Month: January 2019

The following staff members were recognized at the Integrated Services Quarterly Meeting on Monday, January 28, 2019.

Stephanie Beckley, IS Paraprofessional II, Shepardson Elementary School
(Nominated by Shepardson IS Team)

• “Stephanie is incredibly dedicated to her students’ growth and development in school. She goes above and beyond, and outside school hours, to make sure they have the materials they need, and that she has all the trainings she may need to help support her students. She is constantly collaborating with primary and related service providers so she is on the same page as everyone, related to the students she works with.” – (Devon Bjubrey- Occupational Therapist)
• “Stephanie is a dedicated team player when it comes to anything Shepardson (not just the kids she specifically supports). She is always willing to help and has a great attitude when doing so. Stephanie continues to come up with innovative ideas when working with students with complex challenges. She reaches out to collaborate with other professionals to do anything possible to make things work for kids.” – (Alex DeValk – IS Teacher)
• “We are so grateful for Stephanie. She is an eager learner and is always wanting to know more strategies to support students. She takes action with what she learns. She collaborates with a child’s team of service providers and teachers to ensure their success. Her dedication is very apparent to all who work with her. Stephanie’s energetic attitude is greatly appreciated at Shepardson.” – (Dana Pierce – School Psychologist).
• “Stephanie is a very knowledgeable, talented, and hard working. She takes full advantage of new learning opportunities and is always motivated to try new things to help any and all students succeed. Stephanie takes time to prepare creative and engaging materials and it is very apparent that she loves working with every student she interacts with. We are very lucky to have such a hard-working and dedicated paraprofessional like Stephanie at Shepardson.” – (Megan Wonnacott and Heidi Hammer – IS Teacher)

Dan Pearce, School Psychologist, Wellington Middle School & Eyestone Elementary
(Nominated by Wellington IS Team)

• “Dan is amazing! He quietly does a fantastic job, working with some of our most challenging students. He is patient, wise and kind to all students. He puts kids first and strives to help them to keep moving forward as confident young people. Dan is a team player. Whenever anyone needs to tap out, Dan is ready to jump in and help. He is supportive of students, parents and staff members. He has a great sense of humor and develops strong and valuable relationships with students.”

Dan Sheely, Special Education Teacher, Webber Middle School
(Nominated by Diane Kallhoff, Webber IS Teacher and the Webber IS Team)

• “Dan Sheely joined the Webber team a year and a half ago, bringing eight years of combined experience from both a special education and general education perspective.  Dan hit the ground running; he works tirelessly and always demonstrates compassion for all the students he serves.  He is a calm voice amid tough times for many of his students.  Dan is very skilled at providing the right kind of help that students need at the exact right time.  He has a willingness to problem solve and consider multiple ideas and perspectives when working with his students.  He goes above and beyond on a regular basis attending meetings, consulting with general education staff, and creating trusting relationships with parents.  Despite only being in his second year in the district, Dan is very knowledgeable about the process and procedures related to special education evaluations, decision making, and planning.  Dan’s loud and deep laugh is contagious.  When Dan is planning, doing paperwork, or de-stressing, Bluegrass and Country music can be heard throughout the D-wing before or after hours.  Dan is a pleasure to work with and we are so happy to have him apart of the Webber team.  Dan most certainly deserves this recognition.  “

Danielle Shultz, Special Education Teacher, Fort Collins High School
(Nominated by Colleen Reyes, FCHS Speech Language Pathologist)

• “I am pleased to nominate Danielle Schultz because of her tireless efforts to implement a new reading program and class at Fort Collins High.  The program was targeted to students with intense instruction needs.  Her program and work has paid off and the results are amazing!!! She has taken many beginning readers and worked to increase their scores beyond 1-2 years growth in less than a semester time.  Overall, the students in her classes are making gains not only in ‘reading’ classes but across all subjects.  In our field, we don’t want to only focus on test scores or numbers.  Another huge accomplishment is the fact that two of the students she case manages have been awarded significant scholarship money from Front Range.  WHOOOOHOOOO Danielle and students!!! This is all attributed to her dedication to students.  She builds long-lasting relationships and rapport with kids that are sometimes more difficult to engage.  I am so grateful to have the opportunity to work and learn from such a gifted teacher.”

Thank you Stephanie, Dan, Dan, and Danielle for your service and dedication to ALL students in PSD!

On Tuesday, January 22, HB19-1036 was voted through the Colorado House Education Committee to be referred to the Committee of the Whole. This bill will grant parity for school psychologists with the NCSP credential to receive the equivalent stipends that teachers, principals, and counselors are eligible for with their national board certifications.  Thank you to PSD school psychologist, Melanie Potyondy for initiating, PSD psychologists Brittany Hutson and Bradley Reimers for sharing testimony along with Boulder Valley School District Psychologist Sacha Mittelman, and State Representative Jeni Arndt of Colorado for championing this legislation!

For more information and updates on HB19-1036, click HERE.

From left: PSD Psychologists Brittany Hutson and Bradley Reimers, BVSD Psychologist Sacha Mittelman, PSD Psychologist Melanie Potyondy, and Colorado State Representative Jeni Arndt – House District 53.