Congratulations to the following Mitchell Staff Members who exemplify excellence in education:
Rita Pierson, a lifelong educator, advocates that “learning sometimes occurs because someone insists that you recognize the excellence in yourself.” At Mitchell Elementary, Lisa Vickers is quite insistent…that students know their potential and that staff know their value. And learning, with both students and staff, occurs because of her persistence. We can always count on her to help others find their path to excellence.
Mrs. Vickers has designed a classroom that shouts “excellence.” It is cheery and inviting with encouragements to read splashed about everywhere. Her students embrace the high expectations for behavior and academics that she has established in the room, and she never misses an opportunity to help students find a better way to tackle their problems. She actively moves throughout the classroom to monitor students’ progress or is sitting at her teacher table empowering her students with new reading strategies. But even when working intently with students at her table, nothing escapes her attention. She shifts from the public, ” Bless you…go wash your hands” following a sneeze, to the private redirection that helps a students save face and make a better choice. She can also take the most challenging content and make it accessible and even fun for her students. They have been known to work as “surgeons” to dissect text features, scrubs and all! Students have no option but to recognize the excellence in themselves.
Mrs. Vickers doesn’t just promote excellence with her students, she inspires greatness with our staff as well. She leads by example and is always willing to step up when needed. Last year, she volunteered to call names for the car rider line, and as a result, has become a familiar face for our parents and a familiar voice for our students. She coaches and mentors new teachers each year and helps them find their own path to becoming better at their craft. She blends the humorous ironies of teaching with the idealized vision of perfection to inspire them to keep moving forward, especially when challenges sneak up on educators. Even when the papers are piled high and the meetings stack up, Mrs. Vickers can find laughter in her soul and share it with others. And she never lets an opportunity pass by to show appreciation to her co-workers. During the first week of February, Mrs. Vickers coordinated the activities so that our counselor would know how much she is loved. That is just like Mrs. Vickers..to insist that every single person knows his or her value.
You see, Mrs. Vickers is able to see the excellence in others because she has chosen a life of excellence for herself. That is her greatest gift: to help others see their greatest potential because she chooses to grow into her fullest potential. As a result, Mitchell Elementary is pleased to recognize Lisa Vickers as our February Teacher of the Month.
Leave a CommentKathy Durst has been a pillar at Mitchell Elementary for over 20 years. Her influence with students, her Kinder team, and the entire Mitchell family has left a lasting impression that will transcend generations. Her unassuming demeanor might fool you, but she is a powerhouse!
Upon entering her classroom, one might sense something akin to an orchestra. Between the movement of discovery and the hum of learning, there’s a beautiful symphony of academics occurring. Students are cutting, sorting, writing, counting, illustrating, forming, decoding, and expressing. They are working independently, in stations, and at her teacher table. Students experience this unique learning with the structure of routine and procedure. Ms. Durst’s gentle voice is reinforced with an underlying level of expectation that joyfully propels students to engage. She can shift from whole group, to an individualized behavior need, to a small group, to a visitor walking in to observe…all without missing a beat. Her students, after a year in her classroom, are well-prepared to tackled the arduous tasks in first grade.
Kathy also plays a strong role on her Kinder team. Three of the teachers have been working together for 20 years, causing this grade level to be one of the strongest and most stalwart teams at Mitchell. They complement each other well, but Kathy’s gentle leadership on the team illustrates what it means to be a servant leader. She is not pushy, but she always has something to offer. She is not meek, but her words are always delivered in a gentle and kind manner. She is not set in her ways, but she is confident in her skills. She is a seasoned educator, but she is not too proud to admit mistakes. She has great responsibilities in her personal life, but she is always willing to meet the needs of her team. She has lived through several administrators at Mitchell, but she is alway open to new and different ideas. Her quiet leadership provides such a high level of security for her team.
