Golden Apple

September’s Golden Apple Award winner is Mrs. Tonya Gamble-Daoust. She’s a second grade teacher in Indianapolis at Tindley Genesis Academy. From a performing arts student, to now a teacher for more than 20 years - learn how this educator found her spark and passion for teaching. We dig into the keys parents should know, her motto of "be kind or be quiet," and how to tackle teaching in an ever changing AI landscape. She says, "I wish every teacher could get this award because they are all so deserving of it."

Get to know our winner even better with this in-depth conversation.

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September’s Golden Apple Award winner is Mrs. Tonya Gamble-Daoust. She’s a second grade teacher in Indianapolis at Tindley Genesis Academy. She brings warmth, love, and a bit of theatrics to her classroom. In fact, her use of songs and sayings helps students master math and reading.

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WISH-TV is Indiana’s education station, and, during the 2025-26 school year, News 8 honored nine extraordinary educators in central Indiana with the Golden Apple Award.

Each Golden Apple Award winner is selected from nominations submitted by students, teachers, and community members. The award comes with a $500 cash prize from Hensley Legal Group, PC, a school supply shopping spree to Teachers’ Treasures, and a surprise visit from the News 8 team with help from Hensley Legal Group, PC.

Most of the teachers from the Class of 2026 joined the WISH-TV studios Tuesday night for the Golden Apple Grand Finale Special. One teacher was also honored as the Grand Finale Award winner and received a year-end trophy and another $500 cash prize from Hensley Legal Group, PC.

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May’s Golden Apple Award winner is Ms. Claire Dillehay. She’s an art teacher in Perry Township who has mastered the art of education. Listen to her journey into education and how the art of creativity is rooted in her classroom.

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May’s Golden Apple Award winner is Ms. Claire Dillehay. She’s an art teacher in Perry Township who has mastered the art of education. She brings creativity to the classroom and helps students truly become artists. “The way they start their class is, ‘Hello, my most amazing artist!’ And then they answer, ‘Hello, my most amazing art teacher!’ She has instilled in all of them that not only is she an artist, but they are artists, as well.”

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ALSO: April’s Golden Apple Award winner is Miss Liz Retana, but everyone calls her Coach Liz. She’s a special education teacher at Purdue Polytechnic High School – Broad Ripple. Coach Liz goes far beyond her title as an Exceptional Learner’s Coach: Many people here say students would not graduate without her care and compassion. We dive into how she became a teacher and her background in sports broadcasting. She also discusses the difficult moment she lost a student this year and how she is helping keep his memory alive.

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April’s Golden Apple Award winner is Miss Liz Retana, but everyone calls her Coach Liz.

She’s a special education teacher at Purdue Polytechnic High School – Broad Ripple, where teachers are called coaches, because they coach students through school – and life. That includes the good moments and the tough ones. Coach Liz is an Exceptional Learner’s Coach who does this with exceptional care. She also helped the school heal when something tragic happened earlier this year.

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March’s Golden Apple Award winner is Miss Katie Hagerty. She is a science teacher at Fishers High School and is also a coach for unified football and track. In this conversation she talks about the humanity you witness when spending time with young people and how teaching is truly her dream job. Miss Hagerty finds small wins everyday and helps students to do the same.

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March’s Golden Apple Award winner is Miss Katie Hagerty. She is a science teacher at Fishers High School and is also a coach outside of the classroom. Walk into Hagerty’s classroom, and you will notice the notes on the wall. Letters expressing admiration and gratitude from students emphasize the impact she is making from the science lab to the track. Proof that in this experiment of high school, she is making subjects – loved and loathed – a whole lot more fun.

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February’s Golden Apple Award winner is Mr. Rick Wedlow. He teaches the AVID program at Lawrence North High School. In this conversation, learn more about the program and how Mr. Wedlow went from an NBA player's assistant, to an RV salesman and now a teacher in education for 15 years. His drive and perseverance helps guide students to "keep chopping wood" every day.

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