Lincoln Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Karen Smith will receive a ROSE Award from the school board on Monday for helping a student who was choking.
The USD 428 ROSE Award, which stands for Recognizing Outstanding Support of Education, was created by the board several years ago as a way to acknowledge deserving staff and community members. Recipients are given a framed ROSE Award certificate at a board meeting.
According to administrators, Smith recently entered the lunch area to escort her students to the classroom.
“One student, while eating a fresh apple, began choking on the apple and struggling for breath due to fruit lodged in the throat,” according to district information.
“Mrs. Smith rushed to the distressed student, swiftly thumping the back and calling for emergency help from the school nurse. Mrs. Smith was successful in dislodging the large apple chunk, and the child survived the ordeal.” The award thanks her for her “keen watchfulness and intuitive response.”

Board agenda
The school board will meet at 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, at the District Education Center. Other items on the agenda include approval to purchase a dishwasher for the Food Service Center, first reading of the Great Bend High School “Program of Studies” book, state assessment data, a report on USD 428 Foundation minigrants, personnel report and an executive session for discussion of personnel.
The first reading of board policies is also on the agenda. There are about a dozen policy revisions for topics such as public and private records, food services management, ethics, homeless students and inoculations. New policies being considered deal with the standard of conduct for federally funded contracts, collection procedures and foster care students.