A Keizer music teacher is up for the Crystal Apple Award, recommended not once but twice for one of the highest honors for Salem-Keizer teachers and other school workers.

Such a double nomination is unusual in the annual awards process.

Two administrators – Lauren Keller and Jennifer Colton – in March nominated Peter Rundquist, a music teacher at Forest Ridge Elementary School.

“I had actually gone to another school to celebrate someone else who had gotten nominated,” Rundquist said, remembering the day. It wasn’t until he drove back to Forest Ridge for a staff meeting that he heard the news.

“I knew that the nominations were coming out, but by no means was I expecting to receive one,” he said.

Seven other Keizer educators were nominated for the Crystal Apple award:

• Melissa Miller, counselor, McNary High School.

• Jaimie Murphy, teacher, McNary High School.

• Kami Brack, social worker, Claggett Creek Middle School.

• Rachelle Braiker, teacher, Cummings Elementary School.

• Rebecca Kroon, teacher, Keizer Elementary School.

• Brian Hunter, instructional assistant, Gubser Elementary School.

• Whitney Wynter, special education instructional assistant, Forest Ridge Elementary School.

Winners will be announced on Thursday, May 29.

A nominator must submit a packet to the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce including three letters from community members referencing the nominee’s credentials.

For Rundquist, two administrators decided to submit packets to the Chamber.

The nomination packets told of his involvement with individual students. He tries to make performers of all students, even the most introverted.

“We really want every kid, every student, every grade level to be able to experience music,” he said.

Rundquist comes from a musical family. He said that both of his parents, at one point or another, were music educators. His father taught band at Walker Middle School for over 25 years.

“I’m from a family of teachers, and I just had a love of music right from the beginning,” Rundquist said.

He started his teaching career in 2013 after graduating from Boise State University. His first job was in the Parkrose School District, but Rundquist moved to Gubser Elementary School in 2014. He stayed at Gubser for three years before moving to Forest Ridge, where he has been since 2017.

Since moving to the area, Rundquist has been involved with Whitaker Middle School’s 5th-grade band and has helped the McNary High School marching band.

“The biggest challenge I had coming in as a new teacher is just trying to find out what your teaching style is,” he said.

In those first years, Rundquist remembers having to learn the school community and “lay of the land” before honing his approach to education. Dealing with real-life scenarios, outside of the college classroom, also proved challenging.

“Those things that they never quite prepare you for, but that you learn about very fast,” he said.

Rundquist slowly started sharpening his practice. Above his desk hangs a poster reading “Mr. R’s anchor standard” – a constant reminder of his teaching philosophy.

The first goal reads, “All students leave music class with a deep fondness and appreciation for the art of music and its many facets.”

The second goal reads, “Music becomes a part of their own personal world.”

Rundquist wrote these goals many years back and he says they are still true for his classroom.

“My goal is always for kids to have an appreciation for music and to have it involved in their life,” he said.

He doesn’t seek to make all kids world-class performers, but he wants to instill a deep appreciation for the arts. The next time they attend a concert, Rundquist hopes they draw from a well of appreciation from the hours spent in his classroom.

In retrospect, he offers two words of advice for new teachers: “Be patient with yourself, and hone in on the skills that are unique to you.”

Rundquist’s favorite memory in the field comes from the Salem-Keizer Elementary Choral Festival in 2023 at South Salem High School. The district was still recovering from the effects of the pandemic, which left Forest Ridge’s choir program with 15 students – a fraction compared to previous years.

“Most of the schools had vastly bigger groups than we had,” Rundquist recalled.

He was nervous, and somewhat deflated by the size of his choir. But a devout optimist, Rundquist decided to have some fun.

In the middle of their concert hour, the kids surprised the audience with kazoos – hidden in their attire – and performed a song called “The Kazoo Concerto.”

“After we finished, there was a really strong applause from the audience,” he said.

The Forest Ridge choir, despite its small size, received recognition.

Even with the tribulations that face school districts – such as behavioral problems, lack of funding, and global pandemics – Rundquist savors small moments of classroom success.

“Sometimes they’re quick moments of connection with the students or the ah-ha moments. When you have those moments, that’s what keeps you coming back,” he said.

Looking ahead, Rundquist hopes to grow the Forest Ridge music program. Since the global pandemic, his choir class size has doubled from 15 students to 30.

“I just want to keep building the program and updating the resources that we have here,” he said.

News tip? Contact reporter Riley Ellis: r[email protected].

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