Staff Awards & Positive Community Feedback February 2019

Above & Beyond, Torch Awards, Hats Off & Positive Community Feedback

Above & Beyond

Linda Hilgenberg continually looks for ways she can assist the coordinator often completing operational and extra tasks without being asked. She has completed daily program schedules when staff have been on PTO as she knows the coordinator’s schedule is demanding.  Linda also supports staff in any way that she can including darning a hole in a sweater for staff because they didn’t know how.  Linda recently reviewed the program handbook after the coordinator discussed the need to shorten it.  Without being asked, Linda presented the coordinator with a rough draft of the modified handbook in order to accomplish the task in a time sensitive way.  Thank you Linda for all you do to make Wasserman a great program!

Amanda Stayton took on the responsibility to plan and present this year’s holiday program.  Amanda had clients audition to perform, worked with all classrooms to prepare a special skit/song and practice with clients that would be performing.  As always, the holiday program was a huge success and provided positive attention and a successful experience for all the clients.  Thank you Amanda for being willing to go the extra mile and providing such a rich experience for program clients.

Torch Awards 

Jenny Dwyer: Jenny has provided incredible coverage to help keep the WT preschool class running and seamlessly continuing a topnotch high quality early learning environment for the children during a staff vacancy.

Vickie Gillespie: She goes above and beyond what any assistant teacher should do. She is always there to help her colleagues and puts the biggest smile on the childrens’ faces. The children look up to her and love her so much. If I get overwhelmed, she is the first one to step in and help with the situation. She is truly an amazing teacher and does so much more for Child Focus and everyone here.

Sheila Conley: Sheila always has the cutest ways to connect the art area with a theme. She makes creative bulletin boards for the children to make art for that fit perfectly with what we are doing in the classroom.

Jaime DeMaris: Jaime has been extremely helpful to me as a new Family Advocate. The FA’s are incredibly supportive group as a whole, and Jaime sort of took up the role as my unofficial mentor, she has answered my numerous questions, always with a smile and has gone out of her way to provide me with the valuable information and experience by letting me observe her meetings and Family Learning Party. I appreciate her friendly, welcoming attitude and all of her help!

Elinor Keller: Elinor is always willing to help with situations that come up with the center. When I call early in the morning she is always ready to help with One Call Now, and helping me find coverage for classrooms. She has been a great help when it comes to helping retrieve information from Shine for reports. Thank you, Elinor.

Nicole Roig: With the transition to the new curriculum, Nicole was so helpful! She typed the list of activities and materials and she helped me put together all of my binders, which was quite a bit of work. She is always helpful to anyone that needs it! 

Hats Off

Monica Wilson was nominated; during preparation for the client intake requiring the American Sign Language interpreter. Monica was very helpful, enabling to assist in completion of a very important task.  Monica is very busy, yet she jumped right in to lend a hand.  She went above and beyond for me and I truly appreciate it.

Jackie Pridemore was nominated after a client’s mom was speaking to the secretary at Genesis about Jackie and the amazing work she does with her daughter. This mom continually praised how amazing Jackie is and how she has worked with many therapists in the past and none have been able to figure out her daughter like Jackie has. She could not be more appreciative of what she has done for her daughter.

Craig Johnson, Elyse Pyle, Kelly Merecicky and Bonnie Carson came coming into Genesis at normal time (7 am) on 2/1/19 when the school didn’t open until 9 am due to inclement weather.  These staff were able to help fill in even when other school staff were unavailable to help assure that arrival time for students would still run smoothly.

All Early Childhood Mental Health for gathering demographic information for collaborative partners for United Way reporting.  Between our CAA & Head Start partnerships and community child care centers, over 3,000 children in our region have access to our services.  Well done, you make the difference & thank you for all you do each day!

Aleesha Blank was nominated for helping out in another region and being flexible in providing home visits in a new area.

Positive Community Feedback

The following positive feedback was shared from a Director at one of the child care sites for which Dashia Stanz provides ECMH consultation, "I just wanted to come up and tell you how wonderful Dashia is. She is such a joy to work with and I just don't know what I'd do without her support. She has helped our teachers and I be more supportive of kids with behavior challenges."