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Difference Maker - November 2024
As one of the few high-needs counselors for SPS, Brooke is always in demand from our students, staff and families. Although her schedule requires her to juggle numerous buildings across the district, Brooke goes out of her way to develop meaningful relationships with everyone she serves. Brooke works behind the scenes at each site but the contributions and impact she has on others is immeasurable. Our students often request Brooke specifically when they are experiencing a crisis or trauma. Brooke is kind, honest, approachable, and never one to seek attention. She is a true difference-make in our district. Congratulations Brooke on being our November Difference Maker of the Month.
Difference Maker - October 2024
Shay is a reading interventionist and CALT in our building. She is great at building relationships with all students and staff. Shay is also an actor at the Towne and Gown theater. She uses her artistic skills to write poems, skits and limericks to support staff at HP. For example, as our friend Becky Dyson is going through chemo, Shay has written poems, limericks and even recorded short skits to make Becky laugh during her chemo treatments at SMC. Shay has the gift of the written word and willingly shares it with us, even during tough times. We all need colleagues that can lift us up and let us know that they are supporting us! Congratulations Shay on being our October Difference Maker of the Month.
Difference Maker - September 2024
April Bales always has a smile and a positive attitude. April is always willing to do extra above and beyond her duties to help someone.
Difference Maker - August 2024
Mr. Davis goes above and beyond in so many ways, I’m certain I don’t even know the half of what this man does around the school. What I do know is more than enough to qualify him as a Difference Maker of SPS. Mr. Davis is incredibly helpful without expecting anything in return, he truly just loves to jump right in and help everyone.
The amount of hours he spent outside of school to help me with the Art Show is amazing. He worked on weekends and evenings, he wouldn’t leave until he knew we had finished everything and even then, asked if there was anything else he could do.
He was literally running and moving furniture the day of the Art Show, sweating buckets from working so hard to make sure it went well. After that, he ran home and came back quickly to help me manage the 5th grade helpers, worked the entire show, and stayed after to make sure everything was cleaned up.
Mr. Davis also jumped right in and helped me with our after school volleyball program. He volunteered his time by putting up the nets, taking down the nets, running drills, practicing with the students who needed extra help, playing with us, and making it all around more fun.
The list could go on and on, he does Gardening Club, Chess Club, cleans out the refrigerators in the lounge during the summer to be helpful, organizes our supply closet, etc. My favorite thing about Mr. Davis is he wants everyone to feel valued and part of the group. We are so lucky to have him at Westwood and SPS! Thank you for being you, Mr. Davis! You are on of a kind!
Difference Maker - April 2024
Tammye Rogers is an ASL interpreter for one of our hearing impaired teachers. Tammye is basically a co-teacher in the classroom and serves at the teacher's side all day long. She provides a needed service and does so with a positive attitude at all times! Tammye is truly an asset to our staff and students!
Difference Maker - March 2024Mr. Darin is the head color guard instructor. He has made the guard a welcoming place for any kid who wants to participate. He respects the students' chosen names and pronouns. He makes sure the guard knows the importance of their responsibilities in the classroom. He pushes the students with kindness and respect to be better humans. The color guard program has grown and thrived under Mr Darin's leadership, and we're all better for it.
Difference Maker - February 2024
Mrs. B, as our students and staff call her, is Lincoln Academy's school counselor. She has created a safe place in her role her at LA so that our students know that she is available to work with them on the hard things in life. Whether that be applying for Oklahoma's Promise, College admissions, Meridian Tech applications, or what classes to take next for graduation requirements. They also seek her help with home-life issues, relationship and friend issues, navigating being more independent as they become young adults and many other topics. As the school secretary the number one question I get asked by our student's each day is, " Do you know is Mrs. B is available to talk right now?'.
Mrs. B is dedicated and committed to empowering student growth, being a positive influence, helping students overcome challenges and supporting student success. She is involved also in rewarding our students who have achieved Straight A's and earned the required 4 credits per 9 weeks. She uses her own money and lets them pick an item $25 or under off of Amazon and orders it for them. Not only is Mrs. B great for our students to have but she is an amazing person to have as a member of our staff.
Mrs. Baustert does an amazing job as the Lincoln Academy guidance counselor. She listens and helps all students, but is also real with them and pushes them to be their best. She has great perspective on issues with our teachers and staff and participates in all of the fun activities that we offer at Lincoln. Mrs. B makes Lincoln a better place. Jennifer Baustert is February’s SPS Difference Maker.
