January 22 – RISE Nominations

“Oscar is a caring and supportive School Psychologist. I work with him in my School Psych PLC team and he always adds good comments and ideas and is willing to engage in our PLC group. Thanks Oscar!“

Nominated by: Nick Theodosis, district employee

“Ms. Dian is the walking definition of what the RISE award represents. The dedication she shows to her students goes above and beyond. She gives them so much love and support, and that extends to their families and is felt 100%. We are so lucky to have her teaching and loving our children.“

Nominated by: Whitley White, parent

“Dian is one incredible teacher. She gives her students 100% everyday, even when times are tough. She doesn’t know the words “give up.” She is constantly finding new engaging and unique ways to help her students best succeed in school! If one technique is not working she will find another technique to try. It’s obvious she loves her students and wants the best for them. This is also true for the staff she interacts with! I am truly honored to be working under Dian. She is one incredible person inside and out!”

Nominated by: Calli Rowley, district employee

“Mrs. Tucker shows amazing dedication to all the students she serves as a resource teacher. She comes in early and leaves late. She is passionate about supporting them academically, socially, and functionally.“

Nominated by: Oscar Olaya, district employee

“Nicole is not only an amazing team lead for our team, but she is an incredible teacher. She has taken on a difficult assignment and completely changed the school experience for her students. She is organized, hard working, and most of all compassionate for the students and families she works with.“

Nominated by: Amanda Gosman, district employee

“I have the privilege of working alongside Nicole from time to time, first as a Resource teacher and now in a special class setting. One of her standout qualities is her positive demeanor, which brings an uplifting energy to her teams and drives them toward effective solutions and plans for supporting some of our most vulnerable and often challenging students. Nicole approaches these students without hesitation, building genuine connections and showing deep care. In my view, she’s in the top 1% of Alpine employees, and I am grateful each time I have the opportunity to work with her.”

Nominated by: Jack Kingsford, district employee

“Koreen works so hard to meet the social/emotional needs of all of our students at Traverse Mountain Elementary. She has created so many innovative programs and resources to help meet these needs. In addition, she is such a kind and supportive co-worker. I could not do my job without her.”

Nominated by: Lari Todd, district employee

“Rochelle is always working hard to make sure that students are getting the helps that they need in school. She goes above and beyond to meet those needs and keeps track of a lot.“

Nominated by: Mark Jamison, district employee

“Sarah is such a fantastic assistant principal. She takes on so many roles at our school and is always willing to step in and help students with their needs. Sarah does well at establishing systems, asking the right questions and setting boundaries that protect the rights of the child and help them develop in their learning. Sarah also tries to continue creating positive and fun activities for staff. Thanks Sarah for all your hard work and dedicated late night hours.“

Nominated by: Amanda Quigley, district employee

“There have been a lot of changes in our special education department the past couple of years, and Natalie has done an incredible job of taking a leadership role. She’s a great advocate for her students as well as teachers, and helps make sure that all are getting supported.“

Nominated by: Amanda Shanks, district employee

“Tiffany has done an amazing job taking over the resource teacher position at Manila this year! She truly cares about her students, and she strives to help them make both academic and social/emotional gains. Tiffany is a great team member and I absolutely love working with her.“

Nominated by: Danielle Lewis, district employee

“Sherry and Lisa are paraprofessionals who are currently running their Special Class Autism classroom. There is currently no teacher, and they are taking amazing initiative and leading their class. They are positive team players and are always willing to take on hard things. They have bravely taught the class and given these students structure and support. It has been a lot of work, yet they move ahead with confidence! They are both always where they need to be, when they need to be there. They are both incredible at their jobs and we are so lucky to have them at Alpine!“

Nominated by: Jen Baeza, district employee

“Carolyn works with students at 2 schools across all 7 grades which is crazy busy. Her students make great academic progress and are often able to be exited from special ed due to her hard work with them. Plus, they love to work with her.“

Nominated by: Jolene Campbell, district employee

“Mr. Trinh always makes himself available to answer any pressing questions or when needing support. He’s also very knowledgeable and creative in coming up with strategies to try to help you improve in your practice. He provide great constructive feedback that makes you feel motivated to push through.“

Nominated by: Melissa Aiono, district employee

“Scott is a fantastic School Psychologist who is always wiling to extend help to other educators and and support staff with his broad range of knowledge and experience.”