As a member of our Mitchell faculty, Kathy is always positive and in a great mood…even on those challenging days. If you go to her with a problem, she stops and tries to help you with the problem in a realistic and encouraging manner. She is everyone’s cheerleader – students and staff alike. She has also stepped in to lead our PBIS team and has taken the role to heart. As if she wasn’t a blessing already, she led the campus to re-envision our matrix from BARK to BEST. As we worked as a team to transform our expectations, she helped us make them a part of our daily language. Today, you can hear students and staff talking about our goals to Believe in yourself, Encourage others, Show ownership, and Take part in the team. She keeps the needs of our students and staff at the forefront of her mind. She manages the Applause board for our staff and regularly adds specific words of encouragement for individual teachers and staff members.
Having someone like Kathy on our team gives a sense of stability and pride. Because she is here, many others have made it through another day. As a result, Mitchell Elementary is pleased to recognize Kathy Durst as our January Teacher of the Month.
Mitchell Elementary is honored to have a go-getter in the 3rd grade classroom. Veronica Ostiguin shares her knowledge of Reading and Writing with her students and helps them grow academically. But more importantly, she lives a life of kindness with both her students and the Mitchell family. Her impact is felt across the campus.
The moment an opportunity became available, Veronica signed up to complete the House Bill 3 Reading Academy. She spent the summer of 2019 learning the foundational skills and attended several training throughout this past school year to build on those foundations. Although COVID has hindered a regular school experience, it hasn’t stopped Veronica from using the knowledge she has learned through Reading Academy to help students grow in reading and writing. She makes sure that all students receive differentiated instruction to help them achieve their reading goals. She meets with students daily in small groups to strengthen their literacy skills and build their confidence. Her attention to detail, dedication to personal growth, and love of reading empower her in the classroom to help her enrich her students academic journey.
Veronica doesn’t just teach Reading, though. She teaches students about kindness with both her words and actions. She sets high expectations for her students and encourages them to reach for the best in themselves. As a result, her students are calm and focused, a team that works together to reach their goals. But she doesn’t just focus on her class: she focused on the entire staff and student body and Mitchell. She is willing to go the extra mile to help someone have a happy day. A co-worker describes her in this way: “She is always a delight to be around. She believes that life is about finding the joy in any situation. She loves to laugh and make her students laugh. I absolutely love spending time with her because she never says an unkind word about anyone.”
Veronica is the type of person we want investing in the lives of our students. She cares about the abilities and cares about their hearts. As a result, her students are growing into their potential. We are blessed to have her at Mitchell Elementary.
Mitchell Elementary welcomed a new member to the Pre-K Team this year. Kim Kreamer brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in the area of early childhood. In addition to this, she IS optimism personified. She brings joy to work every day and showers it generously on both students and staff. She is patient and kind as she teaches these first-timers “how to do school.” Her classroom is a perfect mixture of structure and discovery, and she seeks out ways to make her students feel special. With her contribution, the PK team has become a tight group of four women who are making a huge difference with our youngest Bulldogs. Â
Even during the COVID age, her optimism drives her to look at the bright side of every situation. With the challenges that come with enticing her At-Home Pre-K students with engaging online activities or teaching safety protocols to her On-Campus Pre-K students in the classroom, she approaches each task with cheerfulness. She reaches out to her students learning from home and ensures that they feel welcome to join their on-campus friends during morning meeting. She works with them individually and in groups to assess and stretch their academic skills. If a student at home does not have technology, she goes to great lengths to connect with them in any way possible. For students who learn with her in person each day, the classroom is a happy and friendly world of discovery and delight. She implements new ways to help individual students with their unique needs and captures learning opportunities that inspire students to grow. Even Show-and-Tell becomes an opportunity to review concepts learned during the week as well as celebrate each child. Her stations are mindful, and students know the routine of cleaning up and sanitizing hands before moving on to the next adventure. Each day, they sing, they learn, they play, they dance, they build, they write, they draw, they laugh. Mostly, they feel loved.
Kim has added so much value to an already strong Pre-K team. One teacher praised her by saying, “Kim is a team player and is constantly looking for new ways to grow, learn, and teach.” We are blessed to have her at Mitchell Elementary.
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