Transcript 2010-2011 Employees of the Year Arnold Prudencio Monticello School Arnold Prudencio is Monticello’s classified employee of the year.

2010-2011 Employees of the Year
Arnold Prudencio Monticello School
Arnold Prudencio is Monticello’s classified employee of the
year. Arnold is the head custodian at Monticello Elementary
and has been in our district for 22 years.
Mr. Prudencio’s work ethic is impeccable. He arrives to
work each morning at least 30 minutes before his scheduled
start time to open up. Our campus is clean and safe. Arnold
is one of the main reasons it stays this way.
Arnold has vast knowledge of tools and "gadgets" and
utilizes these tools to assist him with the repair and
maintenance of our school. Arnold is also thrifty. He will
locate and utilize materials we have on site to save district
the cost to repair and maintain our beautiful campus. He
completes preventative maintenance routinely and assists
our grounds keeper by adding creative touches to the
Monticello School grounds.
He takes pride with every task he completes. He sees it, he
fixes it. Arnold had said, "I do my job, the best that I can
and I always will, for my school". What a great example for
us all.
Jennifer Garry Monticello School
Jennifer Garry is Monticello’s certificated employee of the year. Jennifer has
been an educator for 22 years. Jennifer teaches third grade and said that “Third
grade is a passion.”
Jennifer has made a positive impact on Monticello during her tenure here.
This year, she created and implemented the RISE after school program at
Monticello. She spent countless hours planning and overseeing this very
successful program. She had a RISE graduation on March 31 st to honor the
students and the progress that they had made. To see the RISE students and
their smiles after accepting their award said it all.
Jennifer has been on many school and district level committees. Some of
these committees include: School Site Council, where she has been a member
for several years, GATE representative, Grade level representative, Language
Arts Adoption Committee, STAR Lab supporter and docent, RISE coordinator,
Measure J Committee member, and Curriculum development team.
Jennifer Garry’s class, along with another third grade class, presents a
musical every year to our student body. She brought square dancing to
Monticello School several years ago and has incorporated square dancing with
the third grade Pioneer School simulation. Jennifer will tell you that square
dancing is an excellent way to informally test oral direction following.
Lauren Beith Jefferson School
Lauren Beith has been the secretary at Jefferson School
for the past six years. She is one of those rare
employees that spots a job that needs to be done and
does it. In her position it is critical to be able to multitask, set timelines, and handle whatever is thrown at her
(literally). It’s amazing that Lauren has been able to put
up with the intense demands placed on her.
She exemplifies great professionalism as an employee
while maintaining great rapport and friendship with the
staff. Lauren always takes the time to get to know each
staff member on a personal level which in turn earns
their trust. She is one of the first people that students,
parents and staff members see when they walk into
Jefferson, and it’s her smile, friendliness, and genuine
personality that make them all feel welcome.
Jefferson School is a very close-knit family and Lauren
is the mother figure that looks after everyone. She plays
a large part in why Jefferson is such an enjoyable place
to work and why it is so successful.
Christina Orsi Jefferson School
Christina Orsi has taught 8th grade science at Jefferson
School for the past six years. She has been an exceptional teacher,
innovator, professional developer and leader. Christina does a
tremendous job developing rapport with her students and inspires
each of them to accomplish great things.
She served as the Associated Student Body coordinator and
in that time she improved the way the organization ran, fostered
school spirit through rallies, and made the dances more inclusive so
all students felt comfortable attending. Christina has also been
integral in advancing science instruction at Jefferson. Her use of
interactive notebooks and work with Science Fair dramatically
improved the 8th grade STAR scores for all student groups. In
addition, her involvement in Science Olympiad and other county led
science programs has shown students the real-world importance of
science.
Christina has also shown a tremendous amount of leadership
at Jefferson through the Instructional Norms Team. She is constantly
seeking out new knowledge to improve her own craft and help other
teachers excel as well. Christina loves to try new strategies, refine
them, and then share them with others. By example she inspires
everyone to improve and provides the students of Jefferson School
the best every day.
Mark Gottberg Hawkins School
Mark Gottberg is the 2010 – 2011 classified
employee of the year for Hawkins School. Mark has
been a part of the Hawkins School team for the last
6 years as the night custodian. The night custodian
isn’t always the most glamorous job from starting
your day in the midst of the busyness of school
lunches in a crowded cafeteria to ending it on a quiet
dark campus.
