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
Sophath ‘Mr. Pat’ Min, Custodian, McLane Elementary

I would like to nominate our custodian at McLane Sophath ‘Pat’ Min for the Everyday Hero. He is always willing to jump in and help. Great story, we have a new student that speaks Russian. Pat went home and learned how to say “Hello my name is Mr. Pat” and “one milk at lunch” in Russian!! This student was very happy to hear him communicating and had a HUGE smile. Thank you Pat for helping this student feel welcomed at McLane. I want you to know these kiddos here appreciate you. Also, thank you for keeping our spaces clean and maintained. McLane would be a mess without you!
Submitted by Amy Long, Paraeducator, McLane Elementary

Everyday Hero
Chris Cunningham, Data and Compliance Coordinator and Building Assessment Coordinator, Olympia Regional Learning Academy

Christopher is a wonderful part of the ORLA Team. If it’s a dress up theme day, he’s on it! You can always hear him laughing wherever he goes. He is energetic, enthusiastic and very intelligent. He makes ORLA shine! As we all know, technology has its ups and downs. Tech problems are rescued by Chris, he is a GREAT problem solver. He’s on top of state testing deadlines for teachers. He makes videos, as well as step by step directions, to make our jobs easier and more importantly, compliant. As a Special Education teacher, data tracking with behavior charts is very important. Christopher designed an electronic teacher fill in form to produce a high quality data collector/producer that provided a very colorful, graphic parent report that was above and beyond. There are no limits to his dedication to the students and teachers of ORLA, recently, he has added yet another huge task . . . YEARBOOK!!!

Thank you for your consideration of Christopher, who should wear a cape for his ORLA school uniform!!
Submitted by Susan Gonzales

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.

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
Fabiana Eussen, Family Liaison, Roosevelt Elementary 

Fabi organized the Olympia School District Resource fair and organized free after-school programs. She assists families in filling out paperwork to find housing and resources. She provides them with much-needed hope during difficult situations. Fabi is a huge asset, not only to our Roosevelt families, but to the whole Olympia School District! She is never too busy to comfort an upset student or give students extra attention. Fabi, your positivity is profoundly contagious and we can’t express enough how grateful our community is for you! 
Submitted by April Goodman, Occupational Therapist, Roosevelt and McKenny elementary schools

Everyday Heroes
Madison Elementary Staff

Thank you to all Madison staff for coming together to help every child feel at home at Madison. I just received an email from a parent telling me how his son has found a home at Madison and saying that his son’s experience is a testament to the school and the staff and the environment that Madison staff creates.  And it reminded me how happy I am to work at a school like that. Madison’s dedicated staff knows, notices and cares about every child at the school. Each staff member goes out of their way to help all kids get what they need, academically, socially and emotionally. Children who have had difficulty finding their place at other schools, find a home at Madison. 
Submitted by Lisa Estcourt, Reading Intervention Teacher, Madison Elementary School

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
Nick Edwards, PE Teacher, McLane Elementary

Nick, The staff at McLane would like to know how much we appreciate all you do for our school.  There are so many things that we are grateful for. You are ALWAYS so happy and positive.  Your music and bright greetings make a difference in the morning for our kids and staff. 

You always have a hero’s attitude, helping kids feel positively about PE and their bodies.  You run an “adapted PE” session for the Life Skills classroom and our afternoon preschoolers giving some of our most impacted students the opportunity to experience gym time.

You host students who need leadership opportunities. These are individuals who have a challenging time during certain parts of the day and you willingly open your doors to them.  You have multiple students who support younger grades during P.E. each week giving them a chance to learn leadership skills and compassion.

In addition to all you do during the school day, you also lead after school sports, which provides enrichment activities for our students. And then you coach soccer with most of your team being from McLane.

You truly are our Hero and it is an honor to be working here with you.
Submitted by Denise Morrison and the McLane staff

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.

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 Heroes
OSD Social Work and Counseling Teams

OHS would like to nominate the OSD Social Work and Counseling Teams that came in and supported us over the first two weeks in January.  That was an incredibly difficult time as we started each week with an emergency staff meeting announcing the death of another very well-loved student.

The Social Workers provided ongoing support by hosting a Staff Care Room, where we were able to safely access this location for care. Our Social Workers/Counselors also staffed a Care Room for our students. Students were able to grieve, talk to peers, grab a snack, and process with a safe adult about their loss. This was a highly emotional time with lots of tears and to have other schools give up their counselors to come help us went above and beyond. Our students reported that this room was critical in providing necessary support. We simply can not thank our own Social Worker Jen Gould enough along with Ruth Middlebrook and her amazing team for caring for us over those two weeks when we simply couldn’t.

While we hope that none of us ever has to utilize this resource again, it was comforting to know that it’s there and that these amazing individuals go above and beyond.
Submitted by Olympia High School Staff

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.

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
Keary McCowan, Paraeducator/Special Education, Madison Elementary School

Thank you Keary for always going above and beyond for our students, staff and school. You make learning fun for all students and bring laughter to our day. I really appreciate the fun team building games and activities you bring to staff meetings too. I cannot thank you enough for being an integral part of our small but mighty school!
Submitted by Jessica Martin, Fifth Grade Teacher, Madison ES

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 wee

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
Monica Cuaresma, Student Support Program Manager, Student Support

Monica, you can solve any problem! I do not know what I would do without you! No matter how busy things get you are always kind, respectful and calm. There are not enough adjectives to describe how awesome you are! Thank you for all you do for myself and the nurse group on a daily basis. You are an OSD treasure for sure.
Submitted by Joy Fulling, RN, MPH, Student Support

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.

