The Outstanding People for Education Award honors those in Allegan County who have made an impact on the educational community. These people can be teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators, parents or other community members.
The recipients for 2016 received their awards on June 15 at a ceremony at Hopkins Public Schools.
The awards are given by the Allegan County School Boards Association.
Each public school district included in the Allegan Area Education Service Agency’s service area nominates as many as three individuals. The districts provided the following descriptions of the work the winners did to deserve the award.
Otsego Public Schools
Julie Guthrie is the food service coordinator at Plainwell High School.
She doesn’t just provide food for high school students; she greets students with a smile, knows their names and makes them feel important.
She anticipates stressful times at lunch and makes sure students feel comfortable and have someone to sit with. She also stepped in to chaperone the freshman camping trip and was a favorite. She engaged the students, looked out for them and made great connections that remained after camp was done.
Her nomination said, “She is a ray of sunshine in our school and we are lucky to have her.”
Jennifer Loomis is a fifth-grade teacher at Washington Street Elementary.
Her classroom is referred to as Loomisland. Students say it is an incredible, memorable place to be.
One student noted it was her favorite class in her 10 years of school. She forms relationships with each student, never lets a student fall behind and works hard to make learning fun.
She’s always ready for the day and teaches with 100-percent effort; one nomination pointed out her ability to find a silver lining in any situation.
Jenny always lends a helping hand, has the best personality and smiles no matter what, even on a bad day.
Brian Sparks is a grounds/maintenance worker and wrestling and football coach.
He stepped up to chaperone the freshman trip and was put in charge of some tough kids. This turned out to be a perfect pairing.
He bonded with those kids and continued meeting with them checking on their lives and grades. He helped students set goals, recruited new students for wrestling and implemented a 30-minute study hall before each practice, even tutoring some kids.
One of those recruits, who’s been struggling for years in school, didn’t receive a tardy after that and brought his grades up. He nominated Brian, saying he changed his life and made him the person he always hoped he could be.
Plainwell Community Schools
Andrew Hansen is a high school teacher.
He was nominated by a retired teacher/district volunteer who says, “Andrew seems to be one of the first to take on a task to help others at the school or in the community. He has organized student volunteers to help with the Plainwell Christmas Project, Good Hands Plainwell, athletic activities, booster activities, and wherever help is needed.
“He is just a good guy who has a big heart and is compassionate about kids. His impact on education is that he cares about students and gives them the time that many don’t get elsewhere. He cares about students and that is what’s important.”
Dean Pennala was nominated by a co-worker who says, “Dean retired after 30 years as a fifth-grade teacher from Plainwell Community Schools and for the past 10 years, he has served as instructional coach. Dean has the perfect personality to coach.
His warmth, compassion, and empathy put people at ease. He exemplifies integrity and has only the best interests of the people he is working with in mind in all he does. Through his workshops, coaching and moderating of teacher visiting teachers, Dean has helped set Plainwell apart as a district that cares about and greatly values teachers—investing in their career long learning and growth to help all students.”
Nate Smith is a Gilkey Elementary School social worker and was nominated by three co-workers who say, “Nate is the kind of guy whose absence is noticed just as much as his presence. He has made it his mission to support teachers and students in a way that allows the Gilkey family to focus on the hard work of learning.
“Nate’s steady demeanor and thoughtful actions have inspired trust from our team during the years he has worked at Gilkey. Nate is a critical part of this team in dealing with challenging student behaviors and needs, reminding us constantly that it is his job to take those issues off our shoulders so that we can continue to teach.
“We couldn’t do what we do without him!”
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