April 30, 2018 -- The theme across the CH-UH School District this year is “A Culture of Excellence”. In that spirit, each month CH-UH is recognizing employees who go above and beyond to create a culture of excellence in our district.
For April, CH-UH is honoring 12 people as the “Tiger Team Members of the Month”. Each honoree was nominated by a colleague--and in some instances multiple colleagues--and the nominees were then voted upon by a committee comprised of staffers across the district.
Since beginning this recognition program in October, CH-UH has received 308 nominations from across the district, including 23 new nominations in April.
The honorees will be recognized at the CH-UH Board of Education regular meeting on Tuesday, May 1.
Read about our previous honorees:
Tiger Team Members of the Month - April:
Heights High SchoolJohnnie Lemons, Criminal Justice Teacher“Commander Lemons is an outstanding teacher, team player, coach, and student advocate. He is kind, fair, and respectful to all students, staff, and teachers. His reputation is above reproach, and he goes above and beyond to help anyone who needs assistance with anything. He coaches his Criminal Justice students not just in a class for school but in important life skills they will need forever.”
Heights High SchoolDr. Brian Williams, Interim High School Principal“Dr. Williams’ influence has touched all aspects of the high school community, and the positive energy is palpable when one enters the building. The staff regularly expresses their happiness at this new addition to their leadership team. Dr. Williams seeks their input and listens to their concerns. He is genuine, patient, and unassuming. While he would not consider what he does as going ‘above and beyond,’ he truly meets the criteria to be honored as the Tiger Team Member of the Month.”
Monticello at Heights Middle SchoolMichelle Cecconi, School Psychologist“Michelle goes above and beyond daily for all of our students, staff members, and parents. She supports all staff members with progress monitoring and interventions and is willing to attend meetings at a moment's notice to support parents, students, and teachers even if it means rescheduling her already busy day. Without Michelle's daily support, parents, teachers, and the students of Roxboro Middle School would be at a loss.”
Roxboro at Heights Middle SchoolJoellen Denk, Media Specialist“Joellen is always creative, positive and upbeat. She designs lessons for all ability levels and helps others whenever the need arises. She is extremely knowledgeable regarding the books kids are interested in and encouraging them to get excited about reading. She teaches classes, partners with teachers helping with technology, and always has a smile on her face! She is a positive role model for CH-UH students and staff.”
Boulevard ElementaryFred James, Special Education Aide“Mr. James is a 1-on-1 aide for a special needs student. Mr. James exercises a great deal of patience and care when it comes to meeting the needs of his student on a daily basis. He does it without complaints. When other staff come into the classroom, their reaction when they see Mr. James working with the student is usually ‘Wow! I had no idea you do all of that’. All they see is an adorable little boy with special needs, but very few know how much Mr. James works at caring for him and meeting his needs.”
Canterbury ElementaryNatalie Davis, Assistant Custodian“Natalie is an amazing custodian. She is a true team player. She goes above and beyond what she supposed to do. From painting our main office and staff bathroom to taking extra care of classroom pets when no one is around. Natalie is a very compassionate person willing to help with anything. She is a great coworker who has made a difference throughout the building.”
Fairfax ElementaryRochelle Klein, Intervention Specialist“When you think of people who go above and beyond to create a culture of excellence at Fairfax, it is impossible not to think of Rochelle Klein. Rochelle is an Intervention Specialist for students with diverse needs. She advocates for her students and builds connections with their families. In addition to supporting her students, she is constantly offering her support to other students, whether it's giving them a break or giving them the opportunity to help in her classroom. She is active on many of our committees, participates in events, and acts as the Teacher Representative for our PTA. She is such a positive energy in our building. We are so lucky to have her.”
Gearity PD ElementaryKatrina Hicks, Principal“Mrs. Hicks demonstrates character, integrity, a growth mindset, cooperation/collaboration skills, is personable and approachable, empowers, encourages and appreciates her staff. She understands everyone, including herself, is human. She understands urgency, yet also understands growth takes time. She is responsive, not reactive. She exemplifies a strong, yet compassionate leader.”
Noble ElementaryDaniel Hershman-Rossi, Music Teacher“Mr. Rossi is a wonderful addition to Noble Elementary School and the CH-UH District. He goes above and beyond as a music teacher and a teammate. He is always the first to offer assistance in any capacity. He seeks out opportunities to collaborate with other teachers. Mr. Rossi has invested hours towards school concerts; honor choir; and earning Noble an instrumental donation from "Little Kids Rock" (the first one earned in Ohio!). He is already preparing to start the first ever Noble Elementary rock band using donated electric guitars for the next school year. The Specials Team and staff at Noble are so lucky to have Mr. Rossi!”
Oxford ElementaryKatherine Maric, Fifth Grade Teacher“Katie constantly has a smile on her face. Her classroom is warm and inviting, and the students walk out of her math class with so much confidence in themselves as learners and human beings. She has so much energy and you can often "hear" her students learning as they are chanting mnemonic devices or standing on their chairs to showcase their learning. Katie has a growth mindset all the time. Her collaborative and innovative approach to kids is amazing. As student council advisor she grows leaders out of students who do not believe in themselves. As a BLT members she works hard to improve the culture of Oxford to one of growth, leadership, and success!”
Roxboro ElementaryMalik Daniels, Second Grade Teacher“Malik makes his classroom so exciting and engaging for students' learning and spends as much energy and effort on students' interpersonal skills and responsibilities. His high expectations in these areas are demonstrated in and out of his classroom; his students regularly have exemplary behavior, social skills, and problem-solving skills in their specials classes, during the lunch hour, and during transition times. I've watched students with individual academic and social-emotional challenges grow so much in just a few months with Malik as their teacher. Malik makes such substantial and positive contributions to the RoxEl students, staff, and community, that he absolutely deserves recognition!
Board of Education/Bus Depot/MillikinMarc Brown, IT Infrastructure Specialist“Marc is everyone's go-to guy for just about everything IT. I know I can always count on Marc to help out with our department's big ideas, as well as the random problems that need solved in a pinch. Even though he's always getting pulled this way and that, he's still helpful and friendly, genuinely asking about how I'm doing and what's new with my family. He's a creative problem solver who deserves to be recognized!”