to audition to be selected for this great honor.”
“This year we have 54 students,” Jennings said. “We perform a lot for community events and different things. Every other year we go to Lincoln and perform at the Capitol in the rotunda, and on the off years we have done trips to the Mall of America to perform there, Crown Center in Kansas City, the Black Hills Mount Rushmore.”
Jennings feels it’s important to expose kids to these experiences.
“I want music to be an important part of their life,” Jennings said. “I want them to enjoy it forever. Living where we do in O’Neill, some kids don’t get out of this region very often, and I think it’s great for them to experience things.”
And with another winter program under her belt, Mrs. Jennings continues to inspire her students in O’Neill through her love of music and her love of kids.
“Just seeing the kids standing, singing, dancing and enjoying themselves, that keeps me going,” Jennings said.
“I genuinely think she is the best music teacher in the state, and I would challenge anyone to find me someone better,” York said.
You can nominate a teacher for a 10/11 Golden Apple award here.
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