The district is pleased to announce the April 2023 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	Donna Bostwick – Congratulations to Donna Bostwick, this month’s PELC Staff in the Spotlight recipient.  Donna pours her heart and soul into her classroom and students.  Students in Mrs. Bostwick’s class are held to the highest expectations, they learn, and they know they are loved.  Donna is creative, shares resources with everyone on staff, and comes up with the best ideas.  Donna is always thinking ahead and coming up with fun ways to help students learn.  She’s not afraid to make suggestions and jumps right in to help whenever needed.  Donna has been attending every Kindergarten IEP transition meeting this year and welcomed our new kindergarten families with open arms.  The transition team values Donna’s thoughts and opinions.  In one meeting, Donna remembered that she had taught the incoming student’s aunt.  Donna went upstairs and came back with a piece of writing and artwork the aunt had completed when she was in elementary school.  The relationships Donna creates are there for a lifetime.  On top of all this, Donna is a great friend to many of us at the PELC, and we love her.
	McKay	Patti Thorne – for being an outstanding child development specialist.  She goes above and beyond to help students with their needs, provides support to staff by listening, and fills spots when someone is absent.  She plans special things even though she has a lot on her plate.  She is a very caring person and a great leader among our staff.  She is just an amazing person.
	Sherwood	Alexis Keene – for being helpful with students.  She always has a smile on her face, and she is very friendly to staff and students.  She is always willing to help.  She has made a noticeable difference in the special education classroom, and she has great connections with students.  She has strong skills, and she is such a hard worker.  Alexis is super organized, and she keeps our room organized.  She meets the needs of students and is always one step ahead.  She goes above and beyond what is asked of her.  She is a thoughtful, kind, and diligent person who sees the light in everyone.  We are lucky to have her at Sherwood.
	Washington	Shelly McAlary – Mrs. McAlary is not only a huge asset to our first grade but also to our entire school.  She is being recognized for being a great team player who always does what is best for students.  She holds students accountable for their actions, sets a high standard, and always models expectations.  She goes above and beyond to offer support to students in need and is always a helpful staff member to all teachers.
	Sunridge	Stacy Nelson – Stacy has built great relationships with students and has worked hard to get to know them.  She is so welcoming and supportive as she fields questions and explains so much to others.  She has a positive attitude even when dealing with the toughest students.  She uses her amazing relationships with students to help them be successful in the classroom.  She is an asset to PHS.  Thank you for all you do, Stacy.
	PHS	Bailey Sitts (Engineering Teacher) for working on weekends, after school, and more to make voting chips for our Junior/Senior Prom.  Bailey is such a great addition to our staff and a valued staff member for our leadership program, as she is always willing to help out in any way possible.  Thanks, Bailey, for helping to make our Junior/Senior Prom a Varsity experience for our students.
	Hawthorne/ Homestead	Michael Bittorf is a great asset to Hawthorne’s Project Based Learning program.  He has a way of engaging students and making them feel comfortable doing what they used to feel was uncomfortable.  He has been invested in this program since it started, and staff and students feel blessed that he is with us.  He really makes this program work even while wearing two hats. He is half-time at Hawthorne and half-time at PHS.
	District Office	Scott Swanson for his can-do attitude throughout the work day, along with the help in the preparation of herbicide treatment throughout the district.  Thank you for maintaining all grounds and re-calculating the acreage in all lawns, ornamentals, and sports fields.
	Nixyáawii Community School	Zach Gaulke – for always helping with technology issues in the building and creating our electronic bathroom checkout system.