The SGA of APK are the ones responsible for planning Homecoming, the Powderpuff game, as well as numerous other events. This time around, Mr. Peters and the rest of the SGA have put together a new system as a way to thank teachers and staff members at Apopka High School. They call it the Darter Flight award.

What is the Darter Flight award? (As seen above) “it’s this big crystal thing we had made for like $312, and it’s a nice looking thing, it’s even engraved on the front saying exactly what it is, ‘SGA Darter Flight Award, Teacher or Support Person of The Week,'” says Mr. Peters, the SGA teacher. The idea came from an online magazine that gets sent out to schools, titled Monday Mentions, where University High School started giving an award to teachers called The Paw. Every Tuesday, the current holder of the award gets to pass it on to another teacher/staff member of their choice. The new possessor of this magnificent trophy has the school mascots bring them the award from the previous bearer, along with chocolates, balloons, and other nice things.

Mrs. Susan Townsend, pictured below, was the first recipient of the award. When asked about how it felt to be the first winner, she responded: “I was wo surprised when they told me that the students in SGA had chosen me to be the first ever recipient of the SGA Darter Flight Award. The even bigger surprise was to find my daughter, senior Katie Townsend, and her best friend Chloe Smith inside the Darter costumes! It was so great to get to share that moment with Katie! With so many amazing teachers and staff members here at AHS, I am honored to be the first recipient of this award–thank you, SGA!”

Mr. Peters offered the following information about the award:

Will there be an end to the award? According to Mr. Peters, this is not in the foreseeable future.

Can one teacher hold the award more than once? Actually yes, Peters says “we’re not gonna limit it if someone wants to say their thanks to someone on their own, and someone ends up getting it again, it’s fine.”

Why is it every Tuesday? “…because on 4-day weekends, Tuesdays work out well, [it] especially gives us time to get organized and wash the mascots if need be.” 

“Don’t you pick me!” Mr. Peters told Mrs. Townsend after she received the award. “I’ll let someone pick me but it’s gonna be a year down the road, once this is done, because it’s not coming to me as like the third winner. So I’m gonna pull myself out of it.” 

Who knows, maybe one of your teachers will receive the award next! It all depends on who the predecessor decides on. Mrs. Townsend wrote a note to her successor, so this will become part of the tradition. Also, winners of the award will get to keep a certificate after it has moved on to the next recipient. Mr. Peter informs us that the prizes will get better as the award itself gets older, so it won’t just be chocolate and balloons. All we can do is wait and see what the SGA has in store next!