Lindsey honored with “Get Your Good Out” Weiss memorial award

By Lynn Meadows, JCSD Director of Communications

JOHNSTON, Ia. (June 3, 2025) — Johnston High School art teacher Kenzie Lindsey was today awarded the 2025 Daniel Weiss “Get Your Good Out” Memorial Award by the Johnston Community School Foundation during a JHS staff meeting.

The $1,000 award for use in the classroom is given each year to a JHS educator or staff member working in art, drama, music or humanities who:

Has a demonstrated ability to encourage and challenge kids to think beyond high school
Encourages students to get out of their comfort zone and try different things
Makes their classroom a safe space for students to be who they are at all times
Has energy, enthusiasm, and a positive attitude that makes students excited to learn

Connection with students

“I have seen many instances of Kenzie’s genuine care for her students,” JHS art teacher and past award recipient Katie Black wrote in her nomination of Lindsey. “Whether she is worrying about their well-being or celebrating their wins alongside them, she truly cares and works hard to help them achieve success in a way that is meaningful for them.”

Lindsey was praised for making her classroom a safe and positive environment where students feel comfortable learning and expressing themselves without fear of judgment.

“Kenzie is intelligent, kind, and patient,” Black said. “She possesses an unassuming but powerful ability to connect with each student on a personal level, and takes the time to get to know each student and learn about their strengths and interests. She encourages students to explore new ideas and challenges them to push their own creative boundaries, helping them grow and develop artistically.”

Former student of Weiss

The award is in memory of Daniel Weiss, a highly-regarded JHS educator who taught and mentored students for more than 30 years. He refused to overlook or accept subpar performance or poor behavior in any student, and believed there is good in every individual. His life and his legacy challenge us to: “Get Your Good Out.”

“Once upon a time, Kenzie was a student of Mr. Weiss, so she is in a special position to appreciate the man and ideals that inspired this award,” Black said.

Past recipients of the Daniel Weiss “Get Your Good Out” Memorial Award include Katie Black in 2024, Tyler Kirkholm in 2023 and Jeremy Fitzpatrick in 2022.

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2022: Fitzpatrick honored with “Get Your Good Out” Weiss memorial award

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