Regina Lantz, Registrar at North Middle School
"We appreciate Regina's strong organizational skills, hard work, and polite demeanor in making sure all new students are registered in a timely manner. This year, she has welcomed new staff to NMS and ensures they have the supplies they need. Congratulations, Regina!"
Sandy Burke, Fourth Grade Teacher at Morningside STEM Elementary School
"Sandy is a strong leader at Morningside and has been a large advocate for staff self-care this school year. She shares positive messages with staff each week and has facilitated relaxation activities as well. She reminds us it is important to take care of ourselves so we can better take care of others and make a difference for staff and students. Sandy also practices this with her students on a daily basis. Students are welcomed into a calm and caring community focused on learning well together and SOARing each day. Keep up the great work, Sandy!"
Anne O'Brien, Registrar at Morningside STEM Elementary School
"This year Anne has taken on a new role as our registrar. While no two days are the same and there are many new things to learn, Anne is always positive and willing to help others. Anne always powers through each day and continues to show her amazing work ethic. She is helpful to everyone! Congratulations, Anne!"
Becky Christensen, Instructional Assistant at Spalding Park Envrionmental Sciences Elementary School
"Becky has gone above and beyond to support students at Spalding Park Environmental Sciences Elementary School this year. Becky is always willing to help others when needed. We are thankful to have Becky at our school. Congratulations!"
Katie Benson, Curriculum and Assessment Administrative Assistant, Educational Service Center
"Katie Benson exemplifies the mission and philosophy of the Sioux City Community School District. She supports administrators, teachers, and other staff so they have the resources needed to prepare students for success. Katie is friendly, professional, dedicated, and passionate about the work being done in our District. She positively embraces challenges, is resourceful in solving problems, and is responsive to the needs of others. She maintains positive relationships with community and district partners to ensure that our students and staff receive access to the curriculum, instructional resources, assessments, and professional learning that is needed. Katie Benson makes our district a great place to work, learn, and grow."
Taylor Koch, Library Assitant at Loess Hills Computer Programming Elementary School
"Taylor is always willing to help teachers and students. Taylor did an awesome job helping teachers get everything ready for the start of the school year. She set books out for teachers to pick up and put them in a location where the teachers didn't have to search for them. Taylor also created a fun and engaging PowerPoint with jokes, announcements, and upcoming events which is displayed on the TV in the lunchroom. The staff at Loess Hills appreciate Taylor's willingness to go above and beyond not only by helping with the curriculum but also by running the library by herself. Her peers stated, 'Taylor always has a smile on her face and works well with students and staff! We are all thankful that she is a part of our team!' Thank you, Taylor, for all you do!"
Erika Nelson, First Grade Teacher at Riverside Elementary
"Ms. Nelson transitioned from a Title I reading teacher to a first-grade teacher this year. She works to create positive relationships with her students and improves their reading and writing as well. It has been a joy to watch her students learn and grow with her each and every day. Ms. Nelson loves being at Riverside and we love having her here. Thanks for all you do, Ms. Nelson!"
Scott Warner, Juvenile Court School Liaison and Athletic Director at West Middle School
"Mr. Warner, are you available?" a commonly heard phrase on the walkie-talkie at West Middle School. Serving as our Juvenile Court School Liaison and Athletic Director, Mr. Warner provides support for students, staff, athletics, and almost any other task that is asked of him. Our staff would like to congratulate Mr. Scott Warner for his nomination for September staff member of the month!
Lanaya Harringa, Special Education Resource Teacher at Bryant Elementary
"Mrs. H has done an amazing job setting up student plans and spending ample time in general education classrooms to help her students be successful. She works well with her paraprofessionals and supports them in learning best practices. Mrs. H lives by our building values of being respectful, accountable, and showing integrity. We are proud to have her as a Bear!"
Emily McManamy, Fourth Grade Teacher at Hunt A+ Arts Elementary School
"Ms. McManamy holds high expectations for students in both academics and behavior. She makes her students and families feel valued and welcomed. She always has a positive attitude and brings an endless amount of positive energy to Hunt. She is the type of colleague every staff member wants to work with! Congratulations, Emily!"
Brett Hays, Science Teacher at West Middle School
"Mr. Hays has taken it upon himself to have positive interactions with each of his students and colleagues every day. Including giving out a small card of 'you are awesome!' with a high five attached! Keep up the great work, Mr. Hays!"
Baylee Bigbee, Library Assitant at Sunnyside Elementary
"Baylee has done a wonderful job as the library assistant for Sunnyside. She assists students with research and identifies resources that align with student needs. She helps students identify books that are of interest to them. She greets students and staff with a smile. People are appreciative of how inviting and festive she has made our library! She is a valuable asset to the Sunnyside team!"
