Congratulations to each of the 2017 Olympia School District Employee Recognition Award winners honored at the May 22 Olympia School Board meeting.

This annual awards program is designed to recognize employees from throughout the district in several categories. All employees districtwide were invited to send in nominations, and a committee reviewed the entries and selected the winners.

Master of Ceremonies Scott Niemann, executive director of Human Resources, called forward each of the winners, as well as the person who nominated the individual to share about the award recipient. Each award winner then received an etched wooden plaque and stand made by students in Brian Morris’s Tech Arts Enterprises class in the Washington Middle School CTE program.

This year’s OSD Employee Recognition Award winners are:

The Instructor – Excels in Teaching
Any staff member who continually demonstrates outstanding efforts in helping students both achieve and exceed the Common Core State Standards.
Colleen Wells, Marshall Middle School 8th-Grade Language Arts Teacher

The Innovator – Changes Making a Difference
Any staff member who demonstrates innovative strategies that significantly improve the district mission.
William Murray, Capital High School Career and Technical Education (CTE) Teacher

The Champion of Differences – Celebrates Diversity
Any staff member who, by his or her actions, celebrates the values and differences of individual groups.
Luke Duerre, Olympia High School Teacher, Special Education

The Unsung Hero – Goes the Extra Mile
Any staff member who continually gets results with little or no fanfare.
Bill Sebring, Reeves Middle School 8th-Grade Math Teacher
Monica West, McLane Elementary School Principal
Food Services and Custodial Staff, Heather Long, Cheryl Cregar and Jamie Kuykendall, Hansen Elementary School

The Coach – Supports Others
Any staff member who plays a unique role in enabling others to excel.
Lisa Peterson, Centennial Elementary School 3rd-Grade Teacher

The Dream Team – Above and Beyond
Any group of staff members working together to help students succeed in or out of the classroom.
Life Skills Program Paraeducators: Athena Graham, Vicki Johnson, Linda Mewhirter, Debbie Musser, Daniel Pasquariello, Tom Ritchie, Dee Sigmond and Danita Weisenburg, Jefferson Middle School

Photos of the winners will be shared this week on the district’s social media. We appreciate everyone who sent in nominations for this annual awards program!