The following staff members were recognized at the Integrated Services Quarterly Meetings in February and April  Their nominations were filled with praise from colleagues; read on for just a few excerpts.

February Quarterly Recognitions 2022

Daniel Denton, Rocky Mountain High School, Integrated Services Teacher
Daniel continues to go above and beyond to meet student needs and create a positive learning environment in his classes. As a case manager, he has handled adverse situations with patience and a positive mindset. He always does what is best for his students and has found creative ways to identify student strengths and build skills in areas of need. He is a huge asset to our team and school.

Sara Thompson, Lincoln Middle School, Integrated Services Teacher
Sara works in the SED department of Lincoln. Sara has patience beyond comprehension and extends grace to every person. She shares her wealth of knowledge with humility. She is a force to be reckoned with. She is gentle and kind to the students, and also firm in her boundaries. She respects and cares deeply for her students. She goes above and beyond making sure her staff feel cared for and supported.

Austin “Marc” Mack, Rice Elementary, School Psychologist
Austin has been a great support this Year at Rice and we are lucky to have him here. He is student first always thinking of ways to support & provide the best accommodations for kids. He has a great perspective and is always willing to reflect after challenging conversations!

Marissa Valentine, Wellington Middle School, Integrated Services Paraprofessional
Marissa jumped into working at Wellington Middle School during remote instruction Fall 2020 and has been a huge asset to our team ever since. She is caring, understanding, and works so very hard while also working on her degree in counseling outside of school hours. Marissa can be trusted and counted on to support any student in our building but is especially good with students that have challenging behaviors. Marissa is the reason some of our students are so successful! Thank you for all you do Marissa.

Kristine Middaugh, Boltz Middle School, School Psychologist
It is hard to put into words the appreciation that our team has for this individual. As a School Psychologist, this person consistently demonstrates character, competency, and compassion on a daily basis. Whether she is checking in with students individually, leading small group skills, or helping a child in crisis, they can be counted on to have a level head and calm demeanor. They are someone that we have relied on as the ultimate teammate. We have asked them to go above and beyond their job requirements, and I am incredibly grateful to have such a team player at my school. Our students have come back to learning with additional burdens and trauma from dealing with pandemic related stressors and this individual has been a constant source of support for our students and our staff throughout this difficult school year. She is an asset to our building and we are all better educators thanks to her efforts and dedication to our students. Furthermore, she is incredibly thorough, whether that is writing an evaluation report or taking data, ensuring the team has a complete picture of the student’s strengths and needs. Kristine Middaugh, Thank you for everything that you have done and continue to do for our Boltz Team. I am in awe of your professionalism, care and knowledge. We appreciate you beyond these words.

Tony Bonanno, Mountain Sage Community School, School Psychologist
Tony was invaluable in helping us support students with expired IEPs and new referrals last fall due to the movement within the educational system with Covid.  There was so much testing and paperwork, yet he was on top of it. Thank you for all of your hard work, Tony!

 April Quarterly Recognitions 2022

Amanda Duncombe, Webber Middle School, ILS Teacher
Amanda has been a great addition to our IS team at Webber. As a 1st year teacher, Amada has made great change to her program. She builds relationships with each student, paraprofessional, and family she works with. She is a great collaborator and team player with our itinerants, new Autism program, and Multicat teachers. She holds students to a high standard which allows for personal and academic growth. Amanda does a great job differentiating and modifying work to reach each student at their level. She has worked hard to make sure her students are included in the general education setting as much as possible. We are so grateful to have Amanda on our team.

Kate Matthews, Rice Elementary and Wellington Middle School, SLP
The SWAAAC team would like to recognize Kate in her efforts in assessing and implementing alternative and augmentative communication systems with her students with complex communication needs. Kate’s caseload at Rice and Wellington Middle School has many students with complex communication needs and other significant needs. As a first year SLP, she has gone above and beyond to support these students and school staff. She has had to learn how to operate and implement a variety of AAC devices to include multiple access methods. She has never hesitated to ask SWAAAC for support and in doing so has become more confident and proficient in her skills. Kate does a fabulous job incorporating the use of AAC within the classroom setting. In the ILS program at Rice, she has implemented AAC within literacy activities that are co-planned and taught with the teacher. She provides ongoing coaching and training with the preschool staff. She also takes the time to reach out to the families and private service providers to coordinate services and to problem solve challenges. Thank you Kate for all that you do on behalf of our students.

Ann Bunten, Irish Elementary, SLP
I want to recognize Ann for her amazing work this school year for all of our students. She’s fit right in with our I.S. team and has been working incredibly hard to encourage, care for, and teach every one of our students with speech and language needs. She’s been incredibly knowledgeable and helpful with our students in the MTSS process and she’s a great resource for all of the teachers here. We are so grateful she is at Irish and the students adore her as well!

Sarah Belleau, Director of Integrated Services
Sarah, thank you for your advocacy, your passion, and your support on behalf of all students with disabilities in Poudre School District! You are an amazing leader that inspires others to excel in everything we do!

Sarah, you have been the most amazing leader! I appreciate your genuine kindness and respect for your team. You lead by example and always make our students a priority. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with you this year. I have learned so much and will always be thankful.

I so appreciate Sarah’s skilled leadership with Integrated Services.  Her commitment to students, families, educators, support staff, and the larger district as a whole is commendable.  Sarah navigates complicated scenarios with grace.  She is always willing to listen as well as help do the work.  A big THANK YOU to Sarah for all the many contributions she has made for students with disabilities.

Thank you all for your service and dedication to EACH and EVERY student in PSD!