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 are our newest honorees:

Everyday Hero
Rebecca Waitt, Custodian, Thurgood Marshall Middle School

I wanted to take this opportunity to compliment your employee, Rebecca Waitt. Every day, Rebecca serves the students and staff of Thurgood Marshall Middle School with her dedication, tireless work ethic, loyalty and pleasant personality.  Her hard work keeps the teachers teaching and the students learning. Rebecca truly is a hero!
Submitted by Marisa Dillard, ELA/CSI, Thurgood Marshall Middle School

Everyday Hero
Steve Taylor, Athletic Director, Capital High School

I want to thank Steve Taylor for helping put together an amazing presentation for a fallen hero in our sports community. Recently, we lost a beloved referee who has served our community for many years. Steve created a small ceremony to honor the service of this referee and present a token of appreciation to his wife and family. His attention to detail and such compassion for the family as well as his colleagues was a thing of beauty. We are so blessed at CHS to have such an amazing person on our staff and in our community. Thank you, Steve Taylor, for all you do as our Athletic Director and thank you so much for putting together such an amazing celebration on Thursday for Mr. Kain. We appreciate you.
Submitted by Ja’Wanne Brown, Assistant Principal, Capital High School

Everyday Hero
Cynthia Riley, Teacher/Special Education, Thurgood Marshall Middle School

Ms. Riley, previously a NBCT in the general arena, made the jump to the IEP department this year. We are thrilled to have her. She is an enthusiastic and sincere advocate for our students, frequently collaborating with other staff throughout the day. This is notable as she is working only part time but puts in hours beyond that of a full-time load. She attends meetings hours away from her contract time, both before and after. She actively seeks out new training to add to her already significant teaching skillset. She takes a humble approach to new things (like the paperwork) despite learning it as quickly as anyone I’ve seen. Her combination of experience, skill, and zeal for serving those most in need brighten our department and strengthen student lives. Her sharp humor and authenticity ensure that we don’t take ourselves too seriously while doing serious work. She is an asset to education.
Submitted by Michael Kelly, Teacher, Thurgood Marshall Middle 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.