2011 Recipients

Employees, parents, students and community members nominated outstanding individuals for service to students and the district in the following four categories: certificated employee, classified employee, team and community member/organization. The Central Valley School District Board of Directors honored six recipients with district-wide 2011 Meritorious Service Awards on March 25, 2011. Initiated in 1985, the annual awards honor exemplary contributions by employees, teams, community members and organizations in support of student achievement in Central Valley Schools.

2011 Meritorious Service Award Recipients:

Rik Austing, Horizon Middle School – Certificated Employee
Over the past 30 years, Rik Austing has contributed his energy, enthusiasm and considerable teaching talents at all levels of the Central Valley School District. The secret to Rik’s success is that he understands kids, how they learn and how to teach them. He cares about his students, builds on their strengths and expects them to achieve. In addition to being a valued colleague and collaborator, Rik continues to work to make himself a better educator and his school a better place to learn. He is an exceptional employee and teacher who uses his skills, talents, and personality to enrich the community around him.

Shirley Brick, Ponderosa Elementary – Certificated Employee
Shirley Brick is invaluable to special education and resource students at Ponderosa Elementary, and she is equally appreciated by her staff members. She is an extraordinary worker who sees the potential in every child. Her co-workers appreciate her helpfulness and thoughtfulness and know they can always count on Shirley. In addition to her teaching position, Shirley serves as the Central Valley Education Association (CVEA) Representative and Treasurer. She continues to attend PTSA meetings and after school and evening programs to gain knowledge and provide input from a teaching perspective.

Jeff Haynes, Transportation – Classified Employee
Jeff Haynes has been a bus driver for Central Valley School District since 1987. It is remarkable that he has never missed a single day of work due to illness. He is a model employee and adored by his colleagues, students and their parents. Jeff opens the Transportation Department every morning before 5:30 a.m. He advises district administrators on road conditions and bus routes. Outside of work, Jeff is an active community volunteer helping with food drives, clothing drives and helping senior citizens. His solid character and work ethic is appreciated by all!

Ronda Stewart, University High School – Classified Employee
University High School is honored to have Ronda Stewart as part of the employee team. Ronda wears many hats including paraeducator, community and school volunteer, Public School Employee (PSE) Treasurer and Building Representative, Classified Staff Professional Development Class Facilitator and reliable friend to colleagues, students and parents. She works with warmth and patience and earns the respect of staff and students. Ronda is skilled with technology and uses her knowledge to enhance her work. She is known for going above and beyond her job requirements. For example, Ronda completed 350 hours of Classified Staff Professional Development classes in three years and earned her “Class C” driver’s license in order to drive students to locations off campus, if needed.

Tom Lundstrom, Liberty Lake Elementary and S.C.O.P.E. Volunteer – Community Member/Organization
Tom Lundstrom is a long-time member of the Liberty Lake S.C.O.P.E. (Sheriff Community Oriented Policing Effort) and tireless volunteer working to keep the students at Liberty Lake Elementary safe. He patrols the streets daily, putting up safety cones at intersections where students walk to and from school. He is the eyes and ears for parents and staff of students out of sight from home and school. Tom has been instrumental in establishing and organizing the Operation Identification Program where children are fingerprinted and photographed for parents to have available in case of an emergency situation. He has spent countless hours securing volunteers, handling orders and processing the fingerprinting and photographs for this important service. Tom has announced his retirement this year. His dedication and positive impact to the Liberty Lake Elementary community will be missed.

Summer Transition Team, Central Valley High School – Team (members include Jason Allen, Shirley Andrews, Katie Bousley, Katie Louie, Philip Plesek, Cheryl Regnier, Adrienne Schoenberg)
This group of five teachers, a school counselor and an assistant principal form a collaborative group to help students make the often-challenging transition into high school. The team worked diligently to develop a “transition summer camp” to introduce at-risk students to high school and emphasize the importance of getting off on the right track academically. The results of the transition program are outstanding! This year’s first semester grading reports, for the sophomores who attended the camp in 2009, revealed that every student passed all classes. No F’s! In addition, 54 percent of these students are back on track for on-time graduation. This is approximately a 20 percent decrease from the at-risk 10th grade students that did not attend the transition camp. The caring attitude and connections made with the students by this Summer Transition Team are greatly reducing the school’s academic failure rates and improving timely graduation goals.

2011 Meritorious Service Award Nominees:
The accomplishments of every nominee were celebrated by School Board members during in-school visits from February 28 through March 25, 2011.

