The 2017-18 school year has come to an end for the Perry School District, and one last ceremony was held Thursday morning to thank and celebrate the teachers and staff.
The annual Years of Service Awards took place in the Performing Arts Center at the high school, starting with a breakfast. At 8 a.m., Superintendent Clark Wicks gave a speech, congratulating everyone on what he felt was a great year for the District. He also quizzed the teachers and staff on the ICARE acronym, which stands for: Inviting Atmosphere, Continuous Improvement, Appreciation, Relationships, and Enthusiasm.
Wicks then gave the microphone over to Dave Pratt from the Perry Masonic Lodge, who presented Kindergarten Teacher Becky Reuter with the Masonic Education Award. The recognition wasn’t finished there for Reuter, as she was also named Teacher of the Year by the Perry Rotary Club, presented by Kevin Vidergar. The criteria was similar for both awards, and included areas such as commitment, dedication, community service, and enthusiasm.
The final part of the ceremony was dedicated to giving out service awards. Teachers and staff who have served the District in increments of five years were given special recognition. The longest tenure for those honored was 30 years, which included Joyce Scott and Phyllis Whitmer. See below for a full list of honorees and the years they’ve served.
5 Years: Dora Aguilar, Adam Bloom, Willard Brown, Barry Chayet, Aliesha Crowley, Christine Gage, Allyson Gast, Rick Gates, Cory Hochstedler, Adam Kealhofer, Carmen McColley, Alicia Miranda-Oblea, Jennifer Molitor, Tennille Perez, Tracy Repp, Kevin Vidergar, and Wendy Wood
10 Years: Richelle Atkins, Katryne Bass, Cynthia Burkett, Shannon Cline, Curt Cornelius, Pamela Faltonson, Tasha Galindo, Katie Hardy, Matthew Hardy, Rebecca Hopkins, Nathan Krohn, Amy McCord, Torey McElroy, Jennifer Nelson, Heather Nelson, Jessica Renken, and Terra Webb
15 Years: Jenny Adair, Wendy Bollhoefer, Lisa Christensen, Susan Cole, Anne Horgen, Brenda Mintun, Nicole Myers, and Jodi Schuttler
20 Years: April Ballentine, Sara Locker, Lori Lohman, Kevin McLaughlin, Janel Menz, and Gary Overla
25 Years: Cynthia Jafvert and Rhonda Kanealy
30 Years: Joyce Scott and Phyllis Whitmer
