The district is pleased to announce the December 2019 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	Janice Wilks is a wonderful addition to our staff this year. She does a great job working with kids and is a steady and consistent support for our students.
	McKay	Karen Bordenkircher is celebrated this month for helping with orders, paperwork and organization of details that all help to make the days run smoothly.
	Sherwood	Nicole Kuza is recognized for her positive attitude, great connections with kids and staff and her willingness to help with anything.  She gets to know fellow staff members and students on a personal level and is very focused. Nicole is such a great addition to Sherwood this year. Lucky Spurs!
	Washington	Stacey Jacobs is honored this month for spreading positive energy throughout Washington Elementary. She makes strong connections with students and families, truly making a difference in their everyday lives. Stacey knows exactly where she is needed and is supportive of staff.
	Sunridge	Carly Elder is celebrated for being positive and creating opportunities for students to thrive in choir. Carly is great at helping kids find their voices (literally) and putting in all the work that goes into holiday concerts.
	PHS	Sarah Gaulke is recognized for her cooperation skills and the time and effort she dedicates to her students to make sure they are successful. She maintains her focus on constructive meetings that positively impact students.
	Nixya’awii	This month, we celebrate CTUIR Language Teachers Fred Hill, Mildred Quaempts and Damien Totus for sharing their knowledge of the Umatilla language with our students. Nixyáawii students are fortunate to have the unique experience of learning from these fluent Native speakers.
	Hawthorne/ Homestead	Kiana Rickman is doing an amazing job this year. She is an asset to the Hawthorne team and often uses “out-of-the-box” thinking in order to provide more learning options for our students.
	District Office	Andrea Dunlap is an IMESD employee working at the PELC and Washington as a Behavior Specialist. She has jumped right in and provided amazing supports to our students this year. We appreciate her flexibility and her willingness to do whatever is needed.