Nominated by: Nick Theodosis, district employee

“Andie is a certified Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She has been at Dan Peterson for two years. She is a very intelligible educator who is always providing social/emotional and collaborative support to our school staff. When working with our behavior intervention plans and functional behavior assessments, she is thorough in getting to know each student and teacher. Her support has turned this special school around and the student’s have made significant social/emotional/behavioral progress. Andie is always personalizing her BIP interventions for the student’s she is working with at Dan Petersen. She spends a great amount of time working with staff. I personally have learned from her and can say the past month have seen progress in my ability to write an efficient BIP. She is the BEST.“

Nominated by: Teresa Ockey, district employee

“Karen does a great job as a lead school psychologist! She is always willing to help me when I have questions or need something.“

Nominated by: Fiona Molsberry, district employee

“Karen is the CALM in the storm. She is the most optimistic person I know, and can literally make lemonade about any lemon thrown at her… and there are LOOOTTTTSSS of lemons hurled at her on the daily. I am so grateful for her ability to be reasonable, empathetic, and the steady leader that our group needs. Even in the face of her own personal concerns, she consistently shows up for us in BIG ways. I’m so grateful for her. Thank you Karen for being YOU.”

Nominated by: McKell Nelson, district employee

“Maria is new to our school, and she has been such a happy and positive addition to the team. She works so hard and cares so deeply about her students, but also takes the time to build positive relationships with her coworkers. Maria is a quick learner and she picked up the new processes and ways of doing things at our school very quickly. I appreciate all she does for the school and for the special education team. We’re so happy to have you at Ridgeline!!“

Nominated by: Cassie Wright, district employee

“Maile is often complimented in our student IEP meetings, where parents gush about how their student loves working with Maile. Maile goes above and beyond to ensure her students get the right supports, even if it means adding more to her already full load. Her classroom is inviting and inclusive, structured and engaging. I appreciate the humor and spunk Maile adds to our team meetings. Our school is lucky to have Maile as an asset to our team!”

Nominated by: Natasha Isom, district employee

“Chelsea is a special education teacher. She works hard to address each student’s individual needs, while maintaining a relationship with them and make learning engaging and fun. She provides a good understanding of student’s backgrounds and abilities when thinking through how best to help them. She is easy to collaborate with and is always willing to step up to do what she needs to do to help students.“

Nominated by: Sarah LeMonte, district employee

“Heather is an amazing leader. She always brings every conversation back to what is best for the students. She wants every student to have the opportunity to have a great education. She supports the students, teachers, parents, and all staff members in every area. She never asks more of anyone than what she is willing to do herself. She is kind, thoughtful, hardworking, and an amazing leader. I love that I get to work so closely with her and appreciate the opportunity to learn from her.“

Nominated by: Amy Taylor, district employee

“Jon goes above and beyond to meet the needs of his students. He is a great team player and makes everyone feel welcome and included.“

Nominated by: Elise Teerlink, district employee

“Renee always greets me with a hello each morning I walk into the library. She is warm, has positive energy, and has a wonderful sense of humor. I enjoy being around her. She loves all students who walk into the library and it shows by her greeting them with an “Aloha!”“

Nominated by: Marianne Shutt, district employee

“I have known Jana for over 10 years, and I am still in awe of how hard-working and on top of everything she is in her position as a SPED teacher. Special education is not an easy field – there are so many legal requirements, paperwork, meetings, etc. Jana manages it ALL and she cares deeply about doing what is right for students. That is why she not only is our SPED lead, but also on the intervention team, school community council, and takes on other responsibilities. I don’t know how she does it, but she is HIGHLY deserving of this RISE award. I am beyond grateful to have her as my teammate.“