Difference Maker - January 2023Mrs. Kristin Carter is a Difference Maker. She has been serving as a SPED paraprofessional at our school since 2018. She has many other years of experience at other school sites in our district, as well.
There are many attributes I appreciate about Kristin. Some that stand out to me is her unwavering respect for the children she serves and her patience in the moment. She never holds a grudge, never backs children into a corner, and never takes anything personally. We have a new special education teacher this year, and Kristin's has been indispensable for her. Often, Kristin takes on some of the most challenging situations. She does this with ease, confidence and in a thankless manner. She is so patient and kind no matter what she encounters. Additionally, she is a great problem solver and she makes significant contributions to finding solutions to complex situations. Also, Kristin is so flexible and helpful. Finally, she has a number of responsibilities during the school day that include unloading students in the morning, supporting students during lunch & recess and serving in bus duty.
Kristin is one of our most trusted employees. She is a rock-solid performer who is such a great person. When we need the best on a job or a task she is one of the first people in mind. She adds such value to our school. We are so grateful she chooses to be a part of the Westwood family. She has great experience, and she’s an eager learner looking to grow in her understanding of curriculum and special education pedagogy Kristin Carter is January’s SPS Difference Maker.
Difference Maker - December 2023
"Courtney Parks from Highland Park Elementary is this month’s difference maker. Courtney is our wonderful librarian. At the beginning of the year, she cleaned all the Chromebooks that left in the summer and then the Chromebooks that arrived in August, quickly charging them and preparing them for student and staff use. Courtney works in the summer, during the day, and after school to have materials ready for teachers, while teaching 7 classes per day. She is always available to help and support teachers. She orders exceptional materials and provides a warm and inviting library for our students. Courtney also catalogs all the many grant materials that teachers are awarded and writes grants to expand the library collection. She is positive, knowledgeable, and happy to help teachers with technology needs, material requests, and anything else that is requested of her. We are so fortunate she is our HP librarian! "
Difference Maker - October 2023
"Robbie Fite is our October Difference Maker at SPS. She has 13 years total in SPS, and 10 with Indian Education. Robbie is one of the most committed and loyal people we have. She gives without question and sets the example. Kids and staff love Mrs. Fite. Her time and efforts are spent with students and staff in both Richmond and Skyline elementary schools. She is well respected and does not look for affirmation. Robbie thinks about others first and is dedicated to the profession. Best Practice? Robbie is the example of best practice. The world is a better place because of Mrs. Fite."
Difference Maker - March 2023
"Doug Heid can be seen daily at any one of our buildings, working to make sure the climate in our buildings is comfortable for students and staff. Due to the extreme heat the past few weeks, his services have been in high demand. Working under pressure and extremely hot temperatures, Doug is known as a calm, friendly, and diligent member of our staff. He has made a difference in the educational environment SPS provides for teachers, students, and staff. We appreciate his efforts to keep us cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Thanks for being a “Difference Maker” Doug!"
Difference Maker - March 2023
"Every day Robin Johnson and David Coates work hard to keep our students and staff comfortable, healthy and some days alive. They've gone out of their way to help us all with everything from medications to deodorant, band-aids to shoes and most importantly, respect and kindness."
Difference Maker - March 2023
"As a former educator and coach, Rusty is able to develop relationships with each of our students and connect with them on an individual level. He values parental input, inclusion, and regularly engages with our Committee to determine the best way to help our students. He is also an advocate for native students, who are in the minority within this school system. He has a keen eye for students that may be overlooked or fade into the background. Rusty has a way of working with these students to build rapport and make them feel special. Over these past years, Rusty and our SPS Indian Education Parent Committee have teamed up to hold fundraising Indian Taco sales, cultural meals, and family events to help our students. Supporting mainstream public education as well as our cultural values and traditions is Rusty's strength. He has a traditional background and students can relate to him in this way. Away from our Parent Committee, Rusty works with students of all ages, at all the schools in the SPS. This is a tremendous job, but one he does well. We are very appreciative of Rusty and all that he does for our students. Stillwater Public Schools is better because of Rusty and his commitment to our native students. Rusty's has certainly made a difference for us."
