Everyday Heroes is a regular feature in this staff blog. Remember to submit names of employees districtwide who have done something deserving of encouragement and praise. Give a shout out to one of your colleagues at your school or support building and watch for it to appear in an upcoming Everyday Heroes blog post.

Here is our newest honoree:

Everyday Hero
Nancy Swanson, Bilingual Family Engagement Specialist, Roosevelt Elementary School

One of my students was selected by her peers and was being awarded for being “Compassionate and Kind” at a recognition assembly at our school (Hansen Elementary). This student lives with her Grandparents and they speak Vietnamese. I wanted to reach out to them to let them know they could attend; but, I didn’t know how to communicate that to them as I didn’t want the student to know she was receiving the award and I didn’t have an email for them, only a phone number.

Our secretary gave me Nancy’s information and I emailed her (on short notice the day before the assembly) to see how I could reach out. She responded promptly and clarified options with me. By the morning, she replied and said that someone called her grandparents and the message was delivered.

Seeing her grandparents at the recognition assembly was very touching. They were so excited to see her and enjoy this recognition with her as she is an amazing person. I am so grateful for Nancy’s prompt response and her ability to contact the right people to help us connect with families. I was so grateful to see them there and am grateful for this resource.

Submitted by Melissa Cleveringa, Teacher, Hansen Elementary School

How to nominate an Everyday Hero

• Email the Communications and Community Relations Department (communications@osd.wednet.edu) a few sentences, and no more than 200 words, about why the person deserves recognition. It’s easiest to write as if speaking directly to the colleague, such as “Thank you for helping with…” or “I really appreciated when you…”
• Write “Everyday Heroes” in the subject heading of the email.
• Include your first and last name as the person submitting the comments.
• Include the first and last name of the OSD employee you are recognizing.
• Include the job title and work location (school or department) of the person you are recognizing.

All submissions will be posted in this blog on a weekly basis and archived each week.