Golden Acorn is an award that is given throughout our state to the volunteers that truly go above and beyond.  It recognizes
volunteers that do great work for PTSAs, the schools in general, the school district at large and throughout the greater community.  It is NOT a popularity contest, but an award that is based on a well thought out rubric point system.  A committee meets and reviews the nominations and then applies the formulas to determine our volunteers of the year.  This year, our Golden Acorns go to two wonderful volunteers at our school. 

Lani Pedersen

Lani has been a very involved mom all 5 years that she has had children at our school and this year has been her busiest. 
She is the PTSA’s VP of Volunteers.  She was also the Vision and Hearing Chairperson as well as the New Family Welcome chairperson.  She has been a volunteer at nearly every activity our school has had so far this year - Friday popcorn shifts, Innisbrook fundraiser, Boxtops, helping with Polar Express, the Geography event, the Book Fair, and the Sub Book Sale, and she was an ever present face helping the little ones during the first week of school (and even longer…).  Outside of PTSA, she
has been a room mom for 5 years, organized the pumpkin caper event and the snow man event for her 4th grade class, and volunteers regularly in all 3 of her children’s classrooms.  She even found time to volunteer at the Grand Ridge Auction recently! Outside of Newcastle Elementary, she spent a lot of time last spring as President of her youngest daughter’s preschool, even chairing their first-ever auction.  She also ran their festival booth at Renton Days. If you haven’t met Lani yet, just look for her swimming, biking and running as she trains for her first triathlon. 

Kim Plowman

Last year Kim was on the Executive Committee as Co-VP of Ways and Means, which during an auction year is a ton of work. 
And this year she stepped up as Co-President of the PTSA.  And lucky us, she has committed to being Co-President for next year as well!  She has been a room mom for 6 years, she has been a rep for Site Council, and she is involved in the Issaquah School District Council as well.  Kim is also fully committed to our community as she serves on the Board of Directors for KidsQuest Children’s Museum and as their Marketing Chairperson.  She does all this while running an advertising agency full time. 

We are so lucky to have both of these wonderful women putting their passion, their energy, and their hearts and souls into our school.  If you see them in the halls, take a moment to thank them for everything they do for our school and for our children.  Very little of it is easy, and yet they always do it with a smile and their amazing warmth. 

Thank you and congratulations, Lani and Kim!