School staff are December Educators of Month

Three school staff share December Educator of Month honors

Posted on 01/05/2021

The role of Student Intervention Coordinator requires the ability to make use of many skills: To listen, problem solve and support people in times of crisis. To that extent, Angie Peters has excelled at Mountlake Terrace Elementary School, which named her one of three Rotary Club of Alderwood Terrace Educators of the Month for December.

 

“Angie does this daily in small and grand ways,” Principal Mary Williams said. “She takes time to calmly listen to students who are struggling; she uses her knowledge of human behavior to support during escalation; she listens when other staff need a safe person; she finds solutions that will meet the needs of our students and families.”

 

Where the intervention coordinator intervenes often in times of crisis, the Library Information Specialist is frequently called upon to intervene and solve technical issues or provide curriculum support. And that’s where Mountlake Terrace High’s Denise Tripp has excelled, particularly with remote learning.

 

“She always comes to the table with ideas and enthusiasm for what can be done,” Principal Greg Schellenberg said. “It is impossible to measure the totality of her positive impact on the school this year.”

 

Added counselor Amy Wiskerchen: “I see her in several meetings and she always has great ideas. And I am in awe of how she remains calm and positive in every situation.”

 

Keeping calm when others may not feel that way – especially this year – might be part of the job description for school principals. For Brier Elementary staff, no one was more deserving last month of earning special recognition than Brier Elementary School Principal Johnna Stewart.

 

Staff cited Stewart for her “tireless” work for the Brier Elementary community and her dedication and leadership over the past seven years.

 

“She helps with every material distribution, returns every call, and does everything she can to make this year work for students and staff,” her staff wrote in their nomination. “She has a magical way of connecting with students and she makes it happen by committing to being physically and supportively present for them every day.”

 

Congratulations Angie, Denise, and Johnna!