May 7th, 2021, Mrs. Krista “KP” Pontius was named the winner of Live with Kelly and Ryan’s 2021 Top Teacher Search. She was awarded $10,000 for her personal discretion as well as $10,000 for use in her classroom. To show their appreciation for Mrs. Pontius and to celebrate this honor with her, Greenwood students from both the Elementary and Middle/High schools gathered outside on the soccer field for a surprise assembly.
Mrs. Pontius has done a lot of things for a lot of people. She is passionate about helping those in need by packing food boxes with her students, totaling to an amount of 150,000 meals packed that were given to local food banks for distribution over the past ten years. She has also raised $55,000 in this time frame for organizations that help needy people access food and shelter. But Mrs. Pontius also inspires her students in her actions toward others.
I asked a few students to give an appreciation message about Mrs. Pontius. Ella Brummer, Nevin Brofee, and Jay Bratton are all students who have grown close with Mrs. Pontius due to their connection with FFA and other agricultural organizations and events.
“KP has a relationship with her students like no other. She strives to have a lasting impact on every student that walks into her classroom and she has done that for me. All that extra hours and the sincere dedication she has to bring as an ag teacher and FFA advisor is unbelievable. I will be forever thankful for the opportunity to go through her classroom and the memories will never leave my heart!” -Ella Brummer
“Mrs. Pontius has been an outstanding role model to me. Not only is she an outstanding teacher, she’s an outstanding friend, supporter, and helper. She is there for me no matter what the situation is. Everything that she has done for me will have a lifelong impact on my life no matter which direction I choose to take. ” -Jay Bratton
“KP is an amazing teacher who does so much for her students. She has been there for me so many times when I needed help with something or had multiple questions about everything.” -Nevin Brofee
These are only three of the students who wanted to show their appreciation for Mrs. Pontius. The students who had decided to plan the surprise assembly on the soccer field had started planning this before she had even been named the winner of the contest. These students went to great lengths to plan this event to make it a complete surprise for her. They even set up with the Superintendent to “schedule” a fire drill to get Mrs. Pontius’ class outside for the assembly. Little did she know right outside the Ag-Wing doors was the band’s drumline waiting to escort her to the soccer field while playing their cadence.
KP has been on and off different news stations and has been interviewed multiple times by different newspapers ever since she had won the award. I asked her what it meant to her to have won the Top Teacher Award and she said, “I am humbled and honored. I have the opportunity to work alongside world-class educators, every day. I truly feel blessed to be a part of such an amazing team at Greenwood.” Mrs. Brummer commented on Mrs. Pontius’ character saying, “she divided her entire $10,000 to all the teachers of the school. That’s just the kind of person she is.”
Mrs. Pontius is such an inspiration to all of her students, the administration, and the community. Her humble attitude, caring heart, and persevering spirit are what make KP, KP! She is the most deserving person to have received this award. Congratulations KP!
