Mackenzie Deeds, a special education instructional assistant at East High School.
"Mackenzie loves to be in the classroom. He understands the needs and emotions students this age deal with, so he is patient with students to help them get the most out of their school experience. He is hard-working, has an amazing attitude, stays calm in a crisis, and is willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Being new this year, he has been a great addition to EHS. Congratulations, Mackenzie!"
Jamie Davis, a paraeducator at East Middle School.
"Ms. Davis has a real passion for her work with our students. She is kind, patient, and caring. Jamie is a real asset to the eighth-grade team. From day one, she stepped in and made a difference. Jamie builds relationships with students and understands unique differences in what makes them excel. She is also honest with our students and holds them accountable. We are grateful because we know she makes a profound impact on our students. She is thorough, thoughtful, and consistent with students of all abilities. She will do anything to support staff and students. Jamie truly goes above and beyond for our students. She has been a great addition to EMS!"
Barbara Tushla, an instructional assistant at Hunt A+ Arts Elementary School.
"Ms. Tushla lights up any room she walks in! She is fun to work with, positive, and is always willing to help classroom teachers in any way she can. She is an amazing team player who goes above and beyond for all our students. We are so lucky to have Ms. Tushla at Hunt A+ Arts Elementary!"
Ashleigh Prescott, a Title I interventionist at Irving Dual Language Elementary School.
"Mrs. Prescott is hard-working, dedicated, and has keen insight. She actively engages with students, parents, and Irving staff and supports fundraising for our school. Her dedication to teamwork recently resulted in a successful financial thanks to her collegial spirit. We appreciate her outstanding work and leadership!"
Sandy Koch, a second-grade teacher at Leeds Elementary School.
"This recognition is a testament to Mrs. Kochs' exceptional dedication, passion, and hard work in her classroom. Her commitment to fostering a positive learning environment, nurturing her students' growth, and going above and beyond to ensure their success, is truly commendable. Her innovative teaching methods, creativity, and enthusiasm have not gone unnoticed by her colleagues, students, families, and administrators. Her impact extends far beyond the classroom walls, shaping the minds and hearts of the next generation. Mrs. Koch has a kind heart, builds relationships, and is extremely dedicated to all our stakeholders. She serves as an inspiration to us all. On behalf of the entire Leeds community, I want to express our gratitude for her outstanding contributions!"
Kendra Hansen, a counselor at Liberty Elementary School.
"Ms. Hansen is an integral part of our school staff. She presents lessons in each classroom monthly to support character development. Kendra serves as a member on one of our our building leadership teams and takes on a variety of tasks to support our students. She meets with small groups of students as well as individuals as needs arise. We can always count on her to lend a hand in any way necessary to support our students and her colleagues. She truly 'Makes it Happen' at Liberty!"
Jamie Duncan, an office manager at Loess Hills Computer Programming Elementary School
"Loess Hills Computer Programming is lucky to have such a kind, compassionate, and focused office manager. Jamie puts everyone’s needs before her own. She is par of the heart and soul of Loess Hills and we are grateful she is able to help our staff, students, and families with all of their needs. Thank you, Jamie, for everything that you do!"
Maria Sanchez, an instructional assistant at Loess Hills Computer Programming Elementary School
"Maria is an amazing colleague who works with some of the most challenging students at our school. She is diligent in her work, maintains a professional attitude, and keeps the students in her classroom up on their coursework. Thank you, Maria, for all you do!"
Juanita Haaf, an ESL tutor at Morningside STEM Elementary School.
"Juanita works hard to build relationships with students, their families, and her colleagues. For this reason, Juanita is deeply trusted to do what is best for each Eagle she serves. She also supports an open channel of communication between the school and families to make sure they understand all important school information. Juanita is also an expert with second language learning and provides helpful tips to our staff members. Most of all, we appreciate how she holds high expectations for our Eagles to ensure they are achieving their highest quality of learning!"
Ben Albright, a STEM teacher at North Middle School.
"Ben Albright is recognized as North Middle Staff Member of the Month for his exceptional work and leadership to promote our middle school exploratory courses. He has been actively engaged in developing and sustaining North Middle's Career and Technical Education (CTE) exploratory professional learning community (PLC). This PLC focuses on increasing intentionality of instruction on 21st-Century skills that appear in exploratory and core academic courses. He has collaborated with colleagues to launch a new recognition program for the NMS Exploratory Student of the Month and has assisted with display student work from the various courses around the building. Mr. Albright is a valued member at North Middle School. Congratulations!"
Kris Whitsel, a TAG teacher at Riverside Elementary School
"Mrs. Whitsel is an amazing teacher! She is constantly learning and trying new things with her TAG and enrichment students. She is always willing to help out in any way that she can at Riverside. She has has great school spirit and helps all students feel welcome and appreciated at Riverside. Mrs. Whitsel is always willing to help out and goes the extra mile for staff and students. Thanks for all you do at Riverside!"
Lorynda Van Den Hul, a consulting teacher at West High School.
"Congratulations to Lorynda Van Den Hul for being nominated as West High's staff member of the month! Lorynda is an amazing asset to West High! She helps all staff members, guides our professional learning communities, and gathers students to take required state tests. Thanks for all you do to support West High School, Lorynda!"
Sharon Russell, a math teacher at West Middle School.
"Mrs. Russell is a fabulous teacher! She provides support as the Wildcat team leader, and a member of the academic building leadership team. She has also taken students to participate in Math Bee competitions and has set high goals for her math students to obtain. Thanks, Mrs. Russell, for all you do!"
Maggie Elgert, a curriculum facilitator at the Educational Service Center.
"Maggie is recognized for her enthusiasm and passion for learning. She goes above and beyond for her math peers. Every day, she hops on the 'train' to be the best math leader she can be. Whether that is leading professional development, professional learning communities, keeping up to date with research and data, locating and troubleshooting resources, or advocating for her teachers, she does it with excitement and passion. Kudos, Maggie, on this well-deserved recognition!"
Robin Olsen, a traveling food service employee.
"Robin is very energetic and jumps right in without hesitation to get the job done. She is very pleasant and always has a smile on her face. Congratulations, Robin, keep up the good work!"