We have opportunities in place for districts to recognize our staff for outstanding customer service but felt we also needed a way for ESC employees to recognize each other. Each quarter will focus on one of our Four Dimensions. 

For the first quarter, our staff recognized others who have exemplified our first dimension- SERVING OTHERS. 

Putting others first is the foundation of serving others. It can be challenging to serve others when we are making critical decisions daily. Serving others means: that the needs of others drive our actions, we foster growth in others, we exhibit compassion in word and deed and we listen with intent. 

See who was recognized and what was said about them below!

 

Teresa Barr - "Teresa is very helpful when staff need help with requisitions and purchase orders. She is always happy to help and will say, "If you need anything else, just let me know. That is what I am here for." She also is extremely helpful to our new staff who need to apply for licensure. She is always willing to walk them step by step through the process."

Melissa Bowersock - "Melissa is someone who, no matter the situation, will always listen and help! Even during her time off she is willing to help and listen! Whether you need help with IEPs, writing social narratives, or coming up with support for students, Melissa is there! She is awesome at supporting both students and staff because she challenges you to continue to learn and grow!"

Heather Burris - "Heather worked to secure a number of donations for our upcoming Community STARs event. This allows us to recognize students and staff members within our districts for their contributions to the community. Thanks, Heather!"

Rachel Caldwell - "Rachel goes above and beyond at work every day to make sure her student's needs are met. She also just got her first foster placement and is absolutely rocking it as a foster mom! I am so proud to call her a coworker and friend."

Ashley Carey - "Ashley worked to prepare for Opening Day - the ultimate "Welcome Back" to our entire staff, and if she wasn't under enough pressure for it to go smoothly, there were some hiccups with breakfast timing. Ashley didn't let that get to her despite some comments made by colleagues. Instead, she had a smile on her face, helped to carry in breakfast trays the moment they arrived, and was able to pull off an amazing event for all. Ashley, thank you for your service to us - the staff at the ESC." and "Ashley goes above and beyond in her efforts to make sure that not only office staff, but visitors to the office, have what they need on a daily basis. Ashley is a constant source of support to others." and "Ashley is a genuine and compassionate person--serving others just comes naturally to her! She makes me feel important whenever I stop by the central office. No matter what she may be in the middle of she stops to ask me how I am and shows interest in what I have to say whether it's personal or work-related. We are lucky to have her as part of the MCCESC team!"

Matt Carey - "Matt ALWAYS displays servant leadership! He has shown us time and time again his willingness to put the needs of others above his own. He has come in after hours to mop because he knows some of us in the Central office have a sensitivity to smells. If anyone needs anything, he ALWAYS cheerfully jumps in to help them no matter what the task may be. He never complains and takes pride and ownership in his work. He works with our students by teaching them how to do certain jobs and mentors them along the way. He always displays kindness to others and is a clear example of what being a servant leader means! Thank you Matt for always going above and beyond!"

Paige Class - "School Nurse GES Very helpful with any question I have with my job"

James Cutlip-Savage - "James is always willing to teach me something new. He has always invested himself in my growth. I appreciate him more than words can express." and "James has said, "Yes," to every opportunity that has come his way this year, including working on getting his doctorate. But even with the multitude of projects that were already on his calendar, when a district called looking for support with ELA material adoption, he jumped right in to serve. James - thank you for working to serve our districts in the midst of "all the things." You are a true servant leader."

Kelly Eckart - "She is always selfless and helps the classroom in every way she can."

Jerry Fetherolf - "Jerry goes above and beyond to help the maintenance/custodial team. His drive to serve others is clear and very appreciated."

Heather Foreman - "Heather is always willing to help! She's the best at helping come up with support for students. Whether you need sensory support, social narratives, writing support, or calm-down help, she is there! If she doesn't have an answer she will point you in the direction to get the answer. She has even put lots of time and effort into creating sensory paths in the hallways and a sensory room to meet the diverse needs of students and allow them to learn and grow!"

