Staff members honored for excellence, service
Congratulations to the staff members who were honored at a staff ceremony in August!
Receiving district-level employee of the year awards were:
District Teacher of the Year: Kim Wilson, intervention specialist, Upper Arlington High School
Classified Employees of the Year: Brian Walters, Transportation; Seth Given, Operations; Ann Dominek, Nutritional Services; and Melissa Thien, Secretarial/Bookkeeping Division
Support Staff Employee of the Year: Sarah Potter, educational aide, Barrington Elementary School
Administrators of the Year: Karen Truett, Director of Communications, and Paul Imhoff, Ed.D., Superintendent
Receiving building-level teacher of the year awards were:
Stacie Caruso, intervention specialist, Barrington Elementary School
Laura Manns, teacher aide, Burbank Early Childhood School
Allison Kulasa, speech language pathologist, Greensview Elementary School
Julia Gomez, global language teacher, Jones Middle School
Eric Wylie, social studies teacher, Hastings Middle School
Maredeth Washburn, intervention specialist, Tremont Elementary School
Anjali Das, intervention specialist, Windermere Elementary School
Caitlin Holland, speech-language pathologist, Wickliffe Progressive Elementary School
In its second year, the Joanie Dugger Educators of the Year Fund through the Upper Arlington Education Foundation honors three educators - one from each level - who receive funding for projects of their choice. The fund was created in loving memory of Joanie Dugger, who retired as executive director of the Upper Arlington Education Foundation in 2018 after 17 years of dedication to “Enhancing What Matters Most.” The 2022 Joanie Dugger Educators of the Year recipients are: Stacie Caruso, Barrington Elementary School; Eric Wylie, Hastings Middle School; and Kim Wilson, Upper Arlington High School.
The Nancy Losekamp Career Development Leadership Award is also awarded to three teachers each year - one from each level - in recognition of their work to engage students in service learning. This year’s recipients are: Jamie Trainor, kindergarten, Windermere Elementary School; Nicole Morgan, intervention specialist, Jones Middle School; and Missy Haines, art, Upper Arlington High School.
Additionally, 18 staff members were recognized for 20 years of service to Upper Arlington Schools, and five staff members were honored for 30 years of service to the district.
UAHS student chosen for state advisory group
Upper Arlington High School junior Ashley H. has been selected by Governor Mike DeWine to represent Franklin County on the inaugural Ohio Student Safety Advisory Council.
She joins 15 other Ohio high school students from across the state on the council. The students will work with leaders from the Ohio School Safety Center, part of the Department of Public Safety, to identify school safety concerns and develop solutions to address them. They will also develop strategies to encourage their peers to actively engage in maintaining a safe school environment and will be advocates for students’ overall well-being.
“School safety is one of our top priorities, and we are very proud to have one of our students representing not only our school community but also our county to help us continue to improve our efforts in this area,” said Andrew Theado, principal of Upper Arlington High School.
Governor DeWine announced plans for the student-led council in April. “Involving students in improving school safety is important because they know what is happening in our schools better than anyone,” said Governor DeWine. “Students are well-positioned to help protect their fellow students, their teachers, and staff, and we welcome their valuable input.”
Uniquely accomplished
Congratulations to 14 Hastings Middle School students who were honored in the “Le Grand Concours” national French contest! Six students were National Laureate winners: Edie H. and Santi C., gold award; Elena Z. and Nieves A., silver awards; and Anya P. and Aanya B., bronze awards. An additional eight students received a “Certificat d’honneur” for honorable mention.
Students on Windermere Elementary School’s Food Rescue team, led by intervention specialist Anjali Das, were invited to speak on the K-12 Food Rescue podcast on Spotify, which shares the successes of students and teachers from across the country as they try to reduce food waste in their schools. You can find a link to their podcast episode at www.uaschools.org.
UAiNSIGHT recognized with top honors
Upper Arlington Schools is proud to have been recognized for excellence in communications with our community by the Ohio School Public Relations Association (OHSPRA). The Upper Arlington Schools Communications Department received the following awards at the annual OHSPRA professional conference this year:
Best of the Best in the state of Ohio: the UAiNSIGHT printed newsletter, produced through a cost-effective partnership with the City of Upper Arlington and the Upper Arlington Public Library — bringing news about the city, library and schools to every community member's mailbox every two months
Marks of Distinction: UA Schools Facebook page and the Building Our Future: Grand Opening Commemorative Program
Mark of Excellence: Building Our Future: Grand Opening Celebration video