Through all of these different scenarios, Mark
keeps the campus clean and appropriate for all our
students and staff. One staff member notes that he
doesn’t take any short cuts and completes all duties
when asked. Mark interacts with the staff and
students in a friendly manner and is always patient
with those unexpected events.
Congratulations to Mark for this great recognition.
Fiona Bessette Hawkins School
Fiona Bessette is the certificated employee of the year for
Hawkins School Throughout her years at Hawkins, she has become
an integral part of the first grade team creating a learning
environment where every child can be successful.
Most recently Fiona has taken on the task of providing
instructional coaching to our instructional aides who are working with
our students in intervention. Through this capacity she has provided
demonstration lessons, professional development and ongoing
support that have increased the effectiveness of our intervention
programs. Through her coaching we have seen many students over
every grade level exit intervention and find success at their grade
level standards.
Fiona has also shown a tremendous amount of leadership at
Hawkins through providing professional development at staff
meetings and being a part of the district Instructional Norms Team.
She is a constant professional in all ways and is always striving to
improve herself as a teacher and professional. She is enthusiastic,
no matter what the challenge, and always puts the students of
Hawkins as first priority.
Debbie Pereira Traina School
Debbie Pereira has been with the Jefferson School District since
August of 1997. She was hired as the Anthony Traina School Secretary
in April of 2004. Debbie has an established reputation as a hard
working, do whatever it takes person, that stops what she is doing to
help anyone in need. She has been known to take work home to make
sure that the students and teachers at Traina are ready for the
upcoming year. Debbie’s never timid about filling in where she is
needed. All of this, mind you, with a smile on her face and a happy
disposition.
Debbie Pereira is a humble and essential member of our staff. She
is one of the first to arrive in the morning and on many occasions
remains well after the conclusion of her work day. Students and staff
alike have come to depend on her to patch up scraped knees, take a
temperature or two, offer a warm hello, or just run a cup of coffee down
to a staff member.
Debbie has the wherewithal to manage, organize, and perform the
essential day to day activities of our office. She both trains and supports
our office staff. She is often on the front line dealing with the pleasant
and not so pleasant interactions with the public and does so in a manner
that makes our parents and students feel valued and heard.
Lynda McCormick Traina School
Lynda McCormick has been with the Jefferson School District, teaching
Kindergarten at Traina School since August 2005. She has been in the teaching
profession for 41 years. Lynda is an insightful teacher who values academics, but
realizes that for each child, a balance must be struck between academics and the
social and emotional aspects of one's school experience. Her students love her and
enjoy coming to school every day.
As one staff member stated, "She's the real deal and amazingly talented." Lynda
McCormick has a natural and passionate ability to work with children making a
positive difference in each child's life. She meets them where they are, and takes
them where she knows, they need to be. She's firm but fair. After all, Lynda knows
that everything we need to know to navigate through life we learned in Kindergarten.
She has worked with her team diligently over the years to build the Kindergarten
program at Traina School, instituting such events as the Kindergarten Bridge BBQ,
Zaner-Bloser Parent Handwriting Workshop and Multicultural Month. Lynda gladly
and with enthusiasm takes on numerous causes outside of the scope of her job,
some of which have really benefited our community such as GECAC, Kindness
Week and helping the homeless through her church. Lynda is well respected by
fellow staff members. She has mentored several of the teachers on our staff and
countless others throughout her career. Lynda is a school-wide team builder.
Janice Cook District Office
It has been a long time in coming; after Janice has helped to
train four Special Education Directors; but it is always timely to
praise an individual like Janice for her dedicated service to the
Jefferson School District. Janice is at work early and often
leaves late as she interacts with teachers, parents and
administrators to keep them all on track when it comes to IEP
forms and timelines. She is one of the kindest problem solvers
you could ever meet in person or on the phone; leaving the
listener encouraged with a problem solved or at the very least,
on the way to a solution.
To many educators in the field, Janice is the home beacon
in getting help for guidance in best practices for SEIS,
receiving new forms, pamphlets, new federal and state
requirements, and hand-holding for new Speech and Special
Education Interns. She has a steady supply of chocolate to
refresh the weary educator that is delivering IEPs to her desk
for the permanent files. She is, in another’s words, “the
epitome of a selfless worker, always striving for the best and
helping others to do the same” and “Janice Cook exemplifies
the type of employee any superintendent would be thrilled to
employ.”