Ryan Guthrie - "Ryan Guthrie goes above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to serving others, whether it be the school children or colleagues. Ryan is in the hallways of his schools every morning to greet the children, regardless of whether or not they are "on his caseload." He is always there, ready to give a fist bump, words of encouragement, or walk with someone to their classroom to help them get their day started off right. At one school, the space he has to work in is a small area within a Teacher's lounge. (Not an easy place to get work done or provide therapeutic interventions!). Ryan is always ready to help colleagues with a printer snafu or get the laminator ready for their use. Oftentimes, this is the space where the Teachers come for a brief "time out" or to let off some steam. Regardless of the weight of his own responsibilities, they can count on Ryan to take a moment and lend an ear, or find a few kind words to share. These are the "little things" that end up really meaning something to others, whether talking about children or adults. It's the fist bump in the morning or the moment taken to lend some support that really makes a difference in someone's day. In the "big picture," these small gestures add up to keep our customers happy and contracts renewed! Servant leadership at it's best!"

Mallory Hicks - "Mallory is always willing to drop everything and be there for any student in our program. She knows how to relate to our students and best support their needs. She will go above and beyond to reach our students where they are and find things to keep them engaged and seen. On top of her efforts with our students, she is also always helping out and filling in where needed to support other staff as well."

Lesly Hollar - "Lesly is amazing! The second she sees a problem, she is already working on a solution. She anticipates our student's needs and immediately is there to aid or assist them. She greets all our students upon arrival and makes sure they have everything they need for a successful school day. She will use her own time working on ideas to better our classroom. She selflessly helps everyone to be the best they can be."

Nick Howell - "Nick helped me so much with all the questions, letters, etc. that I needed during my retirement process, in person and several emails. Thank you again Nick for all your help. Go Reds."

Tisha Kauffman - "Tisha consistently serves others in her daily work - always looking out for the needs of others. She takes on additional responsibilities even though it might make her week a little busier. Thank you for being YOU, Tisha!"

Cecilia Kuss-Shivler - "We have some new staff in preschool this year. CeCe has put her own needs aside to take time to answer questions and guide new staff. She has served others by stepping out of her comfort zone to ask questions and guide others. She takes the time to listen to the kids in her class every day and strives to meet their needs on all levels."

Kevin LeValley - "Kevin has such a strong drive to serve the children in our building. He works very hard to keep the building clean. He works even harder with staff to ensure the safety of our students by helping in every way to create the safest environment possible. This can often mean making a modification at the drop of a hat and he always seems to be ready for the challenge no matter how complicated. He is a shining example of what service leadership stands for and we are all so thankful for him."

Stacey Logwood - "Stacey sees a need at her work and she finds creative ways to fill that need. Whether it is the students she helps, the staff she supports, or the families of her district, even to the point of founding a food pantry to help the students with food instability." and "Stacey goes above and beyond serving others every day. Between leading and running the food pantry, being a pillar of support for students, encouraging staff, and everything else she does for our district, she is the prime example of serving others. She makes everyone's day brighter, even on her hardest days. We are so thankful for her!"

Terri Mac Donald - "Terri serves others daily. She always makes sure her staff's needs are met and listens to all concerns. She helps everyone grow in their current position. While I was off from work she made sure I had everything I needed even though I was not physically in the classroom. She has been very supportive while I transition back into the classroom."

Molly Meadows - "Molly has been a great support in helping create and build fun and exciting lessons this year. She has also been instrumental in helping our students succeed both in our classroom and when they go out into general education. Thank you for everything you do Molly!"

Kassydi Miller-Brown - "Kassydi does an amazing job of making lessons and small groups fun and engaging. She has tremendously helped with getting our students back on track when they become distracted. She has helped encourage student independence. We also really appreciate her creative and artistic abilities when creating lessons, activities, and bulletin boards. We appreciate Kassydi so much and are so thankful for everything she does."

