The sixth annual Golden Apple Award for 2025 was presented to first-grade teacher Kari Newburn, a Salem High School alumnus who has taught at Buckeye Elementary for the last 15 years and earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Youngstown State University and a master’s degree in the art of teaching from Marygrove College. The annual award is presented to educators “who devote their lives to teaching in the Salem City School District” and is presented as an expression of respect, gratitude and love for teachers’ role in guiding and shaping their students and making a positive impact in their lives. It is presented each year in a surprise ceremony.

Newburn described the experience of being presented flowers by her daughter Aubrey, a second grader at Buckeye, in her classroom followed by members of Salem Rotary, members of the Salem Board of Education, Buckeye Principal John Lundin, and several other guests as “overwhelming.”

“I definitely wasn’t prepared for this,” said Newburn.

Newburn was presented the award by Golden Apple Award Committee Chairman and Former Rotary District Governor Geoff Goll. She was presented with red and black ballons by members of the Golden Apple Award Selection Committee including Gina Dermotta, Brad Stephens, Kate Oesch, and Dennis Neiderhiser. The Golden Apple Award also comes with monetary support with a $500 check for improvements to Newburn’s classroom presented to Lundin by Salem Rotary Foundation President George W.S. Hays, and a $500 check presented to Newburn by Salem Rotary Club President Brad Stephens.

The 2025 Golden Apple Award was presented to Buckeye Elementary First-Grade Teacher Kari Newburn in a surprise ceremony in her classroom Tuesday. Newburn is the sixth recipient of the Golden Apple award and the third from Buckeye Elementary. Shown from left are Newburn’s 8-year-old daughter Aubrey, Newburn, and Golden Apple Award Committee Chairman and Former Rotary District Governor Geoff Goll (Photo by Morgan Ahart)

“Mrs. Newburn fosters an environment where students are excited to learn and receive accolades for their performance and positive behaviors. Mrs. Newburn’s classroom is a warm and welcoming environment. Students have varying levels of academic needs and individualized needs, and she meets them all,” said Goll.

Newburn said that she intended to use her financial award to make further improvements to her classroom, “for [her] students, and to make learning more fun for them.”

“I’m very appreciative of this award, I really wasn’t expecting this,” said Newburn.

Newburn joins a distinguished group of outstanding Salem educators who have been honored with the Golden Apple including the 2020 award recipient Christi Arnoto, 2021 recipient Amie Cochran, 2022 recipient Atila Samu, 2023 recipient Mary Beth Shivers, and 2024 recipient Renee Dreger. Goll noted that Newburn made three teachers from Buckeye Elementary to be presented the Golden Apple, joking that either “there must be something in the water” in the building, or that it must have “something to do with Buckeye’s outstanding Principal Mr. John Lundin.”

Lundin, who has spent the last 13 years as principal at Buckeye and is a former Salem Rotary President, was himself presented with a surprise honor as Goll informed him that Salem Rotary had made a $1,000 donation in his name to officially recognize Lundin as a Paul Harris Fellow. Established in 1957 and named after the founder of Rotary International Paul Harris the recognition is intended to honor and show gratitude for substantial contributions to Rotary and has been presented to many noteworthy humanitarians and philanthropists including Mother Theresa, President Jimmy Carter, and polio vaccine developer Jonas Salk.

Golden Apple Award Committee Chairman Geoff Goll, right, surprised Buckeye Elementary Principal John Lundin, right, with the announcement he has been officially recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow. (Photo by Morgan Ahart)

“It is a way of saying thank you for all of his service to the Salem Community and to Rotary,” said Goll.

For his part Lundin said that the time he had spent at Buckeye had been the highlight of his career in education as he prepares to enter his well-earned retirement at the end of the school year.

“In my letter to [Superintendent] Sean [Kirkland] I wrote that this is the best community, the best school, and the best school board that I’ve ever been a part of,” said Lundin.