Elementary Schools

Adams Elementary

Judy Leise, Certificated Employee
Marta Reiner, Certificated Employee

Chester Elementary

Ron Snyder, Classified Employee

Greenacres Elementary

Marcia Haney, Classified Employee
Brad McCormick, Community Member/Organization, PTSA Board
Kim Claypool, Community Member/Organization, PTSA Board

Liberty Lake Elementary

Greg Goodell, Classified Employee
Tom Lundstrom, Community Member/Organization, Liberty Lake SCOPE/Volunteer

McDonald Elementary

Carol Bray, Certificated Employee
Carolyn Hillstrom, Certificated Employee
Jody Dohrmann, Certificated Employee
Kevin Longworth, Certificated Employee
Mary Bauman, Certificated Employee
Dara Keen, Classified Employee
Kathy Barton, Classified Employee
Linda Sparley, Classified Employee
Sue Jones, Classified Employee
Dorothy Peterson, Community Member, Volunteer
Jennifer Morgan, Community Member, Volunteer
Tammy Mansfield, Community Member, Volunteer
Tonia Norris, Community Member, Parent Volunteer

Opportunity Elementary

Robin Kimball, Certificated Employee
Kathy Hansen, Classified Employee
Terri Crum, Community Member/Organization, Contributor/Volunteer

Ponderosa Elementary

Shirley Brick, Certificated Employee

Progress Elementary

Brenda Vandouris, Certificated Employee
Lynne Ludington, Classified Employee
Special Education and Kindergarten Paraeducators, Team (Diane Birkner, Jeanie Eastman,
Sandra Knight, Rita Hart, Carol Charles, Tina Townsend and Travis Cross)

South Pines Elementary

Blair Keymer, Certificated Employee
Val Clapper, Certificated Employee
Tina Simpson, Classified Employee

Sunrise Elementary

Shannon Duncan, Certificated Employee
Nancy Huettl, Community Member, Parent Volunteer
Sunrise Leadership Team, Team (Sarah McNeice, Sandi Larsen, Peggy Barnes, Eric Kramer, Jeni Davaz, Sarah Schmaltz, Linda Stumbough, Rachelle Ahumada, Tammy Nichols, Rose Francis and Monika Hawkinson)

University Elementary

Stacy Hammond, Certificated Employee
Angela Coleman, Community Member/Organization, PTSA President

Middle Schools

Bowdish Middle School

Kathy Doohan, Certificated Employee
Abida Dar, Classified Employee
Vivianne Fanic, Classified Employee
Stephanie Gibson, Community Member/Organization, Parent Booster Club

Evergreen Middle School

Deborah Herman, Certificated Employee
Helen Rock, Certificated Employee
Ellen Ruscio, Classified Employee
Marci Highley, Classified Employee

Greenacres Middle School

Linda Benoit, Certificated Employee
Patrick Thomas, Certificated Employee
Todd Rowell, Certificated Employee
Lynn Hicks, Classified Employee
Greenacres Middle School PTA, Community Member/Organization (Sarah Martin, Anne Bixby, Stormy Jones and Kathy Shirley)
The Chefs, Team (Vicki Scoggins, Deatra Parr, Renee Shoop, Mary Lou Hendrix, Arlene Wollan, Tana Moorehead, Squeaky May and Tiffany Hagen)

Horizon Middle School

Rik Austing, Certificated Employee
Rosanna Steele, Classified Employee

North Pines Middle School

Patty Woodbridge, Classified Employee

High Schools

Central Valley High School

Dr. Roberta Rice, Certificated Employee
Robin Barnhart, Certificated Employee
Debbie Carlson, Classified Employee
Lori Wilson, Community Member/Organization, Band and Color Guard Booster Club
Summer Transition Team, Team (Jason Allen, Katie Bousley, Katie Louie, Philip Plesek,
Cheryl Regnier, Adrienne Schoenberg and Shirley Andrews)

University High School

Jan Pierce, Classified Employee
Ronda Stewart, Classified Employee
Svetlana Melnik, Classified Employee
Debbie Davis, Community Member/Organization, U-High Booster Club Member

Non-Traditional Schools & Education Centers

Barker High School

Liberty Lake Kiwanis Club, Community Member/Organization

CV Early Learning Center

Babs Velategui, Certificated Employee
Casey Lee, Classified Employee
Janice Olson, Classified Employee
Special Services/ECEAP, Team (all staff)

CV Kindergarten Center

Marylou Moglia, Certificated Employee
PTO Board Members, Community Member/Organization, Kindergarten Center PTO

Learning and Teaching Center - District Office

Terrie VanderWegen, Certificated Employee
Jeff Haynes, Classified Employee
Damon Smith, Community Member/Organization, DCI Engineers
Accounts Payable, Team (Birgit Hodgson and Martha Poffenroth)
Human Resources, Team (Sue Brown, Teri Douglas, Kristi King, Lisa Riordan, Tracy Turner and Sue Watilo)

Summit School

Janet McDonald, Certificated Employee
Sarah Ellis, Certificated Employee
Katrina Dituri, Classified Employee
Anne Marie Keck, Community Member/Organization, Choir Coordinator/Volunteer
Cindy Presta, Community Member/Organization, Volunteer
Ruth Penick, Community Member/Organization, Volunteer