October 2017 Nebo PEAK Award Winners

Submitted by lana.hiskey on

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.

Penny McEntire, Instructional Coach, East Meadows Elementary
Nominated by: Katherine Beck
“Penny McEntire is an amazing teacher, mentor, and friend! Her smile and positive attitude make a huge difference in our school and to all of us who get to interact with her.

“Penny loves her students and wants them to succeed. I am always impressed when I am able to observe her instructing classes. She is able to teach so much in one lesson! The kids are always engaged and enjoying the learning process. It is also fun to walk down the hall with her and see her past students run towards her for a hug and a kind word!

“Penny's knowledge of literacy instruction is quite amazing. She knows what works and is able to help teachers put it into practice in their classrooms. She is so willing to do whatever it takes to help teachers feel supported as they learn and implement literacy in their own room. She is kind and caring to teachers as she mentors them, and they are not afraid to ask for her help.

“Penny not only shares her teaching talents with us but we often benefit from her delicious cooking skills. Her homemade salsa and bread and cinnamon rolls make the entire faculty happy.

“Thank you Penny for everything that you do for us! We are so lucky to have you on our team!”

Kayla Jones, Behavior Technician, Meadow Brook Elementary
Nominated by: Sarah Ledingham, Ryan Pitcher, Holly Hancock
“As a team, we sought out advice from the district to help a fourth-grade student who has had a tough year. We were overjoyed when the district realized our need and decided to send a behavior intervention technician to support us during the school day. Little did we know, that this technician would be even more help than we could have imagined. From the minute Kayla walked in, there were unmistakable signs that she was an answer to our months-long search for help. Kayla has a warm, positive personality and makes everyone she meets feel valued. She also has high, realistic expectations for our students. She's not interested in being just ‘the nice teacher’ or in being a student's friend; she makes sure that students follow through on expected behaviors. On top of all that, Kayla was only scheduled to be at our school for two hours a day, to help one specific student. After seeing the need, she decided she could do even more to help and worked out her schedule so that she could be with that student for the majority of the day. If the student is working independently, Kayla doesn't just sit back and relax. She finds more ways to serve, whether that's helping another student practice math facts or helping an ESL student write an essay. Kayla goes above and beyond in everything she does, and she stays positive and realistic through it all. We can't imagine our school without her anymore!”

Kevin Mecham, Assistant Principal, Salem Junior
Nominated by: Christine Beardall, Anne Cook, & David Knudsen
“Kevin Mecham is amazing in so many ways. We consider him to be the ‘North Star’ of our school–always pointing students, parents and staff in the right direction. Kevin is a mentor to so many. His counsel to everyone is beyond comparison. We have seen parents, students and faculty come into his office frustrated and mad, but they always leave with a smile and know that they are cared about. Kevin has a way of conveying to the involved party that they are important. He listens; and then in a kind and considerate way tells them what is best for everyone involved. We Love Kevin Mecham at Salem Junior High!”

Jessica Mohler, Teacher, Mapleton Junior
Nominated by: Dave Jex
“Jessica CARES about her students. She uses her own experiences in her teaching to make it real and to help kids see hope when there may be none. Jessica is fearless. She often stays after and comes in early just to be there for students. She is meticulous in her planning and comments on every piece of student work. Jessica goes the extra mile to ensure that kids stay caught up in her class. She is always trying to improve and has other people come watch her teach just to get feed back. For example, her husband is a teacher in another district; and on his days off, he has come and watched her teach. She truly understands that another set of eyes can help her get better and is more than willing to employ new ideas to improve her craft.”

Karolann Pace, Para Educator, Brockbank Elementary
Nominated by: Kristi Jensen
“Karolann is a hardworking technician. She develops a good rapport with the teacher, other technicians, and the students. She is a self-starter and completes tasks even before they need to be done! Karolann willingly does whatever is asked with a positive attitude. She has a strong work ethic and seldom misses work. Karolann provides leadership and guidance. She creates a positive working atmosphere with the students and is firm when needed but caring and nurturing as well. Everyone needs a Karolann!”

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.

Attributions
Lana Hiskey