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District 2 capped off Teacher Appreciation Week last week with the return of its annual end-of-the-year celebration and recognition of teachers and staff, which was held Wednesday, May 10, at White Pines Golf Club.
Shelved for the past three years due to COVID, the annual ceremony recognizes employees who are retiring or celebrating milestone anniversaries with the District, and teachers who recently earned tenure with the District.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
The District surprised Claire Cooper, its Director of Transportation, with special recognition for her 49 years of service to the District. Mrs. Cooper joined District 2 as a lunch aide in 1974, and moved on to become a bus driver in 1978, and the secretary of the Transportation Department in 1984. She was named Transportation Director in 1999, and has served in that role for the past 24 years.
“She has spent her entire career focused on what matters most: our students,” said Dr. Katie McCluskey, BSD2 Superintendent of Schools. “She knows every street name, pretty much every student name, and can tell you if something is in our boundaries or not without even looking at a map. Claire Cooper has spent 49 years working in District 2. Claire, we look forward to many, many more years of working with you, and cannot wait to celebrate 50 years with you next year.”
RECOGNITION OF RETIREES
The District celebrated the careers of two retiring employees.
- Myriam Ayala served for the past 21 years as a bilingual, special education, and classroom paraprofessional at W.A. Johnson School before retiring in January. She also served for two years – 1997 and 1998 – as a bilingual paraprofessional at Tioga School.
- Zachary Ettelbrick served for the past two years as an assistant principal at Blackhawk Middle School, and will retire at the end of this school year. Prior to joining the District, Mr. Ettelbrick served for 16 years – 2006 to 2021 – as a principal, assistant principal and athletic director at Byron Middle School. Before that, he served two years as principal at Kelvin Grove School; 14 years as a teacher at Poplar Grove Elementary; and four years as a teacher at Harlem High School.
TENURE RECOGNITION
Tenure is the highest honor the BSD2 Board can bestow upon a teacher. The District celebrated 13 teachers who earned this honor this year:
BLACKHAWK MIDDLE SCHOOL
- Megan Arado, Instructional Coach
- Justin Chappell, Physical Education Teacher
- Katherine Lange, Physical Education Teacher
- Mary Novak, Bilingual Interventionist & Instructional Coach
- Christina Olakowski, Sixth-Grade SEL Counselor
- David Podrazik, School Psychologist
- Susan Ramel, Encore/Music Teacher
- Renee Swidron, Eighth-Grade Math Teacher
W.A. JOHNSON SCHOOL
- Gloria Bek, Second-Grade Teacher
- Carissa Cornier-Umana, Bilingual Special Education Resource Teacher
- Carol Fernandez, Bilingual Fourth-Grade Teacher
- Stephanie Fitch, Fourth- & Fifth-Grade Special Education Resource Teacher
- Cristal Hernandez, Dual Language First-Grade Teacher
- Alyssa Lee, Gifted Teacher
- Skyelar O’Toole, Fifth-Grade Teacher
- Faye Rivera, Third-Grade Teacher
TIOGA SCHOOL
- Diane Bendik, English Learners Specialist
- Chaelee Krejca, Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
- Rachel Leedom, Second-Grade Teacher
- Diana Luna, Fourth-Grade English as a Second Language Teacher
- Jayleen Mercado, Bilingual Fourth-Grade Teacher
- Domenica Ottolino, Family & Community Engagement Coordinator
- Brittany Reinhart, Second-Grade Teacher
MILESTONE ANNIVERSARIES
The following staff have reached milestone anniversaries since 2019, which was the last time the District was able to hold this celebration due to the COVID pandemic.
