Deena Amont thought she was going to a meeting Thursday morning.

But when she got to the “meeting,” the Lawrence High School art teacher heard a state official tell her over a speaker phone she’d won an award.

“Deena obviously was flabbergasted,” said LHS Principal Steve Nilhas.

Amont heard she had received one of 31 Kansas Horizon Awards. The Kansas State Department of Education gives up to 32 awards each year to outstanding teachers who’ve completed their first year of teaching.

Baldwin Elementary School second-grade teacher Adriane Mercer was notified Wednesday that she also won one of the awards.

“We hope that she’ll stay forever,” said her principal, Deb Ehling-Gwin. “She’s real young but very mature”

Mercer graduated from Ottawa University, Ehling-Gwin said.

Amont started teaching at LHS after administering the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America’s continuing education program.

She graduated from Rutgers University in 1985 with a degree in plant science. She taught and administered classes in New Jersey for floral designers, landscape architects and other horticulture professionals.

Lawrence High School art teacher Deena Amont, left, is surprised to see her classroom decorated in her honor after she received the Kansas Horizon Award, which recognizes exemplary first-year teachers. At right Thursday is Amont's colleague and LHS art teacher Angelia Perkins.

But she returned to school and earned an art teaching certificate from Kansas University two years ago.

“Kids can take a creative idea or assignment and just go with it in ways you would never expect,” she said of her students.

Besides the phone calls from State Education Commissioner Andy Tompkins, the 31 winners will be recognized at a February luncheon.

“She’s been a tremendous asset,” Nilhas said of Amont.

6News video: LHS teacher wins award (12-09-04)