February 2015 PEAK Award Winners:

Submitted by lana.hiskey on

THE PEAK AWARD CUSTOMER SERVICE PROGRAM
Nebo School District wants to showcase our Positive Energy and Kind employees. PEAK Awards are nominated by patrons and recognized by the Superintendent Staff and Nebo School Board of Education. The award is administered by the Communications and Community Relations Department. 

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This initiative is designed to focus on "raising the bar" on providing exceptional customer service, both internally and externally. A key component of this initiative is the development of the PEAK Award. The PEAK (Positive Energy and Kindness) Award is presented monthly to someone in the Nebo School District who "really gets it" when it comes to providing exceptional customer service, which in turn results in positive impacts on everyone including students, parents, co-workers and members of the community.

Who Gets Nominated?
Faculty and staff members are nominated by anyone in the community through the Nebo School District website, www.nebo.edu/PEAK wherein a special Customer Service link is provided. The directions as to how to nominate an employee for the PEAK Awards are clearly spelled out on the site. All nominations must include information on how the individual has provided exceptional customer service, as well as how the employee's actions impacted the nominator's overall perception of Nebo School District Schools. The name and contact information of the nominator must be included.

February 2015 PEAK Award Winners:

Jennifer Baldwin, Teacher, Cherry Creek Elementary
Nominated by: Jessie Simonsen & Maggie Mecham
“Ms. Baldwin is my son's teacher. He has some behavioral issues and has an IEP. From the beginning of the school year; if Ms. Baldwin has a correction to tell my son, she does so in a loving way and always tells him something positive that he is doing as well. She keeps me updated on how my son is doing.  As a team, they come up with how my son could do better. Ms. Baldwin impacted my perception by seeing that someone does care about my son and has his best interest in mind. Greatest Teacher in the world!! She is so loving and kind and just a great person!!”

Mark Van Wagoner, Teacher, Landmark High
Nominated by: Scott Carson
“Mark is the greenhouse guy, but he’s much more than that. He works with students that often fail in their academic classes. Mark finds a way to help students feel successful by putting them to work in the greenhouse and getting their hands in the dirt. Students feel a sense of accomplishment when they see a watering system work that they put together, and when they see flowers growing that they planted. Mark often has students duck into his office to just talk for a minute to share something that has happened or seek his advice for a problem.”

Cindy Manning, Lunch Secretary, Wilson
Nominated by: Abbie Finlinson
“Cindy is so kind to all the students at Wilson Elementary. We have a few students who miss breakfast or are unable to come on time in the mornings due to parents that work nights. Cindy is so sweet and lets these students eat before they hurry to class. She always has a smile on her face and is sweet to the students. It's busy, loud and hectic in the lunchroom, but Cindy is happy and calm and gives our students a smile when they need it each day. We love and appreciate Cindy at Wilson Elementary!

“Kindness is always appropriate. When people come to our school for the first time, we hope they go away with a feeling of goodness, kindness and sincerity. We are an extension of the values of Nebo School District.”

Tina Wilkinson, Teacher, Hobble Creek Elementary
Nominated by: Michael-Ann McAfee
“Tina is always cheerful and positive. She works with struggling students all day, every day. She implements and oversees behavior plans for students with severe behavior issues but is always kind and helpful and never says an unkind word. She sees the good in everyone and spreads it around, helping Hobble Creek Elementary be a school filled with positive energy.

“Miss Wilkinson is trained in the Wilson Reading System that took four years to complete. Many students and their families have been positively influenced by Miss Wilkinson's teaching skills and kindness. That success impacts the community and reflects back positively on Nebo School District.”

Tammie Banks, Bus Driver, Transportation
Nominated by: Kaye Isakson & Billi Robbins
“On the first day of school, we had a seventh-grade female who had missed her afternoon bus to Elberta. She was in a panic because her parents would not be off work until 7:00 p.m. The bus driver was called as Tammie was getting ready to enter the freeway. Tammie was very willing to pull over to the Walker’s gas station and wait for the student. Administrators, thinking it would only be a few minutes, placed her in the car and started to drive in that direction.  However, being the first day of school, there was bumper to bumper traffic leaving the school causing it to become a 10 minute drive to the gas station. Tammie waited patiently and welcomed her to the bus. Tammie conveyed the message that individual students matter. This was a young lady's first day in a junior high filled with anxiety and stress. The day could have ended with a bad feeling; but because of Tammie, it ended with a positive feeling. She brightened the day of a young lady and two administrators because of her kind action. Thank You, Tammie!”

Joann Kirk, Teacher, Park View Elementary
Nominated by: Lindsay Duke
“Joann is and always has been an outstanding employee, always going above and beyond expectations to meet the varied and challenging needs of her resource students. She currently has a student who is losing his vision. People worked with him on learning Braille, but he did not seem very motivated to learn or use it. Over Christmas break, Joann learned Braille in her ‘spare time’ in order to be able to read and write with this student. Because of this, he has shown a new excitement for learning Braille and has been happy to show his new skills to the class and to 'test' Joann as they read together. Joann has also gained a special connection to her students as she has literally put herself in their shoes to learn something new and hard. She has shared, with the special education team, her insights into learning a new language and reading to help us all be more empathetic, understanding, and connect with students better. I love working for an organization where people like Joann show genuine concern for one another and a passion for excellence.”

Attributions
Lana Hiskey