Randolph Academy School Nurse Shelley Harris was honored with the district’s ‘Golden Apple’ Award at its Sept. 21 Board of Education meeting. She has served its Hamburg campus since 2014.

RANDOLPH — The Randolph Academy has selected Shelly Harris as its 2021 “Golden Apple” Award recipient.

Harris joined Randolph Academy in 2014 as its school nurse and has since cared for several hundred kindergarten through 12th grade children, each of whom has had unique emotional or mental health needs. The honor, which recognizes an individual’s outstanding professional contribution and achievement, is given annually to an individual at each of the academy’s Hamburg and Randolph campuses.

Randolph’s winner will be announced at next month’s board of education meeting.

“Typically, this award is presented to a teacher who demonstrates excellence and has a positive effect on students’ lives and school communities for the purpose of student growth and learning,” said Superintendent Danielle Cook. “However, this year’s award is being presented to our nurse because she has gone above and beyond during this global pandemic, under the threat of a significant impact on our learning environment.”

In addition to serving Randolph Academy, Harris also serves the Buffalo Psychiatric Center as a psychiatric nurse, giving her valuable knowledge, insights and best practices that benefit Randolph Academy’s students, staff and families immeasurably.

“Shelly has advanced her knowledge of and expertise in serving individuals with mental health needs in both a hospital setting and here at Randolph Academy,” Cook added. “This willingness to engage in both worlds is evident in her calmness and leadership in times of crisis, and is the epitome of ensuring that our students are growing and learning.”

Harris is a New York State-registered Professional Nurse. She earned master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Psychology from Medaille College and The State University of New York at Fredonia, respectively. She also holds an AAS in Nursing from Jamestown Community College. She lives in South Dayton with her daughter.