Putnam Heights school counselor honored with Golden Apple award

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - The role of school counselor is to help students evaluate their own interests, abilities and skills. Our next Golden Apple award visit takes us to Putnam Heights Elementary school in Eau Claire to recognize a counselor that has been the glue for Panther nation.

Mr. B or Drew Brandenburg made a grand entrance on his skateboard, not knowing that his royal welcome from students during an all-school hallway parade was to honor him as the golden apple recipient. Mr. B has been at Putnam Heights for nearly two decades, his students and colleagues love him for his huge heart and enthusiasm he brings to school every day.

“(I) kind of come in and be a champion of positivity because we’re without a lot of adults every day but this building like many others in the district are like swiss army knives, people just step up and fill roles that they didn’t sign on to do yet they’re doing it. It’s a little bit of what I’ve been doing for the past 18 years that people are doing every day in every building throughout the country,” says Brandenburg.

“He really is the spirit of a Putnam Panther. He is there for everybody all the time, so positive and so supportive and all about helping with growth mindset, social-emotional academic, the whole child and whole family. We are one big family and he makes sure that he helps take care of all of us so it’s great,” explains Diana Lesneski, Putnam Heights Elementary principal.

Mr. Brandenburg and Putnam Heights Elementary will split $1,000 in grant funding from the Eau Claire Public Schools Foundation and Mr. B will receive a golden apple crystal at the awards banquet on April 14th.

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