2020 BAK’D Apple Award Winner
Kristin Owen, junior kindergarten educator, is honored with the 2020 BAK’D Apple Award.
Kristin Owen has been part of the La Jolla Country Day School community since 1999. She knew from an early age that she wanted to be an educator and has brought her passion for teaching to LJCDS for the past 21 years. During her long tenure at the school, Ms. Owen has taught summer camps, after-school care, third grade, Tiny Torreys and currently, junior kindergarten.
“Since I teach junior kindergarten, I get to share many of my students’ first learning experiences, and I love to see their excited expressions and responses when they discover new concepts and ideas,” shares Ms. Owen. “Their innocence and sense of wonder about the world is intoxicating and rejuvenating.”
Ms. Owen fosters a sense of community in her classroom to ensure that all students have a sense of belonging and feel they are respected and loved. She strives to lay the foundation for a love of learning and teach each student skills that will be necessary for future success.
“She understands her power within the classroom and the importance of treating her students with dignity. She provides the experiences, the modeling, the responsive education for them to build their foundation and understanding of dignity,” shares Maria Curtis, director of the early childhood center and extended day program. “She sees the greatness in each of her students, but even more so, she helps her students see the greatness in themselves!”
Ms. Owen is the recipient of the 2020 BAK’D Apple Award. The BAK’D Apple Award was established by the Rubenson family in 1997 to honor a faculty or staff member who makes special contributions to students’ total personal growth and extends themself on a personal level to be a friend and mentor to students. The winner should also have such a passion for their area of expertise that students are inspired to share that enthusiasm. BAK’D is a combination of the first letters of each member of the Rubenson family’s name (Ben ’95, Aaron ’92, Kathie and David), and “apple” refers to the apple orchard at their home in Julian, where they have invited faculty to join them to harvest apples over the years. The Rubenson family has generously funded this award for 23 years.