Joyce Oberly- President of SPS Indian Education Parent Committee
Difference Maker - February 2023
Congratulations to our February Difference Maker - SJHS's Ashley Garner!"Ms. Ashley, as all the kids refer to her, goes above and beyond to help provide social, emotional, and academic support, but she does more than that. She has been instrumental in the creation of the RAP room from the ground up... from planning, to training, to implementation, to feedback, and more. The SJHS RAP Room is making a positive impact in the lives of our students by providing an individualized emotional and behavior regulation space. This new and amazing opportunity for our kids would not be as successful as it is today without all of the work and dedication Ms. Ashley has invested in our students. In her second year at SJHS, Mrs. Ashley Garner has made a Huge Difference in improving the lives of others. She is a true Difference Maker."
Difference Maker - January 2023
Rebekah Jimenez is the ELL teacher at Stillwater Middle School. She moved here from California with 20 plus years experience working with multilingual learners. She has been amazing and everyday goes above and beyond for her students. Rebekah works with teachers to support those students. She has been known to stay up late at night translating documents for teachers to use to support their content learning. She can be seen everyday working with and for her students. We are very fortunate to have her at Stillwater Public Schools.
Difference Makers - December 2022
Congratulations to our December Difference Makers - SMS Assistant Principals Carl Treat and Jackie Jackson!"Carl Treat has been a servant leader throughout his experienced career as an educator. Whether it’s in the classroom, on the basketball court, or working as an assistant principal, Mr. Treat always has the mindset of putting students first. Carl is unwavering in his commitment to our students, staff and SMS families. Regardless of the obstacles, Mr. Treat makes every effort to ensure the academic and social success of each student her serves. Whether it’s before school monitoring buses, walking the playground during recess or supporting our students during extra-curricular events, Mr. Treat can always be found supporting our diverse student population. Carl embodies the personal characteristics we hope all SMS students and staff strive to achieve: honesty, integrity and compassion. Mr. Treat leads by example and models these traits regardless of the circumstances. He is a true Pioneer Difference Maker!Jackie Jackson epitomizes what it means to be a “difference maker” for Stillwater Middle School. Mrs. Jackson is a loving advocate for each of our students and their families. Whether she’s tutoring our EL student’s in her office, finding community resources for our families or working after hours to problem solve an issue, Mrs. Jackson goes above and beyond to serve our students, staff and families. Never looking for praise or recognition, Mrs. Jackson often operates behind the scenes, always putting others first. Her selfless actions are a model for all SMS constituents. We are thankful for Mrs. Jackson’s kindness, patience and dedication to all SMS students and staff. Jackie Jackson is a true difference maker and we are thankful she has chosen Stillwater Middle School to share her time, energy and talents. Jackie is a true Pioneer Difference Maker!Difference Maker - November 2022
Lisa Boswell is a rock star teaching assistant at Stillwater Pioneer Virtual Academy. Her positive and steady demeanor uplifts and encourages our SPVA students to strive for excellence. She patiently works one-on-one with students and goes out of her way to foster an open and supportive learning environment. She is dependable and willing to assist our staff with whatever we need to help our students. From organizing lunches, stacking Chromebooks, cleaning tables, printing student notebooks, and creating her own office retreat, Lisa selflessly goes the extra mile to support her students and colleagues. Lisa is a true difference maker and SPVA is a better place because of her.
Difference Maker - October 2022
We're starting a new tradition of recognizing students, faculty and staff who choose to be “Difference Makers” within the district. Difference Makers go above and beyond the call of duty to create positive change in the lives of others.Our first Difference Maker works tirelessly (early, late, weekends) to ensure that all of the families at Will Rogers Elementary School are able to be included in the events of the day, week, or month. Her ability to use two languages effectively to communicate with our Spanish-speaking families creates an inclusive community where both school and family needs are met. Mrs. Onalee Santos goes beyond her duties as Principal's Secretary to assist parents in requesting transportation, scheduling parent conferences, paying for meals, and much more. She loves supporting the parents and students at Will Rogers and it shows in her can-do spirit. Onalee affirms others, she teaches students and peers, she is willing to do any task no matter how menial, and she provides amazing customer service for parents. She is humble, faithful, dedicated, and a person of the finest moral fiber. Patient, warm, integral to school success... Onalee makes sure Will Rogers runs successfully and smoothly.
