[0:04] hi my name is um Tony Huddle i have been [0:08] in the district for 34 years i love what [0:12] I do i love being with the kids i've [0:16] been in all the schools in the district [0:19] i've worked um AC i started at Adventure [0:22] Connection and um now I'm here at [0:26] Justice Allen Page um I work during the [0:28] school day and um I do inclusion parah [0:33] and I love what I do i'm with [0:36] kindergarten and first grade right now [0:38] and I have to say that's my favorite age [0:41] group they you see them grow so much [0:44] especially with kindergarten you know [0:46] kindergarten they start and when they [0:48] come in they don't know how to stand in [0:51] a line or how to you know um sit for a [0:54] long period of time and and just seeing [0:56] how much they grow and learn you know by [0:58] the end of kindergarten they're reading [1:00] and and just it's so when they start [1:02] they don't even know their ABCs so [1:04] that's the big thing um with [1:06] kindergarten I'm invited to a a [1:09] student's wedding um that's happening in [1:12] a in a couple weeks so you know it's [1:14] just seeing the change and how they grow [1:18] um building family you know friends and [1:22] family through you know all the years [1:24] that I've known people i people say when [1:27] I go anywhere I always know somebody and [1:29] that's just being in the district and [1:31] being part of that community it's where [1:34] I grew up too so that makes a [1:37] difference in the summertime work the [1:40] summertime program for Adventure [1:42] Connection which is also one of my [1:44] favorite things cuz you get to do so [1:48] many fun things that's that's the time [1:49] you're playing with the kids and um we [1:52] go on a field trip once a week and you [1:54] go swimming and it's just I'm getting [1:57] paid to do what I love so much cuz I I [2:00] enjoy being with those kids and and the [2:02] fun that we have when I I when I found [2:05] out I um won the award I was extremely [2:08] shocked um coworker Amanda came in and [2:12] did a morning meeting and um I realized [2:16] that it you know something was happening [2:18] what's [2:19] happening and then she read the letter [2:22] and then she showed me what um Kurt had [2:25] written um I it was emotional i I cried [2:29] it was just such a wonderful feeling to [2:32] be appreciated like that i was just so [2:34] excited and happy and proud to be able [2:36] to let her know that she was receiving [2:39] the heart of the community award um she [2:42] really does embody the heart of the [2:44] community everywhere we go she knows [2:45] somebody and I'm just so happy for my [2:48] friend [2:51] the first summer I worked with her I [2:53] just I wasn't even at her site but just [2:56] watching her with the kids my son [2:58] actually went to her site and [3:00] um I just I she was amazing she's [3:03] amazing with all the kids tony Huddle is [3:06] just an allstar of Adventure Connection [3:08] staff she has so many years of [3:10] experience and she brings that [3:11] experience every day to making just a [3:13] tremendous difference in the lives of [3:14] the kids it is an absolute honor to have [3:16] her on our staff uh and she is a [3:18] tremendous example for all of the other [3:20] staff to learn from and the work that [3:22] they do with kids the kind words that um [3:25] were written and said um amazes me it it [3:30] I could cry all over again i nominated [3:32] Tony for the heart of the community [3:34] award uh because she embodies everything [3:36] that Adventure Connection is supposed to [3:37] be about she is a deeply caring staff [3:40] person who works her hardest to have a [3:42] positive impact on the life of the the [3:44] kids in the program and does a [3:46] tremendous job uh especially with some [3:48] of our more difficult students helping [3:49] them be successful uh in our program uh [3:52] and preparing them for life as a whole