Monday, June 21, 2021

Woodland Public Schools recognizes employees who have gone above and beyond with Employee of Excellence Awards

Each year, Woodland Public Schools invites staff and community members to nominate school employees whose efforts have exceeded expectations for the annual Employee of Excellence awards.

The awards recognize individual employees for creating a positive, caring, and productive school environment through exceptional effort, dedication, or performance in their areas of responsibility. During the past year, constantly changing health guidelines and remote/hybrid/in-person teaching schedules made for challenges for all employees across the district to overcome.

This year’s Employee of Excellence Award Winners are Devon Keas, Candice Littleman, Terry Pederson, Missy Sorensen, and Camile Wilson.

Award winners were recognized by Superintendent Michael Green, Assistant Superintendent Asha Riley, and Human Resources Director Vicky Barnes during an end-of-year staff gathering where each recipient was presented with a plaque recognizing their contributions.

WEA – Devon Keas

A few comments from those who nominated Devon:

  • “Devon authentically loves our students, and that's at the core of all the work she does.”
  • “We had a McKinney-Vento student who got kicked out of her house, and Devon did everything she could to get her stabilized, including offering to transport the student.”
  • “This year, Devon started a project for a college course she was taking at the time, but, seeing how successful the project was, she continued working on the project with our students even after her class requirements ended, because it's for the kids.”
WSA – Candice Littleman

A few comments from those who nominated Candice:

  • “Candice is friendly ALL the time. She is kind and helpful to both staff and students. Candice works hard and is constantly willing to learn new things.”
  • “Candice brightens my day with every interaction with her. She has the best attitude, and she is always cheerful and helpful.”
  • “Although Candice has only been in her current job for less than a year, she is truly a person who makes Columbia Elementary all that it can be - personable with all the people who come through our office and going above and beyond to make difficult situations successful.”
KWRL – Terry Pederson

A few comments from those who nominated Terry:

  • “Simple things like asking where a child’s coat is really show how much she cares for these students; this isn’t just a job to her. I always know she will take care of all of our little ones.”
  • “Terry a dedicated, caring and trustworthy guardian of the precious children who ride her bus. Particularly, in these challenging and uncertain times, children need a reliable, familiar and trustworthy adult to calm their fears and provide normalcy in their lives.”
  • “Terry’s pre-trip observations skills are unmatched with an eye for detail and precision in all of her tasks. Plus, she is truly loved by the students and parents on her route, showing each one respect, friendliness, and compassion.”
Non-Rep – Missy Sorensen

A few comments from those who nominated Missy:

  • “Missy is kind, works unselfishly, and is loyal and understanding. She dedicates herself to making things run smooth for the children and the staff.”
  • “No matter what comes Missy’s way, she is fair and considerate to one and all. During the pandemic, she has given parents the opportunity to continue bringing their children and given the children the opportunity to do their school work while at WCC.”
  • “Missy has accommodated families while also including time for music and art. She always has arts and crafts projects ready for the kids, and provides snacks on a daily basis. She truly is the model example of an excellent employee.”
SEIU - Camile Wilson

A few comments from those who nominated Camile:

  • “Camille embodies hard work, ethics, cooperation, adaptability and an attitude of getting the job done, no matter what it takes. She goes above and beyond to ensure that Woodland High School’s constantly changing metrics for safety protocols are met by supporting the safety of our students and staff.”
  • “When describing Camille, two words come to mind: perseverance and commitment! She is a perfectionist, where ‘leave no task or job behind’ would be a great way to describe how Camille takes on each and every day.”
  • “Camille's dedication and commitment shows as she is constantly on the move, assisting all facets of the work place from outside workers needing access to direction within the facility helping keep the district’s and high school’s goals intact.”

Woodland Public Schools accepts nominations for the Employee of Excellence Awards from both staff and community members throughout every school year from its website at www.woodlandschools.org/employee-of-excellence.

Learn more about how Woodland Public Schools educates our students and serves the community, by visiting our dedicated news webpage at www.woodlandschools.org/news/wsd