Jodi Wolf, Behavior Interventionist at Orvis Risner was nominated for BELONGING. Mrs. Wolf works extremely hard to make sure every child at Orvis Risner feels like our school is a safe place that creates opportunities for our families to connect with each other and feel accepted. She started our Cultural Connections Day last year. For this day, students are encouraged to create a poster board with visuals representing their family's culture and students are encouraged to wear something to symbolize their culture on this day as well. Students can send in a video that highlights their family's culture and she puts these video clips together and shares the final video at our all school assembly. This year Orvis Risner is adding this event to their Title I Open House night and families will be able to view the posters, video and there will also be a cultural craft available to students to participate in. There was so much positive feedback received from this event from families and how much it helped them feel connected to each other and the school. All of this was due to Mrs. Wolf’s idea and willingness to make it happen.
Cara Day, Pre-K Teacher at Washington Irving, was nominated for COLLABORATION. As a dedicated Pre-K teacher currently working toward her National Board Certification, she consistently demonstrates leadership and a team-first mindset that positively impacts both students and staff. This year, she recognized a need to strengthen fine motor skills across Washington Irving and immediately took initiative. She not only ran with the idea but also worked closely with her team to create targeted interventions and a system to track student growth over time. Her willingness to collaborate and problem-solve with others has helped ensure this work is meaningful, consistent, and effective for students.
She then expanded the work beyond the classroom by partnering with colleagues to host a family information night, including “make and take” activities to teach families the importance of fine motor development and provide simple strategies they can use at home. This event strengthened the school-home connection and gave families practical tools to support learning. Because of her strong collaborative leadership, this initiative has continued to grow and evolve. She and her team will now be presenting this work at the district PD mini conference, sharing their strategies and successes with other early childhood educators across the district. While also using it to help inform and support incoming Pre-K families during their parent information night.
Mrs. Day exemplifies collaboration through her commitment to teamwork, her ability to bring others alongside her, and her dedication to improving outcomes for students and families. She is truly deserving of this recognition.
Brent Young, Transportation Assistant Director was nominated for INTEGRITY. Our Core Values of Belonging, Collaboration, Hope and Integrity are evident in his daily actions and leadership. He consistently demonstrates an unwavering dedication to our students, drivers, bus monitors and school teams, ensuring that everyone feels supported, heard and valued. Mr. Young is steadfast and dependable, especially in challenging situations. When tensions run high, he provides a calm, measured voice, and he is always willing to listen when someone needs support or guidance. His approach fosters trust and collaboration across our department.
In addition to his professionalism, Brent brings a fantastic sense of humor that strengthens relationships and boosts morale. He is frequently in the field, working side by side with drivers and bus monitors to address real-time needs and challenges, exemplifying servant leadership and hands-on collaboration within our growing district. Mr. Young is truly an example of what it means to lead with purpose, compassion and excellence.
Thank you to Bank of Oklahoma for being our Core Value Award Sponsor!