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
Gladys Larson – Paraeducator, Thurgood Marshall Middle School

Gladys Larson (or ‘OG’ as she is the longest-tenured TMMS employee) is a constant advocate for our students with disabilities and those who work with them. OG is a constant. Wonder where those cookies came from? OG. Curious about the unannounced spread in the break room? OG. Who’s that reading a test to students in her spare time? OG. Who’s maintaining commemoration gardens for those who made a difference at the school? OG. The little things add up and she does them (for both students and staff) all the time. She brings a perspective built on experience, IEP knowledge and genuine interest in finding ways we can improve how we serve kiddos on a daily basis. OG helps us make light of heavy situations and have fun in the process. If something needs doing, she does it, and never takes or seeks credit. Here are just a few of the “extras” OG takes on:

• Stocks the faculty room with goodies
• Acts as a voice for the students
• Does the laundry for Physical Education
• Checks on accommodations in GenEd classes daily
• Provides accommodations in GenEd classes daily
• Covers lunch breaks
• Acts as a shoulder to cry on
• Is always a partner to lean on

We could write a list that goes on forever. Instead, we’ll just shout it out. OG, you’re the best!
Submitted by the Thurgood Marshall Multidisciplinary Team

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.

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 Heroes
Garfield Elementary School Nursing Staff – Joy Fulling, Tiffany Kulseth and Jennifer Orozco

We would like to nominate the nursing staff at Garfield Elementary School (nurse Joy, nurse Jen and health room assistant Tiffany) as they are our fabulous everyday HEROES. They make a great health room team and communicate well with us in the front office.  They greet each kiddo with kindness and empathy. They take the time to find out the source of the kiddo’s need. It can be providing a kiddo with a safe place, water/snack, a moment to rest, ice pack or a bandaid. They are kind and patient when dealing with families. They go the extra mile with families to provide other resources when needed. They have been known to help and treat staff who have become ill and/or injured on the job. They even stepped in to help cover the office when no subs were available. Garfield is so lucky to have them!!!
Submitted by GES staffers Kate O’Donnell and Michell Orwig

Everyday Hero
Melinda “Mindy” Swedberg – Physical Education Teacher, McKenny Elementary School

With the help of a grant and bike donations, Mrs. Swedberg has instituted a Traffic Garden at McKenny Elementary School this year. The “Garden” helps teach bicycle awareness, safety and encourages the lifelong fitness skill of riding a bike. She received bike donations from the community and then instituted bicycle programming into her curriculum.

Mindy, I am so grateful for your heart for fitness and teaching/exposing the students at McKenny to bicycle safety. I am particularly thankful for the way you recognize students who need a little extra encouragement and attention to take hard and scary steps toward learning to ride a bike, as well as other physical education and fitness skills. These accomplishments are something to be celebrated and I am proud to work with you. Thank you for giving your all in everything you do and really connecting to your students. You Rock!
Submitted by Marnie Prandi, OSD Physical Therapist

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.

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 Heroes
Support Services and Transportation Department Staff

On behalf of the OSD Teaching & Learning Department (and educators districtwide) we would like to thank a few fantastic individuals from the Support Services and Transportation Departments.

In late November 2022, we reinitiated a project to reorganize and restructure the Instructional Materials and Surplus warehouse spaces, but we needed a team since it is such an extensive undertaking. Anyone who has walked through the warehouse over the last few years knows this space requires a lot of attention.

Frank Wilson and Paul Sierra asked their teams who wanted to help and Lisa Hall, Ricky Wells and Lucas Rasmussen raised their hands to assist. They put in a ton of effort and just went above and beyond over the last couple of weeks. Thank you Support Services, Lisa, Ricky, Lucas, Paul and Frank for your continued project support and partnership with our department. Classrooms around the district are already happier because requests for classroom materials are now getting processed. You are greatly appreciated!
Submitted by Inger Owen, Ryan Howland and the OSD Teaching & Learning Team

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.

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
Nancy Swanson, Bilingual Family Engagement Specialist, Bilingual Migrant Education Program Recruiter, Bilingual Housing Stability Screener

Thank you so much for always being willing to go above and beyond helping our bilingual families. We can see that the students adore you and see you as a strong educational resource in our community. We appreciate your willingness to do more than the job requires including chaperoning the Latinx Youth Summit and translating at our evening FAFSA night. You help us and our students SO much and we appreciate your dedication to getting our students equal opportunities! 
Submitted by Nicole Sande, Jenny Morgan, Joel Komschlies, and Stephanie Benfield, Capital HS Counselors

Everyday Heroes
LP Brown Staff

This shout-out, while a little unconventional, is intended to recognize a high-performing team in the Olympia School District. LP Brown Staff, you are my absolute heroes. Every day, every single one of you comes to school looking for ways to improve outcomes for our students. You implement new materials and techniques with an open mind and positive attitude, knowing that your job is to ensure student success. You collect data, monitor progress, and meet regularly to reflect upon the results you receive from students. You are continuously making adjustments to what you are doing to better support the students you serve. I am so proud to be an Eagle with all of you! Here is to many more years together!
Submitted by Sean Shaughnessy, Principal, LP Brown 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.