By Kim McDarison
The School District of Fort Atkinson Tuesday recognized 36 members of its staff, each of whom have achieved a “milestone” in service to Fort’s schools.
More than 30 honorees, family, friends and supporters gathered in the library of the Fort Atkinson High School where they participated in a reception, complete with a dessert bar, before remarks were delivered by the district’s Board of Education President Kory Knickrehm.
During his opening remarks, Knickrehm said: “Having children of my own in the school district, I have witnessed the unmeasurable compassion and dedication our staff has for their students. Each day my kids come home and tell me something they have learned, or how their day has been positively impacted, as a parent, this means the world. As school board members, this is why we give our time; better futures for our children lie ahead.”
He thanked the staff members for their work as a team, which, he said, collectively improves the lives of students.
“Our staff is the starting point of building strong schools that directly benefit our larger community,” Knickrehm said.
Following Knickrehm’s remarks, each honoree was called to the front of the room by School District of Fort Atkinson Superintendent Rob Abbott where they received a mug bearing their name and years of service presented by Knickrehm and school board member Rhona Buchta.
Offering closing remarks, Abbott said: “Every year, as I attend this celebration, it strikes me that commitment to our district is one of our strengths; people come to our district and stay in our district, serving our goal to ever improve learning for our students, each in our own way and in our own role. The tenure of our staff combined with those who are new to our learning community is truly our good fortune.
“I believe our hope lies in the future of our young,” Abbott continued, adding that each of the district’s staff members “have the ability to impact our most precious commodity day in and day out: our students.”
District staff members were honored as follows:
Completing 10 years of service, were Linda Deets, Katie Field, Laurie Gilson, Dan Hansen, Laura Jenke, Lora Jung, Jamie Knutson, Julie Newbury, Devan Pomykalski, Adam Rousseau, Amy Schuldt, Tonya Schultz, Jilayne Siewert, Cindy Smith, Michelle Steed, Jen Vogel, and Jennifer Walden.
Completing 15 years of service were Kevin Duncan, Michael, Hintz, Ann Holzli, Gregory Riddell, Leah Schroeder, Marcia Schueller, and Dione Steinbrenner.
Completing 20 years of service were Cyndi Beckman, Emily Bouvier, Suzanne Deuster, Melanie Dunkleberger, Jane Humes, Heather O’Neill, Sherry Pfeifer, and Julie Westcott.
Completing 25 years of service were Dawn Church and Matthew Noll.
Completing 30 years of service were Ann Gladem and Lori Held.
Photos from the event follow.
School District of Fort Atkinson educators Dione Steinbrenner, a study hall supervisor, at left, and Kevin Duncan, a family and consumer education teacher, visit Tuesday in advance of an Employee Recognition Reception held in the IMC at the Fort Atkinson High School. The two educators were among 36 school district staff members who were honored for reaching “milestone” years of service given to Fort Atkinson schools. Steinbrenner and Duncan were among educators honored for reaching 15 years of service.
Jen Vogel, at left, and Lora Jung, both recognized Tuesday for 10 years of service, visit during a reception held in honor of employees reaching milestones in service to the district.
Linda Deets, a School District of Fort Atkinson honoree celebrating 10 years of service provided to the district, finds a seat in the Fort Atkinson High School library in advance of the reception.
Arriving at the reception Tuesday to support and honor district staff are School District of Fort Atkinson’s Director of Business Services Nathan Knitt, from left, Director of Human Resources Mandy Turnbull, and Fort Atkinson High School Principal Leigh Ann Scheuerell.
District employees and honorees, Amy Schuldt, from left, Jilayne Siewert, Lori Held, Cindi Beckman and Julie Westcott, enjoy the reception.
District staff members, including Dan Hansen, from left; Katie Field, and Julie Newbury, each of whom were recognized for providing 10 years of service to the district, along with well-wishers Brianna MacGregor, a substitute teacher within the district, and Heather Hake, a special education aide within the district, visit during Tuesday’s reception.
District employees, Heather O’Neill, who was recognized for her 20 years of service to the district, from left; Purdy Elementary School Principal Mary Kilar, who attended as a supporter of district staff; Ann Holzli, who was recognized for 15 years of service provided to the district, and Suzanne Deuster, who also has worked within the district for 20 years, visit during Tuesday’s reception.
