Celebrating SCOE Staff
08/15/2018 - SCOE held its 2018-19 Back-to-School event on Friday, Aug. 10. The event featured an inspiring talk by Dani Eaton, a SCOE Special Education teacher and graduate of the North Coast School of Education's Be a Teacher program. She spoke about her lifelong passion for serving students with disabilities and the North Coast School of Education's role in bringing her home to Santa Rosa and enabling her to become a teacher.
And, as is our tradition, we began the school year by recognizing exemplary employees and colleagues. That included Golden Bell and District Service award winners as well as those who have reached landmark years of service. Here is the list of employees recognized this year. Congratulations and thank you for your service!
Golden Bell Awards
Classified
Neal McKenzie, Special Education
Neal, an Assistive Technology Specialist, was recognized as a tireless, caring, and innovative advocate for the students with visual students he serves. He is nationally recognized for is creative efforts to build adaptive technology for his students.
Certificated
Roberta Jue, Special Education
Roberta, a Speech Therapist, was honored for being a team player who always keeps students as the priority and is still excited to learn new technologies and strategies to help students with language development after 34 years. She has served as a member of the collaborative autism diagnostic clinic and supported foster youth at Valley of the Moon, among other things.
Management
Mary Champion, Special Education
A school psychologist, Mary was described as "exemplary, kind, considerate, superior communicator, sensitive, quick-minded, team player, funny, brilliant, and selfless." She was honored for immediately stepping up after the wildfires to assist schools in helping children through the crisis.
District Service Award
Debra Sanders, Alternative Education
Debra, a Foster Youth Services Coordinator, was said to go "above and beyond every single day to provide service to districts and agencies with the goal that students and families they get support they need." She, too, was honored for outstanding work and dedication during the October wildfires. Despite personal loss, she "hit the ground running, thinking of what support could be provided, and working tirelessly in service of others."
Nominees
Golden Bell Nominees
Debra Sanders
Janelle Sarsfield
Shari Rochester
Amanda Snook
Javier Prescott
Kimberly Vallee
District Service Nominee
Renee Fong
Service Pins
30 years of service
Laurie Ballentine
Bonnie Niewiarowska
25 years of service
Rose McConnell
Karen Morgan
Scott Straub
20 years of service
Carin Cutler
Scott Morris
Angela O’Rourke
Cheryl Parsley
Janice Rojas
Rozlyn Scholze
Maryetta Whitt
Dana Zapanta
15 years of service
Eleanor Blair
Kimberly Gehl
Patrice Kaffun
Catherine Madonia
Asmerom Tesfai
Linda Thornburg
Susie Truelove
Elena Vazquez
Tekle Zerie
10 years of service
Gail Bunte
Linnae DeMartini
Tyson Dickinson
Antoinette Hoffman
Patricia Lara
Nancy Linder
Elvira Luguaer
Jackie Petersen
Joel Rennison
Loren Soukup
Lael Tensfeldt
Andrea Yates
5 years of service
Joshua Argyle
Pia Banerjea
Monica Batanero
Laura Buergler Delgado
Mary Champion
Jennifer Guerrero
Susan Hoge
Jordan Johnson
Kristen Johnson
Patricia Law
Neal McKenzie
Matthew O’Donnell
Heather Meader
Paula Peichel
Janelle Sarsfield
Jennifer Scharry
Natasha Scott
Chelsea Siegel
Suzanne Tribbey
Yurilla Vega
Abigail Ward