Mary Mitchell - "Mary goes above and beyond to meet the needs of staff and to let them know they are valued. She consistently checks in to see how she can be a support and is a great listener."

Crystal Morris - "Crystal is someone that you can always count on! No matter what you need she is always willing to help. She is an amazing and caring coworker and friend. If you're feeling down she always tries to cheer you up. She is always smiling and keeps a positive outlook no matter the situation. You can always trust that she will listen and help no matter what. Coming to school feels less like work when you have someone who is always there for you and cheering you on!"

Chelsea Moses - "She has found ways to include all paraprofessionals so everyone feels needed. She has recognized talents that each team member has and encourages it."

Melissa Nunamaker - "I feel Mrs. Melissa deserves the star customer award .. she has managed to stand up and teach at a new school, new kids, new staff, and most of all she does it well.Mrs.Melissa comes to school with a positive attitude and always does what's in the kids' best interests. She is kind, and patient and tries to understand and respond in a fair and understanding response. Thanks for serving Mrs.Melissa."

Carolyn O'Neal - "From the moment that she arrived at Adriel, she has advocated for several things that our building, staff, and students have needed. She always has a warm smile and is willing to help in any way that she can. We are very lucky to have her!"

Sheila Roberts - "Sheila goes above and beyond to foster the growth of the people who work around her. It is obvious that her goal is to serve not only our districts but each member of the staff."

Brooke Rutherford - "I want to give a shout-out to Brooke. She has been going above and beyond this year to help our classroom students achieve all of the inclusion and push-out opportunities that they deserve to be included in. This sometimes means that she is running around the school for up to 3 hours a day. Thank you for all that you do!"

Melissa Scoville - "Melissa finds ways each day to serve others. It does not matter what is happening, she will work to support and meet the needs of not only our districts, but any stakeholder who happens to be in the office."

Danielle Skala - "She goes above and beyond being a school psychologist. She has helped me as a new employee. If the Teachers need an extra hand with a kiddo, she is there for them. If a Teacher just needs to vent or celebrate, her door is open to anyone. She is praising and encouraging kids from the moment they get off the bus to begin the day, to when they go home."

Alycia Smith - "Alycia has had a lot of changes in her classroom from paras to adding a student. I appreciate how well she is handling the change, and how she is being a positive role model in the classroom." and "She gives of herself each and every day to the students in her room and the staff working with her. She is always positive and is a bright spot in the day!"

Angie Thomas - "Angie does literally everything to serve everyone, children, adults, parents, etc... before she serves herself. She comes in to work early and stays late so she can serve the children. She goes above and beyond in this job and deserves a lot of recognition."

Jesse Tropeano - "Jesse is an important team member, and has contributed to accessing and transporting specialized equipment of a changing table for our students at WLS, as well as helping the team with accessing information for several move-in students in the Urbana school district. We appreciate Jesse going above and beyond to help our students in multiple districts!"

Mark Ward - "Mark spent hours working to create a slideshow for our preschools and the families they serve. It reviewed behaviors and how to support students, but it wanted it to be completely hands-free for teachers - they could "set it and forget it," so that it could run continuously for the visiting families. Mark took his time, googled new tools, and continued to revise the presentation until it was exactly what was needed. Mark, thank you for serving our teachers, students, and their families!"

Tracey Wilson - "Tracey has been an absolute lifesaver in helping me transition into this position and supporting the preschool staff. She is always willing to jump in, lead by example, and help others. Tracey has supported me by finding substitutes, helping with purchase orders, providing information and support to staff, and is one of the best parts of working at the ESC." and "Tracey is the most selfless person that we work with. She works with several districts that want numerous things daily. She always goes out of her way to get things you ask of her done quickly. She always has a smile on her face. She never complains about all of the tasks people want her to do. She is dedicated to our program and the people who work with her."

Cortney Yost - "Cortney helps whenever needed. She puts the needs of the kids and the staff above her own and always has a good attitude. She is so easy to work with."