School District of Fort Atkinson Board of Education member Rhona Buchta prepares to present honorees with a mug.
“Retro Desserts,” made available during an Employee Recognition Reception on Tuesday, were among tokens of appreciation offered to members of the district’s staff who have distinguished themselves by reaching “milestone” years of service within the district. District staff members reaching 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years of service were recognized during the reception. Thirty-six staff members were included within the full group of honorees.
School District of Fort Atkinson Board of Education Principal Kory Knickrehm addresses staff members, their family and friends, at a reception held Tuesday in recognition of milestone years of service provided to the district. Some 36 members of the district’s staff were recognized.
Katie Field, a math teacher at the Fort Atkinson High School moves past groups of her peers to receive a mug offered in appreciation of her 10 years of service provided to the School District of Fort Atkinson.
Lora Jung, a special education aide at Luther Elementary School receives her mug, given as a token of appreciation for her 10 years of service within the School District of Fort Atkinson.
Amy Schuldt, a kindergarten teacher at Rockwell Elementary School, at right, shakes the hand of School District of Fort Atkinson Board of Education President Kory Knickrehm after receiving her mug, given in recognition of her 10 years of service with the district.
Fort Atkinson Middle School language arts teacher Ann Gladem receives her mug provided as a token of appreciation for her 30 years of service within the School District of Fort Atkinson.
School District of Fort Atkinson Rob Abbott offers remarks at the close of a ceremony held Tuesday in recognition of School District of Fort Atkinson staff members who have reached milestone years of service within the district.
Adam Rousseau, assistant principal at the Fort Atkinson High School, back row, from left; Dan Hansen, an English teacher at the high school, and Linda Deets, a learning disabilities teacher at the Fort Atkinson Middle School, followed by Jen Walden, the principal at Rockwell Elementary School, middle row, from left; Jamie Knutson, administrative assistant and bookkeeper; Amy Schuldt, a kindergarten teacher at Rockwell Elementary School; Jilayne Siewert, a math interventionist and coach at Luther Elementary School, and Michelle Steed, a special education teacher at the middle school, followed by Julie Newbury, an English teacher at the high school, front row, from left; Jen Vogel, a business services administrative assistant; Katie Field, a math teacher at the high school, and Lora Jung, a special education aide at Luther Elementary School, are each recognized for providing 10 years of service to the School District of Fort Atkinson. Also recognized, but not pictured were Laurie Gilson, an administrative assistant at the high school; Laura Janke, a kindergarten teacher at Barrie Elementary School; Devan Pomykalski, a third-grade teacher at Rockwell Elementary School, and Tonya Schultz, a special education aide at the middle school.
Ann Holzli, a cook-helper at Purdy Elementary School, from left; Dione Steinbrenner, a paraprofessional at the Fort Atkinson High School, and Kevin Duncan, a family and consumer education teacher at the Fort Atkinson High School are each recognized for providing 15 years of service to the School District of Fort Atkinson. Also recognized but not pictured were Michael Hintz, a physical education teacher at the high school; Gregory Riddell, a physical education teacher at Rockwell Elementary School; Leah Schroeder, a second-grade teacher at Barrie Elementary School, and Marcia Schueller, a speech and language pathologist at the middle school.
Suzanne Deuster, a paraprofessional at Purdy Elementary School, from left; Emily Bouvier, a third-grade teacher at Luther Elementary School; Julie Westcott, a math interventionist teacher at Barrie Elementary School; Heather O’Neill, a speech and language pathologist at the Fort Atkinson Middle School, Cindi Beckman, a special education aide at Rockwell Elementary School, and Sherry Pfeifer, a fourth-grade teacher at Barrie Elementary school are each recognized for giving 20 years of service to the School District of Fort Atkinson. Not pictured but also recognized were Melanie Dunkleberger, an administrative assistant at Luther Elementary School, and Jane Humes, a special education aide at Luther Elementary School.
Rockwell Elementary School math and interventionist coach Lori Held, at left, and Fort Atkinson Middle School language arts teacher Ann Gladem each are recognized for 30 years of service within the School District of Fort Atkinson.
Kim McDarison photos.
Also recognized, but unable to attend the reception and therefore not pictured, were Dawn Church, a special education aide at the Fort Atkinson Middle School, and Matthew Noll, an alternative education teacher through Crossroads. Each has provided 25 years of service to the district.
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