The district is pleased to announce the April 2022 Staff in the Spotlight recipients. Every month, each of our schools honors a staff member at their building for going above and beyond their regular duties or for doing something special. Join us in celebrating these outstanding employees!

	PELC	Liz Harpe – for being an outstanding assistant.  She can handle any situation and makes such strong connections with students.  Liz has an enormous amount of skill, organization, and talent.  She has provided incredible support to our special education program. She goes above and beyond to ensure that every day is the best for students as she is so prepared and has excellent attendance.  We are fortunate to have Liz at the PELC.
	McKay	Melodi Krol – Melodi has been a great asset to our staff.  She makes amazing connections with kids.  She has transitioned to McKay gracefully and ready to be part of our McKay family.  She is amazing.
	Sherwood	Laurie Hummell – Laurie runs our library and has worked in the Pendleton School District for many years.  Here is what our staff had to say about Laurie.  Laurie is an unsung hero at Sherwood.  She is constantly looking for ways to support the staff and students.  Even though her schedule is demanding, Laurie always finds time to work one on one with our most challenging students.  Her quiet and calm manner provides the library with an environment that promotes learning.  She makes the library a safe and inviting place where students feel welcome so that they are free to reach for their dreams.  We are so lucky to have her here at Sherwood.
	Washington	Nora Rivera – for being an outstanding face at Washington Elementary.  She helps every staff member and student in the school no matter what they need.  Everyone knows they can go to Nora for help.
	Sunridge	Emma Sims – Thank you, Emma, for getting our kids ready for class first thing in the morning.  We are all so blessed to work with you.  It is apparent that you care deeply and have a wealth of experience.
	PHS	Jill Gregg – Jill is the ASPIRE Coordinator at PHS.  Jill helps educate Pendleton High School students to become career and college ready.  Jill offers education, resources, and mentoring opportunities for all the students at PHS.  Her student supports include 1:1 and group mentoring activities and events that focus on career exploration, career and college research, admission applications, scholarships, and financial aid.  Jill does a wonderful job of matching PHS students with trained, supportive adult volunteers to help them develop a plan that meets their career and educational goals.
	Hawthorne/ Homestead	Teri McCoy – She is the grease that holds this school together.  Teri works hard at getting students’ classes placed on Odysseyware and Edmentum.  She also takes care of our students’ transcripts by ensuring they are up-to-date.  Teri takes the time to make sure our students “when hungry” always have a snack to eat, which she pays for out of her own pocket.  Hawthorne could not be the great place that it is if it were not for Teri McCoy’s devotion to our students.
	District Office	Ronda Thornburg – for being the “Employee of the Year”  in every way.  We see examples of Ronda’s hard work, attention to detail, and dedication to the district every day, but in the Superintendent search, she went out of her way to make sure the process was a success.
	Nixyáawii Community School	No submission this month.