Shari Hageman, Kindergarten Teacher at Leeds Elementary School
"Ms. Hageman continues to strengthen her instruction by integrating new strategies and instructional practices in her kindergarten classroom. Ms. Hageman sets high expectations for her students and is passionate about teaching. She consistently shows excitement about progressing with her students and using data to drive her instruction. Ms. Hageman does her part each day to make Leeds Elementary a great place to be!"
Victoria Eliesa, Second Grade Teacher at Leeds Elementary School
"Mrs. Eliesa shows she truly cares about her students and their success in her safe and welcoming learning environment. Mrs. Eliesa is a very positive staff member and takes time to develop strong relationships with her students, their families, and our staff at Leeds. She provides engaging learning opportunities for her students and challenges them to do their best every day. Mrs. Victoria Eliesa helps make Leeds Elementary a great place to be!"
Darin Wickey, First Grade Teacher at Unity Elementary School
"Mr. Wickey is an outstanding teacher. He demonstrates all the characteristics of a professional educator. Mr. Wickey brings fun and excitement to learning. His classroom has a Charles Schulz 'Charlie Brown' theme which can be heard from students walking the halls. Mr. Wickey has a true love of teaching, he encourages a sense of curiosity and deeper understanding for students, which in turn creates a love of learning for kids. In addition to being an outstanding teacher, Mr. Wickey is an outstanding team member. Whenever a situation arises that we need an extra hand, all you have to do is look up to see him there. His unselfish nature and true concern for his colleagues make him an individual everyone can count on!"
Mackenzie Hiserote, Career and Technical Education Program Coordinator at the Sioux City Career Academy
"Mrs. Hiserote has been working her tail off all summer and she does so much for all of us and does not expect anything. She is always willing to listen and does so much to make sure we have the items we need for classes. She is trustworthy, and she is amazing to collaborate on projects with. She also puts so much effort into our internship program and Fridays are for 5th graders and every other program we have. Her positive attitude and notes are appreciated, and she deserves all the applause and recognition. We love having her!"
Natalie Flores-Lopez, Library Assistant at Liberty Elementary School
"Natalie works with all of our students in the library each week. She is caring and willing to help with anything. She is the kind of person who sees that something needs to be done and just takes it on. Natalie goes above and beyond to ensure that our students have their computers in working order and ready to access their academic support software. She takes initiative whenever something is mentioned and gets things done quickly, efficiently, and at the highest quality. We are so lucky to have Natalie at Liberty School 'Making Things Happen'!"
Lee Johnson, Teacher at West High School
Students at West High School said the following about Lee, "Mr. Johnson is an awesome teacher. He helps us understand Physics!" Mrs. Husk said, "Lee has done a great job of getting to know his students, according to his co-workers. We appreciate his involvement in the Freshman team." Congratulations on being West High’s September staff member of the month!
Melorie Strong, Academic Support Specialist at East High School
"Melorie is extremely organized, keeps students focused, and stays on top of and follows through with everything. She is not afraid to take on new challenges and she cares about her students, which makes her a great addition to the EHS family. Congratulations, Melorie!"
Miranda Galvin, Ms. Oliver, and Ms. Dietrich at East Middle School
"Ms. Galvin and her para’s teach eight wonderful students who all have very different needs. This can be quite a challenge some days and they always make sure their classroom is a positive and safe environment for their students. These three ladies have great teamwork which allows their students to be successful. Thank you all for your great work!"
Laura Stevenson, FACS Teacher/Instructional Coach at North High School
"Laura is doing an amazing job in her classroom. She is always prepared and her students are learning valuable skills. She is also helping our staff as an instructional coach. She is able to balance both of these jobs with wonderful results. Keep up the great work, Laura!"
Mark Moerman, Food Service Driver at Harry Hopkins
"Mark is very professional and exhibits a pleasant upbeat personality. He is a team player who always takes on any additional duties without reservation. Mark always has a smile on his face and shows compassion in his work. Mark's devotion to getting the lunches delivered on time and available to the students of the District is of his utmost dedication to the food service department. Congratulations, Mark!"
Doug Snyder, Building Service Technician at East Middle School
Mindy Mahnke, Fran Wetzbarger, Megan Spates, and Mary Duax (SPED Resource Teachers) at Perry Creek Elementary School
"The Special Education team has shined this school year. They have proven how vital teamwork is. They came together at the beginning of the school year to help each other. They have shown strong communication skills and they are truly an asset to Perry Creek. Congratulations!"