By Stacey Tucker
Staff Writer
KINGSTON — No one could be more deserving of the Fox 66 Golden Apple Award than Kingston Elementary School’s own Joe Peet.
After dedicating 45 years to teaching young students at Kingston Schools, Peet has been awarded the Fox 66 Golden Apple Award.
Peet was awarded the honor during a surprise assembly Wednesday morning for the beloved teacher.
“I have kept on teaching all these years because of you,” Peet told the students at the assembly. “There’s no way I could have won this award without any of you.”
Peet attended country schools until the 8th grade, when he came into the Kingston school system and graduated Kingston High School in 1960.
He attended Flint Junior College, which is now Mott College, for one year and graduate from Michigan State University in 1965. He later earned his masters at Central Michigan University in 1975.
Throughout his 45 years, Peet started out teaching 6th grade in 1969. He worked for 7 years teaching 5th and 6th grade junior high school science. He then was an assistant high school principal in charge of junior high school for five years.
Peet then served as Kingston Junior-Senior High School principal for five years until switching to 3rd grade. This year marks his 28th year teaching 3rd grade students.
“The person people look for when they come back after 30 years is Mr. Peet,” Walker said. “Mr. Peet has touched the lives of over 1,100 kids and that doesn’t cound the kids that he’s passed in the hallway.”
Walker said they knew someone had nominated Peet, and that he was one of 29 teachers in the running for the Golden Apple Award.
Through social media and the internet, everyone was able to vote for Peet.
“We shared the link and he won by votes,” he said. “He won by a landslide.”
Peet also has the honor of being the very first elementary teacher to be given the award.
Stacey Tucker is a staff writer for the Tuscola County Advertiser. She can be reached at tucker@tcadvertiser.com.