Nominated by: Scott Trinh, district employee

“Suzi is someone who goes above and beyond to make sure the right things happen for students. She takes the time to learn about students and situations so she has ideas about positive, actionable things that could help them. She provides support in ways that also seek to build capacity in others. She’s a great teammate!!!“

Nominated by: Amie Schoedel, district employee

“We want to sincerely thank Mrs. Jorgenson for her kindness, support, and excellent communication with parents. She creates a warm and encouraging environment where students thrive, and parents feel connected. We are grateful for her dedication and the positive impact she makes every day.“

Nominated by: EmmaLee Peay, parent

“Annette is an outstanding special education teacher. She always maintains a calming presence and cares for each student despite loads of paperwork and a high caseload. She is making a profound difference in the lives of her students and all who have the privilege of working with her. We are incredibly fortunate to have her on our team at Meadow!“

Nominated by: Steven Corry, parent

“Karen always goes the extra mile to make sure every student feels included and cared for, adapting to their unique needs with patience and understanding. She not only helps with schoolwork but also plays a big part in helping students grow socially and emotionally, boosting their confidence and independence. On top of all that, she’s amazing at keeping us organized by scheduling all our meetings, making sure everything runs smoothly for everyone. Her hard work makes a huge difference for both the students and our team.“

Nominated by: Zac Engle, district employee

“Lauren is our special education resource teacher. She is very knowledgeable, kind, professional, caring and always gives her best in her position. This year she has faced a rising caseload with no additional support and she has done that with an attitude that she will do her bet to help all her students. She continues to help each one progress in their goals. Additionally, Lauren ensures that everyone she interacts with is seen, uplifted and feels valued.“

Nominated by: Aimee Tubbs, district employee

“I have had the pleasure of working with the remarkable, inspiring, selfless and encouraging Ms. Jana for several years. I love watching her connect with so many of our students that need her positivity and encouragement. I have been inspired by her ability to see a need and come up with solutions to even larger concerns, like helping to create one of the first wellness rooms and clothing cubbies in our district. Ms. Jana is truly remarkable!“

Nominated by: Janine Blaisdell, district employee

“Mrs. Mitchell is an exceptional teacher with dedication, kindness, and positivity. She teaches over sixty students in DLI program, yet ensures each one feels valued and cared for, creating a warm and supportive classroom environment. Students love her so much because they know she truly cares. Her positive attitude shines through any challenge, as she never complains and always finds solutions with a smile. She is also such a generous colleague, always ready to help and share ideas. She is an absolute pleasure to collaborate with!“

Nominated by: Yilin He, district employee

“One of our school priorities/ goals is to increase the number of students that pass each term in every grade. The primary focus for this is on our 9th graders. For 2 years now, Travis Barney has made a huge difference in student success and pass rates. He takes extra time to work with students during lunch and during targeted intervention classes. His efforts have ensured that more students than ever pass and teachers work interdependently to help them. Thanks for everything you do, Travis!“

Nominated by: Benjamin Carter, district employee

“Maddie started this year as our new Life Skills teacher and has done an incredible job. Despite the extreme demands and challenges of her unique position, she comes to school with a positive attitude and puts in extra time to make sure students in her classes are successful and safe. She exemplifies the PLC principle of a “Collaborative Culture” by working regularly with other teachers, professionals, and coaches to learn and improve everyday. Thanks for being an outstanding teammate and teacher, Maddie!”

Nominated by: Benjamin Carter, district employee

“Michelle is truly amazing. She is a dedicated and hardworking employee, always ready to lend a hand wherever needed. Not only does she handle copying for me and the entire LMMS staff, but she’s also willing to step in at a moment’s notice, like when I forget to print something and need it done last minute. Beyond her work, she’s a supportive presence, always offering a shoulder to lean on. Her genuine care for both students and staff makes a positive impact on everyone at LMMS.“

Nominated by: Shauna Chapa, district employee

“Amy is an INCREDIBLE administrative secretary. She will do anything for anybody at the drop of a hat. She is one of the friendliest, happiest people you will ever meet. Everyone who walks in the front door of our school is always welcomed with her warm smile and cheerful “hello.” We are SO lucky to have Amy keep our school running!“