BLACKHAWK MIDDLE SCHOOL
- 30 Years of Service
- Mary Peterson, Seventh-Grade Math Teacher
- 25 Years of Service
- Paula Fritz, Library Media Assistant
- Greg Salecker, Seventh-Grade Social Studies Teacher
- Juliet Zabel, Sixth-Grade English & Language Arts Teacher
- 20 Years or Service
- Nancy Barca, Teacher on Special Assignment
- Deanna Berardi, STEM Teacher
- Cora Popescu, Eighth-Grade Math Teacher
- Sarah Taylor, Sixth-Grade Special Education Teacher - ISP
- Sue Vitale, Project CARE Site Coordinator
- 15 Years of Service
- Tara Alvarez, Literacy Specialist
- Carol Calderin, Literacy Specialist
- Richard Delaney, Seventh-Grade English & Language Arts Teacher
- Claudia Escutia, Secretary
- Perry Finch, Principal
- Nicholas Georgopoulos, Sixth-Grade English & Language Arts Teacher
- Amy Kasper, Library Media Assistant
- Lisa Kulze, Eighth-Grade Counselor
- Erica McKenna, Math Interventionist
- Beth Moritz, Eighth-Grade English & Language Arts Teacher
- Sandra Oliveros, Bilingual Aide
- Anne Rudy, Seventh-Grade English & Language Arts Teacher
- William Winters, Seventh- & Eighth-Grade Band Teacher
- 10 Years of Service
- Janice Babich, Special Education Aide
- Marianne Baglarz, Behavior Specialist & Special Education Coordinator
- Ryan Drum, Math & Robotics Teacher
- Julie Polifka, Special Education Math Teacher - ISP
- Mara Sventeckis, Special Education English & Language Arts Teacher
- Argiro Vranas, Eighth-Grade English & Language Arts Teacher
- Alejandro Yanun, Spanish Teacher
- 5 Years of Service
- Carly Boeing, Teacher on Special Assignment
- Kathryn Ciesla, Eighth-Grade Special Education Teacher - ISP
- Mary Corbett, Instructional Technology Specialist
- Nancy Donohue-Canfield, Bilingual Teacher - Grades 6-8
- Ashleigh Dunbaugh, Sixth-Grade Math Teacher
- Laura Ellsworth, English as a Second Language Math Teacher - Grades 6-8
- Lauren Fabbri, Eighth-Grade Science Teacher
- Jesus Godinez, Health & Physical Education Teacher
- Adela Gorostieta, Breakfast/Lunch Supervisor
- Katelynn Klingler, Seventh-Grade Special Education Resource Teacher
- Patricia Koehn, Nurse
- Victoria Mazzone, Eighth-Grade Social Studies Teacher
- Jennifer McGraw, Special Education Math Teacher
- Sarah Morong, Sixth-Grade Band Teacher
- Mireida Nuñez, Breakfast/Lunch Supervisor
- Marian Quijano, Bilingual Aide
- Frank Rago, Seventh-Grade Science Teacher
- Amy Rezulak, Special Education Aide
- Suzanne Richardson, Art Teacher
- Melanie Rook, Seventh-Grade Science Teacher
- Steve Van Dyke, Crossing Guard
TIOGA SCHOOL
- 30 Years of Service
- Laura Wojcieszek, English Learners Specialist
- 25 Years of Service
- Sandra Brown, Kindergarten Teacher
- Madhu Mehta, Kindergarten Aide
- Maria Morris, English Learners Specialist
- Catherine Nemesnyik, District Librarian
- 20 Years or Service
- Angela Adams, Math Specialist
- Heidi Allen, First-Grade Teacher
- Christina Arcivar, Special Education Resource Teacher
- Christine Glenn, First-Grade Teacher
- Colleen Kramer, Office Manager
- Maria Guada Medina, Breakfast/Lunch Supervisor
- 15 Years of Service
- Claudia Arreguin, Clerical Aide
- Vincenza Eltman, Library Media Assistant
- Gloria Escalante, Clerical Aide
- Rosa Garza, Breakfast/Lunch Supervisor
- Kathy Kindelin, Reading Specialist
- Kristi Mullen, Second-Grade Classroom Teacher
- Laura O’Connell, Third-Grade Classroom Teacher
- Nicole Olsen, Fourth-Grade Teacher
- Kerry Olsen, Counselor
- Erin Opielowski, Fifth-Grade Teacher
- Zeniha Selimovski, Breakfast/Lunch Supervisor
- Kara Vincent, Special Education Resource Teacher
- Mary Yetter, English Learners Specialist
- 10 Years of Service
- Jesus Arreguin, Grant Programs Site Coordinator
- Laura Butz, Project CARE Site Coordinator
- Blanca Cruz, Pre-Kindergarten Outreach Coordinator
- Lilian Grogan, Bilingual Special Education Resource Teacher
- Sheri Guajardo, Bilingual Pre-Kindergarten Speech/Language Pathologist
- Erica Hurtado, Bilingual Aide
- Katelynn McAllister, Art Teacher
- Annamarie Mendoza, Health Aide
- Valerie Mrugacz, Technology Support Specialist
- Annette Vale, Special Education Aide
- Nicole Wawczak, Kindergarten Aide
- Yurida Zepeda, Bilingual Reading Specialist
- 5 Years of Service
- Adella Aviles, Breakfast/Lunch Supervisor
- Hanan Ayyad, Math Aide
- Brian Brauer, Physical Education Teacher
- Susana Contreras, Bilingual Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
- Kelly Conway, Speech/Language Pathologist
- Vilbert Dominguez, Infant & Toddler Specialist
- Elizabeth Esparza, Dual Language Kindergarten Teacher
- Christopher Fisher, Physical Education Teacher
- Amanda Hannapel, Fourth-Grade Teacher
- Rachel Holcomb, Fifth-Grade Teacher
- Jenifer Kent, Fourth-Grade Teacher
- Michelle Langston, Nurse
- Sarah Milic, Third-Grade Teacher
- Jennifer Nadolski, Fifth-Grade Teacher
- Gomez Negrete, Dual-Language Kindergarten Teacher
- Ursula Ruiz, Second-Grade Teacher
- Carolyn Smith, Special Education Aide
- Tereon Teague, Third-Grade Teacher
- Lily Velazquez, Dual-Language First-Grade Teacher
W.A. JOHNSON SCHOOL
- 30 Years of Service
- Mina Thielenhouse, Third-Grade Teacher
- 25 Years of Service
- Lynda Gatto, Library Media Assistant
- Mary Larsen, Teacher on Special Assignment
- Therese Schwabe, Second-Grade Teacher
- Melissa Wallace, Library Media Assistant
- 20 Years or Service
- Kari Geraci, Reading Specialist
- Marisol Olivo, Bilingual & Special Education Aide
- 15 Years of Service
- Silvia Acuna, CURES Grant Coordinator & Lunch Supervisor
- Cathleen Bassi, Special Education Aide
- Armando Campos, Dual-Language Kindergarten Teacher
- Aleli Exconde, Breakfast/Lunch Supervisor
- Michelle Gallas, Fifth-Grade Teacher
- Erin Grunwald, First-Grade Teacher
- Nina Keehn, Breakfast/Lunch Supervisor
- Kelly Kendall, Kindergarten Teacher
- Lori Magana, Language Assistant
- Maria Medina, Breakfast/Lunch Supervisor
- Crystal Newman, Kindergarten Teacher
- Agustin Rodriguez, Bilingual Fifth-Grade Teacher
- Magaly Soto, Special Education Aide
- Patty Vlangos, Second-Grade Teacher
- 10 Years of Service
- Meredith Barrett, Social-Emotional Learning Teacher
- Jaime Cazares, Dual-Language Kindergarten Teacher
- Connie Kruse, Fourth-Grade Teacher
- Carola Llanes, Bilingual First-Grade Teacher
- Jessica Mark, Special Education Resource Teacher - Grades 3-5
- Caitlin Mendoza, Fourth-Grade Teacher
- Alice Quinn, STEAM Teacher
- Alyssa Simonelli, First-Grade Teacher
- Lisa Steele, Math Specialist
- Carla Vazquez, Dual-Language First-Grade Teacher
- 5 Years of Service
- Nicole Brodsky, Fifth-Grade Teacher
- Murillo Delgado, Bilingual Special Education Resource Teacher
- Heather Glore, First-Grade Teacher
- Althea Griffin, Breakfast/Lunch Supervisor
- Mia Gutsell, Instructional Technology Specialist
- Margaret Hanley, Bilingual Social Worker
- Jennifer Kochan, Occupational Therapist
- Michelle Kowall, Art Teacher
- Michelle Kozij, Bilingual Reading Specialist
- Anshoo Kumar, Occupational Therapist
- Joyce McGowan, Math Aide
- Emily Morrison, Music Teacher
- Marlene Nimmer, Breakfast/Lunch Supervisor
- Carlos Patiño, Principal
- Bridget Tello, Kindergarten Teacher
- Lucero Tolentino-Estrada, Bilingual Aide
- Anna Tredota, Special Education Aide
- Jacqueline Valenzuela, Bilingual Second-Grade Teacher
- Debbie Van Dyke, Breakfast/Lunch Supervisor
- Joe West, Technology Support Specialist
EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION CENTER
- 25 Years of Service
- Eva Carpenter, Administrative Assistant for Student Services
- Monica Magee, Bus Driver
- Linda Szwankowski, Grant Reporting Manager
- 20 Years or Service
- Debbie Geils, Administrative Assistant for the Business Office
- Theresa Maretta, Bus Driver
- Tammy Polales, Bus Driver
- Lara Schwarz, Project CARE Coordinator & Community Liaison
- 15 Years of Service
- Kevin Banks, Resource Officer
- Tammy Hoeflinger, Human Resources Coordinator
- Keith Lippoldt, Technology Supervisor
- Jennifer Medley, Accounts Payable/Purchasing
- Christy Poli, Birth-to-3 & Community Schools Coordinator
- 10 Years of Service
- Karen Andrews, Bus Driver
- Maria Delgadillo, Bus Driver
- Dora Guzman, Curriculum Coordinator
- Janet Kutter, District Nurse
- Roberto Lopez, Bus Driver
- Manuel Manago, Technology Systems Specialist
- Paul Novack, Chief Financial Officer
- Rachel Thompson, Bus Driver
- Rebecca Thompson, Bus Driver
- Esther Tronnes-Hernandez, Bus Driver
- 5 Years of Service
- Karla Alvarez, Dual/Bilingual Instructional Coach
- Johnny Harrison, Bus Drive
- Gregory Jones, ABM Manager
- Joseph Lelito, Bus Driver
- Meaghan McGrath, Dual/Bilingual Instructional Coordinator
- Tim Waldorf, Community Relations Coordinator
- Erin Wolod, Instructional Coach
